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That headlong ivy! Not a leaf will grow But thinking of a wreath……. Elizabeth Barrett Browning Aurora Leigh, 1856 Looking for a task that was not too trying in yesterday’s 90º heat, I decided to trim the ivy that had … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: August 2009
I recently read a piece in the New York Times about the increased popularity of raising backyard chickens. Citing Americans’ desire to control both what they eat, as well as the cost of food, the article notes that raising poultry … Continue reading
I just got in from harvesting a hefty batch of green beans (one of the few crops that seems to have done well this season) and I have a few lessons to share. 1) Forget about those quaint looking traditional … Continue reading
Well, the day has dawned bright and beautiful here, and I’m shortly to decamp my office for the garden, but before I go, I wanted share with you an interesting discovery I made recently: yews prefer alkaline soil. This may … Continue reading
This is a quick post just to alert all you folks who have previously subscribed to my newsletter that it’s now been converted into an illustrated blog. So please, take a look around, read a bit, and if you like … Continue reading
My daily walk through the vegetable garden, normally so pleasant, could this morning only be described as dismal. Seventy tomato plants – the pride of my growing activities – are all in various stages of decay and death, struck down … Continue reading
If you’re a duckling, death looms large. Injury & Disease are constant companions, and being nothing more than fluff and water, you’re easily squished by hoofed mammals, humans, even other ducks. There are a thousand things that like to eat … Continue reading
Today is my birthday, and many years ago, as my present, my mother gave me bees. A bit unusual, I grant you, but it had been my request after all, and in truth, the bees arrived in the form of … Continue reading
This spring the clump of ‘Victoria Louise’ oriental poppies in the long border sent up at least 50 blooms. While the display was truly spectacular, I found it a bit too concentrated, so I decided that dividing and spreading the … Continue reading
Today was a sad day in the orchard. I was forced to cut down the two remaining Fellenburg plum trees, as they were riddled with Black Knot. This destructive fungal disease, which produces large, ugly black excrescences on the branches, … Continue reading