Spending a big chunk of my youth in the West and desert southwest, the Yucca brings back memories of riding my banana seat bike, warm humidity-free evenings, and arid gardens. So I was quite surprised to find it recently here in New England. I took on a new project to restore a historic landscape, and … Read more
Have you ever tried to trim a spiral topiary? If you are following existing lines, it usually isn’t too tricky, but if you are aiming to turn a cone into a spiral, it can quickly go off the rails. Topiary trimming is complex, and an overzealous Edward Scissorhands-inspired gardener can easily trim too much – … Read more
After ten years of staring down a large pile of hardwood logs left for me after the installation of a new home septic system, I’ve resolved to make something of this eyesore. Can I figure out how to design and grow mushrooms outdoors in a forest garden? Is there such a thing as garden design … Read more
Our family just got back from Walt Disney World near Orlando. Carrie and I wanted to celebrate the fact that we met at Disney 20 years ago as horticultural interns. It was also a great escape from the polar vortex that has plagued most of the eastern United States this January. We loved the food, … Read more
So, I went off trying to educate myself about racism, and I discovered a new garden style. Funny how these things happen. They are rapidly disappearing, but the African American-swept gardens (or yards) of the Southern USA are worth studying. Have you heard of a ‘swept yard’? My education so far has largely come from … Read more
Once again, I have dove into the giant RHS Encyclopedia of Garden Plants to find inspiration, not only for my own garden but also for yours. I have this thought that, perhaps with time, I might evolve my own garden into a “Cut your Own” sort of place whereby visitors can visit and take away … Read more
If you have allergy offending trees or shrubs in your neighborhood (probably because of a very common case of botanical sexism), one of the best things you can do to protect yourself from the pollen is to plant a tall dense hedge. If placed on the windward side of your property the privacy hedge will … Read more
Wasabi (Latin: eutrema japonicum or wasabia japonica), and the idea of growing it, brings back memories of my long deceased grandmother. She was a lifelong Montana rancher who passed in 1998—right about the same time that I discovered that pungent green paste called wasabi. My grandmother was an original horseradish hobbyist. I have many memories … Read more
If you are afflicted with melancholy at this season, go to the swamp and see the bravespears of skunk-cabbage buds already advanced toward a new year…Is it the winter of their discontent? Do they seem to have lain down to die, despairing ofskunk-cabbagedom? “Up and at ‘em,” “Give it to ‘em,” “Excelsior,” “Put it through”—theseare … Read more
This has been a rather stormy weekend, with some parts of the UK seeing winds up to 85mph. Compared to the hurricanes that batter parts of the US these winds are trivial, but we’re not really used to them here. I suspect that the winds have come from a different direction from normal because I’ve … Read more