Going along with our organic land care philosophy, we recommend use of an ice melt that does not contain Sodium chloride. This material can cause mortar used in walkways to degrade over time and provides toxic levels of salt to the plants in adjacent garden beds. Furthermore, those of us with dogs and cats need…
Evergreens are popular this month, so I thought I would feature our native white pine, Pinus strobus, and its relatives. This is my favorite evergreen for winter containers as it lends a graceful note, draping over the edges. Needles on this pine appear in bundles Eastern White Pine of 5 and are soft to the…
Organic lawns thrive without synthetic chemicals and provide the peace-of-mind that we are creating a safe, healthy place for families to gather and play. Our friends at the Northeast Organic Farming Association have put together the following six reasons to grow an organic lawn. Dogs whose owners use 2,4-D (common weed killer) on their lawns…
An organic lawn will naturally go dormant during the summer, especially if no water falls on it during a drought. Brown lawns are everywhere right now! Is it dead, you may wonder. No, it’s not dead, just taking a rest. It takes energy, particularly water and air, to stay green. To save itself, blades of…
Now that the weather forecasters have officially declared this the hottest summer on record, we gardeners are coping in various creative ways with the heat and drought. Working in the cooler parts of the day, following shade around the property, staying well hydrated with water and slathering on the sunscreen is one part of the…
Pumpkin Brook began their season yesterday by sprucing up some local non profit organizations and government agencies locations. These organizations have little or no budget for landscape gardening and are in highly visible locations where problems in the landscape are noticed. Our crews were getting back in the swing and updating their pruning skills at:…
Hyacinths are tall and in full bloom! A shelf on windowsill props them up.
Hyacinthe buds are opening this week and can be identified by color! Pale pink – ‘Grand Blanche Imperiale’ (1878) Salmon – ‘Gypsy Queen’ (1927) Bright pink – ‘Vuurback’ or ‘Fire Beacon’ (1948) I find that now that they are in bloom the bulbs are consuming much more water so I need to top off the…
Priscilla’s to-do list for January: Plan vegetable garden rotations Work on seed orders Research new plants to add to your garden Pick up a garden book or magazine and get inspired by colorful photos (or browse the web, I suppose) Organize and sharpen garden tools Water houseplants infrequently – once every 5 to 7 days…
Here are my hyacinths, forced on water in my collection of antique reproduction and handmade pottery bulb glasses. Step 1: Keep in cool cellar for 4-6 weeks until they show firm buds. Step 2: Bring upstairs to warmth and allow to green up. Top off water if needed. More photos next week as they grow…