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…
The warm weather pattern is providing us ample time to wrap up all the end of the season garden to dos. Here’s what I’m accomplishing in my garden before the snow flies: Finish cutting back perennials, pulling spent annuals and vegetables Plant the final bulbs Prune birch, hawthorne, crabapple and stewartia trees Amend soil per…
Ready to be inspired for the season ahead! Here are images of some of our favorite holiday greenery displays form the previous winter season. We use all natural materials – mixed evergreens colorful willow and dogwood branches red winterberry and the like – and spray them with anti-desiccant so they won’t turn prematurely brown on…
It’s time to put your garden to bed, again. Luckily the cooler temperatures haven’t been too chilly. Below are the to do’s to finish before the snow arrives: Clean up spent annuals and vegetables immediately after frost to prevent insects overwintering under the debris Dig up dahlia and gladiolus tubers and save in a warm…