Over 15” of rain in July alone has meant an explosion in the tick and mosquito population! Please be sure to turn over empty buckets, wheelbarrows, and the like in your yard to cut down on areas for water to collect and create mosquito breeding grounds. Empty and clean birdbaths frequently, too, then refill for the birds. It’s…
As a Board member of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association, Priscilla was active in early 2020 promoting the passage of the Healthy Soils bill at the State House. We recently received news about the funding of this bill, and concurrently, news about state funding for a study of the impacts of…
Where soil is disturbed, weeds will grow! We utilize hand tools to remove, or in some cases, cut weeds to the ground. Curly dock, for instance, is best controlled through repeated cutting so that photosynthesis does not occur and seed heads do not form. It has a deep root system that is hard to dig out, so…
Allison Doherty joined us this summer as a member of our crew. She quickly proved herself with an artistic eye for shrub pruning and an ability to climb ladders. This fall, she’ll be working on our project planting crew. Allison has a background in sales, grounds maintenance, and interior painting. …
Recently I read the Boston Sunday Globe article about a field of 3,000 sunflowers that artist Euka Holmes has planted in front of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. What a great idea to take advantage of the full sun and bring a smile to the faces of passersby! And another artist, Elizabeth James-Perry, has surrounded the…
Many roses will have a repeat bloom period after the first flush in June. How to encourage this? Here are some tips: Deadhead spent flowers promptly above a leaf with a set of 5 leaflets Remove vegetative canes (long shoots with all leaves) as they appear this month – will not bloom Rake up fallen leaves and…
Swiss Chard and Spinach – mottled young leaves that curl and wrinkle, then turn tan/yellow. Answer: Beet leaf miner damage Remedy: Remove damaged leaves quickly and do not compost. You can eat any undamaged leaves. Since larvae feed inside the leaves, sprays are not effective. Next year, rotate this crop and cover young seedlings with row covers to exclude the…
Here are two of my favorite places to visit in summer: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s Courtyard is a cooling vision in blue and white all month. Hydrangeas are especially impressive. If you can’t get enough of blue hydrangeas, be they mophead or lacecap, this is the spot for you. https://www.gardnermuseum.org/experience/courtyard/summer-blues Advanced ticketing required A historic garden…
Most of us love the color blue and appreciate its cooling effects during the heat of July and August. Blue plants are most effective in dappled light shade, as their color may recede in full sun. The shade factor will also help to prolong bloom. …
This article is reprinted from our July 2018 newsletter and is still timely today! Now is the time for summer pruning of all your spring blooming shrubs or your evergreens that were not pruned in early spring. Once the flowers fade, new growth can arch out in odd ways. If new needles and leaves have “hardened off”…