When you’re planning a new garden, do you look for a sunny spot or for a bit of shade? That used to be an easy decision. We all know that plants need good light to grow well. Gardening books used to advise anyone planting a small vegetable garden or flower bed to watch how the sun moves across the sky and how the shadows fall across their yard to select a good sunny spot to break ground. Traditional gardeners...
A Very Personal Challenge As more and more of us feel the effects of chaotic weather patterns and climate change on our own communities and families, we know that waiting for governments and corporations to ‘solve’ the problem is no longer enough. We each explore ways that we can make a personal, positive difference in this very personal circumstance. Whether we worry about heat or storms, flooding or high winds, we understand that communities around the planet are also...
In 1803, 27-year-old William Ludwell Lee died and in his will freed his slaves. Less than ten years earlier, Lee had inherited nearly 8700 acres and property that included 54 enslaved people ages 16 and older, 11 children ages 12 to 16, and a few children who were 11 and younger. While there is no evidence that Lee freed any enslaved people during his lifetime, upon his death, his slaves were freed effective January 1 in the year following his...
Container gardening is a great way to garden if you have limited space. Have you ever considered growing native plants in your containers? And what might be even better than this, you ask? Why container gardening with native keystone perennials, of course! Why Keystone Plants? Keystone plants are the “powerhouses” of native plants. While all native plants are beneficial, keystone plants are the linchpins for entire ecosystems, providing crucial resources for the greatest number of insect species. These keystone plants...
How do you fertilize your garden without buying any fertilizer? That is a key question for gardeners and farmers throughout the world today, as it was a key concern for our ancestors who couldn’t purchase commercial fertilizers for their fields. Soil must be fed to remain productive. Many popular crops, like corn and cotton, deplete the soil after just a few years. Our ancestors learned to use many natural fertilizers to keep their soil productive. The Importance of...
From November through May we can admire the living mathematics of the trunks and branches of hardwood trees. Their leafy crowns have fallen, and their beautiful bark in all its silvery, marbled, textured variety is revealed once again. Looking up, we sometimes see lively green clusters of mistletoe shining in the treetops. These shrubby, evergreen plants have been a part of myth and folklore since ancient times. They live suspended between heaven and Earth, rooted into the branches of...
Cardinals nest in a large evergreen shrub beside my kitchen window. Though the shrub, Ligustrum, is frowned upon by many contemporary gardeners as invasive, the birds don’t know that. They delight in its abundant berries and the insects that visit year-round. We delight in watching the birds come and go, even as they peer in the windows at us. We amuse one another. Cardinals, titmice and other birds also perch in the crape myrtle tree a little further out...
Have you ever noticed how the strawberries you pick yourself on a warm May afternoon taste much better than the huge red berries you buy at the grocery store? Everyone who has grown their own tomatoes, lettuce, or apples knows how much better homegrown food can taste. You still need to be selective about what seeds you buy because some varieties of carrots and squash taste better than others, and some prove more resistant to disease. Putting in a...
Autumn color and falling leaves turn a gardener’s thoughts to the winter months ahead. While we’re still buying flats of bright pansies, pots of chrysanthemums and a pumpkin or two, let’s take the opportunity to also seek out evergreen ferns at local garden centers and online nurseries. Evergreen ferns brighten the winter landscape as the ‘main event’ in winter container plantings, as ground cover under trees, and in borders and foundation plantings. There are at least four...
Using Natives – For most of us, once we have learned the value of native plants versus non-native or even invasive plants, we cannot afford to rip out everything we have and start over. If you can, just skip to the links at the bottom of the page to learn what you need and where to buy plants! The rest of us need to develop more of a long-term plan, replacing or adding a few plants at a time. You...