Tuesday, December 3, 2024

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

Garden

THE SELF-TAUGHT GARDENER: Resilience—Sunday with the Johnsons

While we feel the burn of these moments, we must have faith in our ability to regenerate along with the world around us, and care about and fight for what we want the future to hold.

THE LAZY BERKSHIRE GARDENER: Week of November 28, 2024

Have you allowed some room along the edges of your driveway for a plow truck’s poor aim or salt spray? If not, note now what changes to make in the spring.

THE LAZY BERKSHIRE GARDENER: Week of November 21, 2024

When you can get outside again in the next few days, clear the last remaining dead stems of your perennials, like asparagus!

THE LAZY BERKSHIRE GARDENER: Week of November 14, 2024

With the holidays approaching, you might want to start a gardener’s gift wish list. I love my multi-pocket tool belt.

THE SELF-TAUGHT GARDENER: Responding to loss

The gardening tools from my parents and the values embodied in my father’s family are with me still, and they give me direction about how to move on in challenging times.

THE LAZY BERKSHIRE GARDENER: Week of November 7, 2024

The hectic pace of trying to keep ahead of cold snaps, heat waves, flooding, and drought has dissipated, but some tasks remain.

THE LAZY BERKSHIRE GARDENER: Week of October 31, 2024

Supposedly, autumn brings more rain to New England, but not this year. Tuesday’s rain was not enough to make up for weeks of no rain.

THE LAZY BERKSHIRE GARDENER: Week of October 24, 2024

Did you know pumpkins were once thought to get rid of freckles and cure snake bites? I will just stick with the power of squash to thicken soups, to add taste to breads, and to flavor excellent pies.

THE LAZY BERKSHIRE GARDENER: Week of October 17, 2024

Even if frost hasn’t come, I will pull out what is left of tomato plants and their cages now.

THE SELF-TAUGHT GARDENER: The end of the season

While I fondly remember the summers at our cottage, eating from the vegetable garden, living on corn and tomatoes and anything on the grill, it is the late season harvests of fall that come to mind when I think of my parents.

THE LAZY BERKSHIRE GARDENER: Week of October 10, 2024

Start watching the weather for alerts of frost.

THE LAZY BERKSHIRE GARDENER: Week of October 3, 2024

A lazy gardener can be tempted to ignore leaves on the lawn until each and every one has fallen from the trees, but that strategy makes more work later.

THE LAZY BERKSHIRE GARDENER: Week of September 26, 2024

I am reaching that time of year when I try to assess what worked or didn’t work and why. The two to three weeks of temperatures over 90 degrees played a major role.

THE SELF-TAUGHT GARDENER: Dewey Hall dahlias

The Dewey Hall Dalia Festival demonstrated the power of flowers to cast a spell on people captivated by the sheer beauty and range of the varieties of flowers within the genus of Dahlia.

THE LAZY BERKSHIRE GARDENER: Week of September 19, 2024

Yes, plants keep growing in the fall. What should the Lazy Berkshire Gardener be doing now—besides watering, that is?

THE LAZY BERKSHIRE GARDENER: Week of September 12, 2024

By not feeling rushed this week, I took the time to teach myself a little something about goldenrod.

THE LAZY BERKSHIRE GARDENER: Week of September 5, 2024

In anticipation of cooler days to come, start acclimating your houseplants to the indoors again.