Book Review: Private Gardens of the Pacific Northwest

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Mulching is one of the best things you ca

Gardening books are fantastic resources for gardeners of all levels. They offer inspiration, advice, and knowledge from experienced growers who really know their subject matter. You just can’t get that same type of in-depth information from reading a quick online article or social post.

Show me the gardener who isn’t seduced by the sight and smell of a climbing rose in full and heady June bloom. And why not? It’s a particularly seductive mixture of perfume and colour that’s always guaranteed to pull at the heartstrings, reminding us of the beauty of the summer garden as well as its fleeting nature.

Here at my Copake Falls garden all day with a truckload of irresistible botanical goodies will be Broken Arrow Nursery. They will be accepting advance phone orders, too, between now and Wednesday, May 31, if there is something special you simply must have. Their website; phone is (203) 288-1026.All ticket sales from my garden will be donated to two local nonprofits I love: the Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program in nearby Ghent, N.Y., and Turtle Tree Seed in Copake.And there’s much more:Those of you who r

The review bus has ambled down the lane and I'm delighted I'm the next stop on the blog tour for Jean Vernon's latest book Attracting Garden Pollinators. It's great to have a volume which covers all kinds of insect pollinators — as well as bees — as the importance of many of them is often overlooked for our gardens.In the opening chapters stuffed with fascinating insights we find: without wasps we wouldn't have any bees (they evolved from them); some bees nest in snail shells as well as thrushes liking to find them (the snails that is); and hoverflies are highly useful pollinators as well chomping away at those pesky aphids. Jean neatly shows how i

In 2007 I wanted to grow vegetables for the first time but had nothing more than a concrete square for a garden. I know this is a common situation for many people.

This article is part of our new 8-week, limited edition newsletter series, The Low-Water Gardening Guide, where we’ll walk you through what it takes to create a sustainable garden, from swapping in the appropriate plants to new irrigation methods to the tools you’ll need and more. Sign up here to get each installment straight to your inbox.

Final countdown! a little dramatic, ah well our house is sold and we move out on November 29th.

A tucked away garden near Battle held an evening open in aid of Great Dixter.  Although  it was not entirely to my taste – taste is a very personal thing –  I make a point of finding the positives, and here it included a wonderful hidden location, well-grown plants and an attractive walled vegetable garden. I was very taken by a nasturtium growing in the glasshouse and am now on the hunt for it.

Back in the 17th century, canals became a must-have addition to the fashionable gardens of the day. There’s some discussion amongst garden historians about whether they were inspired by Dutch canals, but as the century included the reign of William of Orange this seems quite likely. Smaller gardens – wit

The crisp bright days over the holidays have ensured that I have been in the garden whenever possible and it feels good to be on top of tasks such as tying in climbing roses, removing old leaves from the hellebores and cutting back collapsed perennials.  Most of the time I’m happy to just listen to the sounds around me, but like many podcast enthusiasts I’m currently absorbed in ‘Serial’ from This American Life, so it has been my companion for the past few days. I don’t have ears of the right shape for earphones and headphones get in the way, but a pouch hung round my neck and tucked it inside my jumper proved a good alternative. It was perfectly audi

Probiotics are good for human health, as they help in improving digestion, mood, and immunity. But do you know, you can use them in the garden? If it sounds unbelievable, read this article with interest to get the idea.