By Barbara Perry Lawton A big garden trend in recent years is organic gardening. Yet the term organic gardening covers a wide range of practices. The most restrictive definition comes from the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, which implemented a National … Continue reading
By Doug Halphin One of the earliest childhood memories I have is helping my grandfather plant his vegetable garden each spring. He never used a tiller. Instead he carefully turned the garden soil with a fork. “Oh look” he would … Continue reading
By Diane Brueckman 4 parts Milorganite 2 parts alfalfa meal 2 parts cottonseed meal 1 part bone meal (for transplants or new plants, add another ½ part) Apply about a cup around hybrid teas and floribundas. Climbers can take 1½ … Continue reading
By Barbara Perry Lawton Stuff rots. That, in essence, is the principle of composting. And when organic matter rots, it becomes a wonderful material that, when worked into your garden soil, greatly improves its structure and slow-release nutritional value. Compost … Continue reading
By Mara Higdon What is a cover crop? Cover cropping, also known as “green manure,” is an easy method of soil enrichment and protection. At Bell Garden, we have used winter rye in our beds for the past two years. … Continue reading
By Barbara Perry Lawton In recent years, gardeners have become wiser to the dangers of many pesticides and have learned better, more conservative ways of dealing with weeds, pests and diseases. Although, unfortunately, pesticide-based plant care still predominates in much … Continue reading
What, When, Why and How to Mulch Your Garden As soon as the ice-cream trucks disappear in the fall, taking their incessant recorded “HELLOOO” with them, the mulch trucks fill the void, and homeowners across the region repeat the ritual … Continue reading
By Ellen Barredo There is no question about it. Potted plants grown in the home are growing in a very unusual environment not found in most of the natural world, so you have to create the right conditions for maintaining … Continue reading
If your garden or lawn is’’t performing up to expectations, it’s a dirty little secret that most problems begin with the soil. Well, you’re in luck, because fall is a great time to improve soil in existing gardens, create new … Continue reading
