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Report From PIA – March 9
I was parked next to the Osterville Library today as a landscape crew was doing their spring cleanup. When I pulled into the space the noise from the leaf blowers was so loud I was afraid for my hearing should I step out of the car. The man who was [...]
Report From PIA – February 20
When I was preparing to leave after my talks at Sullivan Renaissance today, a woman stopped me in the atrium. “Can I ask you a question?” she said. “What do you think of horse manure?”
I told her that I thought that any manure was great for the garden, and that [...]
Report From PIA – November 12
I worked at the garden center today, and on my lunch break I drove to the bank while eating my lunch and listening to a book on CD. I ate, got the banking done, and heard two chapters in 20 minutes. I was doing several things at once, and it [...]
Report From PIA – October 7
I’ve done a number of consultations this season where the homeowner is worried that their plants have gotten “out of control.” Usually they’re talking about shrubs and trees that are growing to be their normal, genetically determined size and shape. In order to be most helpful for these clients, I [...]
I’m a sucker for plants with unusual or interesting names. As I glanced over the Digging Dog Nursery catalog this morning, I had to order Uvularia grandiflora, not just because it’s a pretty native plant for shade, but for its common name: great merry bells.
I was persuaded to buy Silene armeria seeds because it [...]
Although it was warm enough for me to plant peas and lettuce this weekend, the temperatures nose-dived today, keeping me out of the garden. I had a garden consultation scheduled for this morning and yes, I froze, but after that it was a good day to take care of errands and cross things off my [...]
One of a friend’s pet peeves is when people say “No problem.” She’ll ask the waiter for more water in a restaurant, for example, and the waiter will respond “No problem.” as if getting her more water might be a problem. I’ve noticed that this phrase is beginning to replace the more gracious [...]
It’s time to look at the plants in our landscapes with a clear eye. From foundation plants to the medians in parking lots, there are plants that are left in place for years after they have lost their attractiveness. Those malpruned junipers, hacked arborvitae and scalped yews that we leave in place because [...]
Today I’m starting a new category at Whole Life Gardening: Pet Peeves. Some of these will be garden related and some not. The first in this category occurred to me today as I was gardening. I am desperately trying to get some plants into the ground before winter, so today I was dashing about the [...]
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