A Way To Garden

did your basil fail last year?

april 4 seed-to-seed workshop

plum yew groundcover conifer

Latest Posts

march garden chores

birdnote q&a: woodpecker drumming

giveaway: ‘essential perennials’ reckons with feast of plant possibilities

a snail’s tale (win ‘the sound of a wild snail eating’)

habanero minus the heat? meet the ‘habanada’

antique apples with dan bussey of seed savers exchange

healing split fingertips with wound-closure strips

3 variations on baked beans: sweet, smoky, spicy

Latest Posts

march garden chores

birdnote q&a: woodpecker drumming

giveaway: ‘essential perennials’ reckons with feast of plant possibilities

a snail’s tale (win ‘the sound of a wild snail eating’)

habanero minus the heat? meet the ‘habanada’

antique apples with dan bussey of seed savers exchange

healing split fingertips with wound-closure strips

3 variations on baked beans: sweet, smoky, spicy

the waiting game

seed starting: go slow

how to grow…

watch for rodent activity

fruit-tree pruning

resume houseplant feeding

twig willow cutbacks?

February 1, 2015

February 3, 2015

February 6, 2015

February 11, 2015

February 13, 2015

February 15, 2015

February 20, 2015

A Way To Garden

'horticultural how-to and woo-woo'
the source of organic gardening inspiration
margaret roach, head gardener

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MY BEST MARCH GARDEN ADVICE: Make like a daffodil. Poke your head up and have a look around—but be prepared [read more…]

‘I AM HERE. THIS IS MY TREE.’ That’s the message delivered in fast, percussive style from the woodsy garden perimeter [read more…]

I’VE BEEN TAKING the same perennial reference book off the shelf for 25ish years—even though in many cases, the same [read more…]

IT WAS NO ORDINARY SNAIL; far larger than any familiar native species in my cold zone, and obviously out of [read more…]

THREE HABANEROS rank on New Mexico State University’s top-10 hottest chiles roster. But what happens when you take the heat [read more…]

DAN BUSSEY has been called “the James Audubon of apples” for his decades-long dedication to seek out and identify more, [read more…]

SPLIT FINGERTIPS, ANYONE? Ouch. From the start of winter into early spring, that’s my main complaint, and nonstop snow-shoveling and [read more…]

THE FREEZERS WERE too tightly packed till now to do anything but choose the forward-facing foods. (Sound familiar?) But I’ve [read more…]

1 February 1, 2015 the waiting game HOUSEPLANTS ARE NOTICING, and so am I: the days are longer, making us both want to get up and grow. Rather than torture tomato seeds by starting too soon, divert that energy into pruning—or into making plans to add a water garden, improve your compost set-up, or finally get a deer fence when spring arrives. Those and other productive stalling tactics form the February chores.

3 February 3, 2015 seed starting: go slow My top tip: Don’t! (Don’t rush, I mean.) A short, stout, sturdy 6-week-old tomato transplant (or anything else) is better than a leggy, all-stretched-out weakling. Only leeks and onions are started indoors this month in my zone, at the earliest.

6 February 6, 2015 how to grow… STUDY UP on how to grow growing specific vegetables from seed, before you get started: How to grow beets How to grow carrots How to grow kale How to grow melons How to grow tomatoes How to grow onions How to grow peppers

11 February 11, 2015 watch for rodent activity VOLE AND MOUSE PATROL CONTINUES, in perpetuity: I am still setting out mousetraps under my special homemade boxes in the gardens where I see any activity. Never, ever use mothballs. Here’s why.

13 February 13, 2015 fruit-tree pruning IF THE COMBINATION OF not-too-deep snow (or none) but still-frozen or at least not-muddy soil occurs on a sunny day, get out and prune. Fruit trees, like my old apples, benefit from a late-winter cleanup; here’s how.

15 February 15, 2015 resume houseplant feeding I DON’T FEED in early winter, but by late January or early February, as plants begin to notice slightly longer days, I resume by feeding them weekly and weakly (half-strength dilute organic liquid every week or so).

20 February 20, 2015 twig willow cutbacks? I’LL WAIT a bit longer to cut back twig willows like this and also twig dogwoods because I’m enjoying the show. Maybe March with those (with pussy willows, right after bloom). With the willows especially, which are so vigorous, I’ll coppice them (cutting to 1-2 inches from the ground to rejuvenate).