For more than 30 years, Eliot Coleman of Harborside, Maine, has successfully grown food in winter without heated greenhouses. Think outside your zone. Each winter, his gardens head south, to Georgia, without moving an inch. How? For every layer of protection–a cold frame, for example–the growing environment shifts 500 miles. By doubling up, says Coleman, […]
Grow in glass, and you can savor a tiny sample of summer at your elbow in any season. Today’s terrariums are sleek, simple, and fuss-free. Enlist any glass container–apothecary jar, soup tureen, cookie jar, canning jar, or whatever you have on hand. Choose one with a wide mouth for easy maintenance (put a lid on […]
Read these 10 fall garden tips to prepare for the long stretch of winter weather. 1. Check the garden shed and remove any aerosols, liquids, or other items that might freeze. Otherwise, the contents are likely to be unusable in the spring. 2. Dispose of any rose leaves that have dropped to the ground; they […]
Someone from, say, Kansas might laugh at the notion, but there was a time when Vermont merited the nickname “breadbasket of America.” During the 19th century, farms around New England devoted significant acreage to wheat; in the 1850s, Vermont alone boasted about 40,000 acres of wheat-growing land. However, as transporting grain from the Midwest became […]
I’m distressed that some of the plants in my perennial garden are really overgrown and crowded. What should I do? — J. K., Wellesley, MA Fall is an excellent time to transplant perennials such as hosta, daylily, peony, iris, and a multitude of others that you can readily divide. By autumn most plants have attained […]
Yankee‘s gardening expert R. Wayne Mezitt recommends lawns as a great ground cover. “Mowing controls weeds, and your lawns don’t have to be big consumers of water, fertilizer, or pesticides,” he says. More garden solutions. Learn more about natural lawn care.
Good landscaping is about more than just plants. Paths, benches, walls, water features — they’re all part of hardscaping and can make or break the look of your yard and garden landscape. In the competitive housing market, every feature of a home is crucial in attracting potential buyers. The home’s exterior makes the first impression, […]
Tips for growing carrots: Carrots love sandy soil. Add well-rotted manure to improve soil texture and increase nutrients. Have you ever seen a carrot that has grown “legs” or forked itself into a strikingly human form? Fresh manure, or even recently applied rotted manure, can cause carrots to fork and send out little side roots. […]
Tips for growing lettuce: Plant lettuce early — directly in the ground as soon as the soil can be worked; or start seeds indoors in cool soil. Move transplants into the garden a good month before the last frost is expected. Snow won’t hurt them, but a desiccating cold wind will. Plant them in a […]
Tips for growing beans: Plant beans when the soil temperature reaches 50 degrees F — never before. To get a good early start, soak bean seeds in tepid water for several hours until they swell; rinse gently and place in a single layer on several moist paper towels. Cover directly with another moist paper towel […]
Tips for growing cabbage: To keep cabbage heads from cracking as a result of excess water absorption, perform one of three seemingly violent acts to prune the roots and slow down the cabbage’s growth a bit: Twist the plant half a turn, yank it slightly out of the soil, or sink a spade into the […]
Tips for growing peppers: Pepper seeds need warm soil to germinate. Experiments by Georgia horticulturists have shown that the highest rate of germination (80 percent) occurs when the soil temperature is 70 to 80 degrees F. Water seedlings from the top with warm water. Start pepper seeds three to a pot, and thin out the […]
