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 […]
“New England Shores” is one of the forecasted palettes for 2008-09 by the Color Association of the United States. As color consultant Leslie Harrington describes them: “The colors connect us to home — weathered gray, tranquil blues, soft greens, punctuated by barn red.” Click on a swatch for the name of the paint color (Atlantic) […]
In the 20th century, skillful, exacting imitation of appearances tended to fall from artistic grace as photography displaced painting as the medium of likeness. Henri Matisse, in helping to liberate painting from a mere description of reality, is famous for having said, “L’exactitude n’est pas la v
VIDEO: Farmer Tracie’s Tomato Plant Tips Tips for growing tomatoes: A good tomato crop calls for sturdy stakes or cages; the best gardeners make their own cages from wire mesh, available at hardware- and builders’-supply stores. It’s sturdy, and six-foot lengths of it can simply be formed into cylinders that support the plants without restricting […]
In addition to this information on when to start seeds, when to fertilize, and when to water, see tips for beginner gardeners. Vegetable Start Seeds Indoors (weeks before last spring frost) Start Seeds Outdoors (weeks before or after last spring frost) Minimum Soil Temperature to Germinate (°F) Cold Hardiness When to Fertilize When to Water […]
With good reason, we felt a bit apprehensive as we approached the side-door entrance on the covered porch, after walking up from the circular driveway, with its dramatic flagpole in the middle. Already we were impressed by the almost full acre of well-cared-for lawns and perennial gardens; the crabapple trees and Norway maples; and the […]
In Portsmouth, NH, the Press Room bar’s simple wooden tables are crowded with young and old, unified only by the bulging journals they keep close at hand and the rapt attention they pay to the poet behind the mic. She whispers a few instructions to the bandleader, he signals his group, and they cobble together […]
Great art requires talent and tenacity, but also time and space: time to learn and perfect, and to pass on knowledge; space to bloom and grow, think and rethink. At the turn of the 20th century, a talented and well-trained silversmith named Arthur J. Stone opened a workshop in South Gardner, Massachusetts. Nestled among rolling […]
My garden is my extra summer room, and like all gardeners, I love sharing its bounty. Painted terra-cotta flower pots not only add color to your patio, garden, and front steps, but they also make a personal and pretty way to package extra herbs and flowers–or fill them with favorite seed packets, tools, gloves, and […]
