Our first question to Mark and Betty Garrison, owners of Rocky Point Blueberry Farm in Warwick, Rhode Island, was: “What inspired you to turn this beautiful residential property into a farm?” We were having coffee in the living room of the three-bedroom (plus “in-law apartment”) house designed by Mark and built in 1984, while admiring […]
plants
Photo/Art by Scott & Zoe/Botanical/Getty Images If the holidays mean leaving your houseplant collection alone while you visit your family in far places, water each plant well, move it out of direct sun, encase it loosely in a clear plastic bag with a few air holes punched in it, turn the thermostat down to 60 […]
I realize my posts of late have been entirely apple-centric, but such is the focus of my life these days as I get out to promote my book. I promise that once November rolls around, I’ll turn my eyes to the wider world of food. For now, I want to take you to a very […]
A few weeks ago while taking a quick after-work tour of my vegetable garden I made an important conclusion: I was about to drown in tomatoes. This was a bit of a sea change for me. At the height of gardening season I start thinking of my plants like they’re my own children. And like the kid […]
Gardens
Start Composting with Worms
Vermicomposting is a self-contained and modified alternative or addition to traditional outdoor composting. It consists of using small worms and basic vegetarian kitchen waste such as: banana peels, wilted lettuce, potato clippings, apple cores, melon rinds etc. as “food” for the worms to break down into compost. Worm composting can be done year round inside […]
If you picked up the July/August issue of Yankee Magazine, I hope you took time to peruse the photo essay, “Summer on the Lake,” in which Richard Schultz captured the essence of lakeside living in a stunning array of photographs. I certainly did and was intrigued not only by the images, but also the description […]
What induces a man to retrieve old cat litter from the garbage and then wander outside under a darkening sky in his bare feet to stuff the mix in a hole in the ground? Garden rage, my friends. Plain and simple. Allow me to back up. When my wife and I returned to New Hampshire […]
Harry Harper grew perennials from the 1940s until 1965 in a windy spot in Eden, New York, where the climate can be tough on new transplants. His rules for transplanting perennials—shared by his granddaughter, garden writer Sally Cunningham, of East Aurora, New York—These three rules for transplanting perennials can help you grow a beautiful garden […]
Gardens
Tantalizing Tomato Tips
There’s something very satisfying about picking a perfectly ripe home-grown tomato from the vine to slice and eat while it’s still warm from the sun. When properly cared for, fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes may be enjoyed far into the fall—extending one of summertime’s simple delights for a few more precious weeks. Tomato Tips What kind and […]
Here’s a way to keep oceanside memories close even when you’re landlocked: Make a seashell planter using a terra-cotta garden pot. The materials are simple: just the pot, some sanded grout (available at craft stores such as Michaels and A.C. Moore) and hot glue, and the shells. For that last item, you can scour beaches […]
Gardens
What The Heck Is A Garden Hod?
An unusual-looking contraption with an equally odd-sounding name, the origins of the word “hod” are uncertain; however, I think it’s a translation for the term “workhorse.” Not necessarily a prize-winning beauty, but it reliably gets the job done day in, day out. (I have to admit, upon unpacking my first shipment of garden hods it […]
Want to add an interesting focal point to your garden area? Consider installing a backyard water garden. I installed my miniature backyard pond in one day with the help of a friend. Though we were both rookies at the time, we must have done something right, because eight years later my water sanctuary is not […]