A New Years Resoilution

In this year, when we walk let’s walk with big, amazing steps. Considering every every cell and bone and where each foot falls. Connect to the life below each step. Feel the the tiny creatures in their universe below ground. When we garden this year, let’s weed, kneel, dig, spray in ways that make them…

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You’re making me blanch…Etioliation

Etiolation: You know when you leave a bucket on the grass and all the grass under it goes sort of pale green and white?  That is etioliation.  It’s a plant response to trying to grow in low light. If the pale stems ever find sun, they’ll to turn green.  (That is de-etiloation) We eat a…

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Deer Moss and Gum Drop Trees

December means hiking into a special dry place in our woods.  It’s a bald spot, open and dry and sunny. A magic carpet of deer moss yields spongy with each step. Silvery green carpet colors, climb the little haw trees too.  Lichens, with silver leaves. Only lichens are not plants, so they don’t have leaves. …

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September is Still Summer

Late summer here extends  into September and October. Plants love it. This is the best time of year for gardens in the south. I like to garden visit now, everything is full and flowing, purple and orange, dripping with the weight of summer growth and buzzing with moths and the energy of life. Here are…

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Trends in Foodscaping

“Over the past decades, our plant pallet changed in ways other than you might expect. Plant explorers and breeders bring new plants into nurseries. They, as well as garden designers, decorators and all sorts of cultural leaders, become the tastemakers, slowly changing which plants we can get hold of…..One slow, huge change, tracks our shift…

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The Otherside of the Web Page

I’d like to introduce you to three fellas who keep our website running. They are important in our life. And in your life too. Without the guys who do tedious, frustrating and creative web stuff, I couldn’t focus on growing good bulbs, nor could you read about or buy them for your garden. What’s behind…

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Parking Lots Become Parking Gardens

Form might follow function.  But too often in designing parking lots, many important functions get ignored. In parking lots, nothing but parking and getting customers in the door seems to matter.  Whatever happened to the very important functions of pedestrian safety, rainwater run off,  shading cars and providing beauty? And whatever happend to the function…

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Planting a Perennial Border for Hospice Cut Flowers

Linda has a cool story.  She’s cared for her parents, worked a lot and ready to retire.  But not ready to slow down.  So she bought a little farm house at the edge of booming suburbs and is planning a cut flower operation– specifically to give cut flowers to local hospice centers. She’s into nutrition,…

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