Practical advice & moral support for the small-scale gardener
I garden in the Bay Area of California, a part of the world with a very weird and wonderful climate. As a result of the hilly terrain and interlocking land and water masses on the edge of the ocean, we famously have microclimates, which vary from neighborhood to neighborhood. So, to be specific, I garden in…
I know I sound crazy. Spring has barely sprung and I’m already suggesting you plan your fall garden? Listen, I’m not advocating against being present for the miracle that is springtime. On the contrary, we should all revel in it! But just as we take steps in the autumn months to prepare for spring (like…
I have come to revere the artful and effortless way that Italians garden in containers. Even when I was just a student wandering around Italy, I noticed the flowers and foliage that seemed to sprout from every crevice. When I go there now with a more finely attuned horticultural radar, I’m moved and inspired by…
Happy Vernal Equinox! This has been a historically wet and chilly winter in the Bay Area, and it looks like more clouds and showers are in store. But, at least I know that from tomorrow, March 20 until the summer solstice, every day will be longer than the last. I never fully appreciated spring until I started appreciating plants;…
My first attempt last year at growing spring bulbs in a pot failed miserably. I purchased ten tulip bulbs from the hardware store, dutifully followed instructions (or so I thought), and they all withered and died almost as soon as they’d sprouted. What did I do wrong? I had a few theories and tried to…