I want to start with a disclaimer. There are several points along the way in this story where I chose to do the expeditious thing instead of doing things as would be recommended by a horticulturist. But by dumb luck it seems to be working out for me so sometimes it’s better to be lucky … Continue reading Raspberries on the Move →

Tomato, broccoli and lettuce seedlings in the greenhouse. As the growing season has progressed, seeds have germinated, seedlings have been transplanted and some are close to going out into the garden. In this picture there are individual pots of tomatoes, broccoli, pac choi and lettuce. They appear small now but with the greenhouse heat and … Continue reading Greenhouse Update →

This is an oil painting my brother Wayne did of pansies planted at the corner of Ideal Cottage in North Reading. My memory isn’t as good as it used to be, but it seems to me that my grandmother Eleanor Eaton planted pansies inside an old tire almost every spring. One year, many years ago, … Continue reading Grandma’s Pansies →

I started these two English lavender plants from seed last year. They spent the winter next to the garage. It turns out that this was the best place for them. Gardening is a story of successes and failures. As I try new things each year I learn from my mistakes. This time my mistake was … Continue reading Lavender →

Here are the ingredients of a homemade dormant oil. There are certain things that are done in the gardens every year at a certain time. Spraying dormant oil is one of those. The calendar date for spraying is not exact , but the timing is important. The purpose of the oil is to smother the … Continue reading Dormant Oil →

About eight years ago I purchased one year old evergreen seedlings from the NH State Nursery for $1 each. I planted them in an open area in my woodlot with the idea that they would grow big enough to be used as Christmas trees in the future. I have encountered a few problems along the … Continue reading Trees, Trees and More Trees →

The initial leaves that emerge when a seed germinates are called the cotyledon leaves. They tend to be roundish and don’t look like the leaves of a mature plant. Their purpose is to provide energy for the seedling while it is in the process of growing roots, a stem and leaves. Eventually the energy in … Continue reading Transplanting →

One of our peach trees, two years ago Two years ago, life was good; as far as our homegrown fruit was concerned anyway. We had an over abundance of peaches and pears. We enjoyed eating them fresh, cooking them and giving them away. That was then. And then last year the squirrels went nuts, so … Continue reading No More Squirrelmageddan →

The vernal equinox has come and gone. Spring is lurching forward and then retreating back, as it always seems to do in mid to late March. Inside our house and greenhouse spring is in full swing though. A Ferncliff Illusion dahlia tuber wintered over successfully in the garage. After several hours of unearthing the dahlia … Continue reading Sowing Seeds and Potting Tubers →

Over the winter I stored dahlia tubers, half hardy chrysanthemums, oxalis, half hardy lavender, rosemary, a rose bush and the fig tree in the garage where the temperature stayed around 40 to 45 degrees. I moved them to the greenhouse where the heater is keeping the temperature from going below 50 degrees at night. They … Continue reading Transitioning to the Greenhouse →