Fruit of true quince

THREE BEAUTIFUL QUINCES

Two Hardly Edible Quinces

A lot people wonder about eating those orbs hanging from quince bushes. After all, everyone has heard of eating quinces, even if few people — these days, at least — have actually tried them.

In most cases, the answer to the question about whether you can eat the fruit depends on how hungry you are. The reason is because most of the “quinces” that you see are what are called “flowering quinces” (Chaenomeles spp.), grown mostly as ornamentals. Flowering quince flower Read more

Compost, before and after

FEAR NOT, COMPOST MAKER

Too Many “Don’ts”

Pity the beginning gardener who dares to read about how to make compost. (Please dare to read on, in this case, even if you are a beginner.)

Composted garden beds

Compost, good stuff for your garden

What novice could not be intimidated by the complicated instructions often given, as well as alleged. Or what about the need for exotic or hard-to-find ingredients. When I was a novice, I read too many British gardening books and almost tossed in my pitchfork and gloves in despair trying to find soil for my compost pile. Yes, soil! 

True, soil is almost everywhere. But Read more

Sculpture of human reclining under tree and half underground

WHY NOT PLANT

I Don’t Go With My Gut

No doubt about it: Fall planting of trees and shrubs goes against my grain. Fall is when I feel like closing down the garden, gathering the harvest, and snuggling plants in for the cold months ahead. Spring is when the urge to plant becomes irresistible, when I want to contribute to the symphony of colors and scents of that season.

Sculpture of human reclining under tree and half underground

More mulch needed

In fact, though, fall is in many ways the better time for planting from the point of view of a tree or a shrub. Many nurseries dig bare root plants in the fall Read more