White footed mouse

MOUSEY THREATS AND SOLUTIONS

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Mice are clawing their ways in to where they can find food and lodging. Good for them but not for our plants, and us.  Read about the various mousey threats and some ideas about how to avoid problems — in my latest blog post:
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Interesting and unique pruning of forsythia

BUSH RESCUE

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Whoaaa! I almost rammed my foot on the brakes to save a plant from being butchered, and more! But I decided to drive on because . . . well, read my latest blog post to see why I almost stopped for plant rescue and why I decided it was, sort of, okay.
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Growing breadcrumbs

STUFFED

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Grow turkey stuffing. Make turkey stuffing. Stuff yourself. I only address the first, with suggestions from trees on down. Read about all this in my latest blog post, here:
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Spitzenberg apple watercolor

ONE OF THE GREATEST APPLES

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Esopus Spitzenberg is a very old, very delectable, apple that, though it originated a mere stone’s throw from my farmden, was Thomas Jefferson’s favorite. Also a favorite of mine. More of the Spitz story in my latest blog post, here:
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Cover crops and brussels sprouts

NO NEED FOR A MELANCHOLY EXIT

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No need for the garden to look melancholy through the coming months. Tidy things up is good for the garden, but don’t go overboard: 
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Fruit of true quince

THREE BEAUTIFUL QUINCES

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If you’ve been intrigued by fruits ripening on quince bushes that were a riot of salmon red flowers in spring, don’t take bite. They’re rock hard and astringent, although with enough cooking and sweetening can be made edible. Much tastier is the true quince which . . . but I’m divulging too much. To know the plants and see the photos, check out my latest blog post here:
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Compost, before and after

FEAR NOT, COMPOST MAKER

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Don’t let anyone scare you away from making compost. Read what I have to say about directives such as “don’t add disease plants to your compost pile” and other compost lore. Composting is for everyone. Read here:
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Sculpture of human reclining under tree and half underground

WHY NOT PLANT

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I like planting trees and shrubs this time of year. This time of year!! Yup, planting now is good for plants — and me — for a number of reasons. I list these reasons, plus a couple of caveats in my latest blog post:
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Harvested chufa, clump with leaves

TIGER NUTS

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Grow chufa, aka tiger nuts, earth almonds, and zulu nuts, to take you back to your primal roots. Despite its long history of cultivation, today’s chufa is pretty much the same nutty, sweet chufa eaten thousands of years ago! Learn more about chufa in my latest blog post:
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