Organic weedkiller between row of pear trees

SOAP UP

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Soaps have been around gardening for hundreds of years, can take care of insect, weed, or disease problems, and they’re pretty much nontoxic. But the kind of soap must suit its intended use. Read about all this in my latest blog post.
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Ladybugs on leaf

WHERE’S HOME?

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[Everybody loves ladybugs. Or do they/we? It depends. Find out what’s to love and what’s not to love about these cute little buggers — which actually aren’t bugs. Read all this in my latest blog post, here:
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Basket of various heirloom apples

OLDIES BUT GOODIES

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What’s so great about “heirloom” varieties? And what are they? Are they worth growing? Any downsides? All this, and more, answered in my latest blog post, here:
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Snow scene

A WINTER FAIRYLAND

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As in life, so it is in the garden, snowfall bringing its joys and pains. We can’t control it in the garden (unless you shovel your lawn and veggie beds!), but lets explore the good and the bad of snow in the garden, in my latest blog post, here, of course!
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Cut open chocolate pod

WAYS WITH CHOCOLATE

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The classic Valentine gift is chocolate. A variation on the classic is a chocolate (cacao) seed or a plant, which I relate how to cultivate; then how to harvest and create the real thing, conventional, old-fashioned, or Mayan. All in my most recent blog post:
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Pollarded catalpa

TO EACH HIS OR HER OWN

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Pollarding is a special and especially easy way to prune a tree. Check out this latest blog post to see if you like the look or the use; not everyone does. Learn here:
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Well pruned, old apple tree

RENOVATION: NOT A KITCHEN

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Did you inherit a big old apple tree or trees. The truth, now: does it really bear high quality fruit? High quality fruit that you can get to? In my latest blog post, I detail how to return a large, old, neglected apple tree t its former glory. Read about it here:
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My gooseberry varieties

GOOD GERMS

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Germs are not always bad, the word generally signifying that which gives rise to life. I’ve had a few germplasm collections here on the farmden, also not a bad thing if you can take care of it all. In my latest blog post we immerse ourselves in germplasm, mine and others. And no one ends up sneezing of coughing. Read about it here:
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Apricot orchard n bloom

HEY BUD

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Winter is a good time for looking at buds. Wh-a-a-a-? But wait! Buds can tell you some things about the plants to which they’re attached, and they can have a subtle beauty. If you’re a fruit or flower grower, they can predict the future for the coming months. No more. I delve into buds in my latest blog post: 
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