Blog
How Exactly Do I “Leave the Leaves”?
It’s high leaf season in the Northeastern US now. Buses bring city folk to our Monadnock roads and highways as the Leaf Peepers inside view the gorgeous displays of fall leaf color through glass. However, those of us who live here have more and different experiences...
Wait, We’re Not Done Yet!
Fall is a terrific time to make your home landscape more resilient to our climate changes. Extreme Heat Substantial shade and heat reductions of up to 10 degrees are just two of the twenty-two environmental benefits that mature, healthy, shade trees can offer at home....
‘Actually, You Have Great Soil’
Homeowners can save time, money and effort by choosing native plants for their home landscapes.
Container Vegetable Gardening Rocks!
🌱ESPECIALLY hanging or perched containers. Think window boxes hung on a fence, one pot perched on top of another, and double buckets on a porch. This strategy keeps the vegetable plants out of reach of our wildlife neighbors and friends. No more time spent spraying...
When Your Re-Planting Turns Into a Construction Project
As I’m finishing a second draft of my eBook, “Five Garden Choices for 65 Million Acres of Nature: Environmental Activism at Home” -yes I know that the title is too long, 🙂I’m also re-designing the demonstration gardens here at the Healthy Home Habitats house in Keene,...
Spreading Native Columbine Seeds in your ‘Yarden’
Native Columbine can grow in full sun as well as almost full shade -whenever it doggone well pleases. https://plantfinder.nativeplanttrust.org/plant/Aquilegia-canadensis This can be frustrating, so I've learned to let go of my expectations. Now I spread seeds from the...
More Berries, Birds and Butterflies?
I think my Midwestern soul is turning Yankee. I used to love a good two-for-one project. But now I’m getting greedy with my desire for frugal use of time and resources. I want a three-for-one or a four-for-one project; I call this a ‘four-fer’, four benefits from one...
Container Vegetable Gardening Rocks!
PARTICULARLY hanging or perched containers. Think window boxes hung on a fence, one pot perched on top of another, and double buckets on a porch. This strategy keeps your vegetable plants out of reach of our wildlife neighbors and friends. This approach also...
Mint Plants: Garden Friend or Foe?
Mint plants can be a great sustainability plant when sited strategically in your home landscape.
Shifting to Diverse & Resilient Landscapes Doesn’t Have to Be Dramatic
🌱 Former client (who now has a fabulous, native, backyard garden) sent an email last week: "We lost two Arborvitae in the front yard along the driveway. How do I fix this?" CONDITIONS: Full sun, sharply-drained soil with deer browsing pressure. Garden center would...