Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold

Past Due! by Dan Christina

It is very hard to believe that a month has passed since my last post, Getting it done.  Even more incredulous are the vast changes the garden has seen since that time. For instance, the … Read more.

Finishing touches (and new beginnings)

No garden is ever “done” — perish the thought! — but during planting week/month/season we all race to beat the heat. In the last couple of weeks here at Blithewold we closed in on that … Read more.

Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’ by Dan Christina

Mulching is the practice of covering bare soil with some sort of substance in order to conserve moisture, reduce or eliminate weed growth, and provide an aesthetically pleasing look to an area.  That’s my definition … Read more.

100 Plants per hour

It’s not even June yet but it’s already planting week (month) at Blithewold. We hit the ground digging this week, clocking about 100 plants per hour. It’s not a competition but like every May/June we … Read more.

In-House Edging by Dan Christina

While I may have jumped the gun a bit posting about seed starting last week, I did want to get everyone thinking about preparing for spring…and frankly I needed motivation to see past winter’s grip.  … Read more.

Spring tinies

These last two days have been so spectacular — soft, sunny, and warm — that I can’t stand the thought of anyone being stuck indoors. I know I’m lucky (in a previous life I worked … Read more.

Uncluttering

Maybe it has something to do with the spareness of the January landscape (particularly when it’s a clean white and sky-blue); or maybe it’s because there’s little to distract us outside when the wind is … Read more.

Turning a corner

Do you ever round a bend in your garden, maybe coming from a direction you don’t usually, and gasp at how pretty it looks? I hope so because it’s the best, most giddy feeling. Yesterday … Read more.

Cue Spring!

Everybody has a different cue for letting ourselves admit that it’s finally spring. For some of us (me), spring officially begins when we sow the sweet peas (back around President’s Day). Others might notice spring … Read more.

Improvements

A little more than a month ago in a post about potting bench perfection I mentioned that our potting bench was in a sorry state and that the windows above it were drafty heat-leakers. No … Read more.