Hello fellow readers, Landscape fabric with mulch on top may seem to work in the short term, but eventually, it will result in an intervention. I look forward to sharing mine :^) ‘Here’s my dilemma,’ wrote George of Blairstown, NJ, in early spring. ‘It’s

Hello Fellow Readers, I learned from Patti of Little Big Farm in Blairstown that she started seeds in early February, which piqued my curiosity; actually, it made me green with envy. Aren’t we all longing for green? The rule of thumb is eight weeks before the last frost date is

Hello fellow readers, Did you notice the full moon lighting up our nighttime snow-scape last week? No flashlights are needed. It made me think of planting by the moon’s phases, a practice as old as agriculture. True, it’s primarily based on legend, but there are scientific concepts to

Hello fellow readers, Last week The Press published a wonderful quote by Robert Brault. ‘In every gardener there is a child who believes in The Seed Fairy.’ Turns out the day before it published I happened to speak with the seed fairies at Catherine Dickson Hofman Library in Blairstow

Hello fellow readers, I am learning so much from all of you! On Mother’s Day, Pastor Marcia shared that soil temperatures were still too chilly for farmers to plant their crops which related to her sermon on honoring all who nurture. While shopping for plants, I met Phil from Morristo

Hello fellow readers, We are officially through our risk of frost so it’s time to shop for annuals. Many nurseries sell perennials in flats as well. Bob from Hackettstown was brave enough to ask what the difference between annuals and perennials is. I am certain it is confusing to man

Hello fellow readers, Mother’s Day triggers shopping for Annuals as gifts and adding continuous color to our gardens and pots. There’s something fun about being in the frenzy of it all – The hurry to grab a plant cart, drooling over all the colors, and the tendency to load up wi

Hello fellow readers, One hundred columns ago, we began out garden chat. It’s far more than about digging in the dirt. Gardens relate to all that grows in this garden of life. So for column 101, it seems fitting to reflect on our very first topic; Proper Planting & Mulching.

Column updated April 1, 2021  Hello fellow readers, Divide and multiply, and while you’re at it, why not move those that may be better living somewhere else. Of course, I am referring to dividing and moving perennials, not family members :^) Sally from Wind Gap asked if spring is a go

Hello Fellow Readers, At last, it’s the official start of spring! One of the chores many delve into, along with their spring cleanup, is freshening up their mulch. John from Andover asked what mulch he should use. Last week we spoke about the trend in using cocoa mulch but learn