Notes from the Garden: Reflections and Observations of an Organic Gardner

by Homeyer, Henry

• ISBN13: 9781584653455
• ISBN10: 1584653450
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-07-01
• Publisher: Univ Pr of New England

Summary

A hands-on gardener, Henry Homeyer gives practical advice on how to garden, whether building a hot box, transplanting peonies, defeating the deer, growing ladyslipper orchids and shiitake mushrooms, or keeping the birds out of the berry bushes. Each month covers a range of topics relevant to the season: starting seedlings, edging and mulching, gardening with children, getting rid of invasive plants, pruning , planting shrubs for attracting and feeding birds, putting the garden to bed, growing houseplants, . . . These are just a few of Homeyer's 69 short "reflections and observations" on matters of interest to amateur, dedicated, and armchair gardeners alike. Homeyer grew up in the 1950s learning about organic gardening from a grandfather who used manure tea and compost, not 10-10-10, herbicides, and DDT. For him, organic gardening is not a political position, but a common sense approach to having the best soil and the healthiest plants. Of special relevance to denizens of zones 3-5, the climatic belt which includes New England and runs across southern Canada and west to the Rockies, each of the twelve chapters (one for each month) contains several pieces combining technical information, practical tips, personal reflections, and more than a little humor. An unusual feature is Homeyer's interviews with other gardeners. Meet Joe Mooney, the aging wizard of turf at Fenway Park. Spend an afternoon in the garden with Jamaica Kincaid. Visit Jean and Wes Cate, growers of heirloom vegetables at Fox Run Farm. Learn more about the White House gardens from chief horticulturist Dale Haney. Or marvel at Marguerite Tewksbury, an 85-year-old organic gardener who single-handedly runs a farm stand, drives her 1950 Ford Ferguson tractor, and weeds her 6,000-square-foot vegetable patch with a full-sized rototiller. "She doesn't say that keeping active and eating organically keeps her healthy and vigorous, but I have a feeling that it does," writes Homeyer.

Author Biography

HENRY HOMEYER is a landscaper and garden designer whose column appears weekly in ten regional newspapers. He is the Vermont and New Hampshire editor of People, Places, and Plants, a New England-only gardening magazine. He also writes for The Boston Globe, Gardener's Companion, Yankee, and other publications.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Acknowledgments	xv
CHAPTER 1 March:
On the Virtues of Organic Gardening	1	(4)
A Rose by Any Other Name Is Just as Sweet	5	(3)
March Is a Good Time to Prune Fruit Trees	8	(3)
Vermont Ladyslippers	11	(2)
A Gardener Dreams of Spring	13	(3)
Growing Vegetables All Winter Long in an Unheated Greenhouse-In Maine	16	(5)
CHAPTER 2 April:
April Is the Time to Start Seedlings Indoors	21	(4)
Building an Old-Fashioned Hot Box, and Other Tricks for Jump Starting the Gardening Season	25	(3)
Spring Lawn Care: Organic or Chemical?	28	(4)
Starting a Garden from Scratch	32	(4)
Tulips	36	(3)
The Wizard of Turf at Fenway Park, Joe Mooney	39	(4)
CHAPTER 3 May: The Glory of Flowering Trees and Shrubs	43	(21)
Mrs Marguerite Tewksbury, Organic Gardener	46	(4)
On Gardening with Children	50	(3)
Growing Flowers in Containers	53	(4)
The Art of Weeding	57	(3)
Planting Your Garden	60	(4)
CHAPTER 4 June:
Peonies, Like Diamonds, Are Forever	64	(3)
Furry Friends-and Foes	67	(3)
Constructing a Bentwood Arbor	70	(3)
Creating Outdoor Play Spaces for Children	73	(3)
Slugs, Bugs, and Feathered Garden Pests	76	(3)
An Afternoon in the Garden with Jamaica Kincaid	79	(4)
CHAPTER 5 July:
The Deer Dilemma	83	(3)
Gardening without Rain	86	(4)
Some of Summer's Best Bloomers	90	(3)
Scary Plants to Watch Out For: The Invasives Are Coming	93	(3)
Edging and Mulching	96	(3)
Avoiding Death Row: A Talk with Paul Sachs	99	(5)
CHAPTER 6 August:
Shade Gardens	104	(3)
Using and Preserving Herbs	107	(3)
Growing Blueberries	110	(4)
Gardening: The Slowest of the Performing Arts	114	(4)
Savoring and Saving the Season: Red Rocks, Pickles, and Pesto	118	(3)
Late Summer Flowering Plants	121	(3)
Building a Garden from the Ground Up	124	(3)
CHAPTER 7 September:
Summer Is Over	127	(3)
Organic Farmers Steve and Nancy Clark	130	(3)
Planting Bulbs	133	(3)
Fall Is a Good Time to Plant Trees and Shrubs	136	(4)
Planting the Smaller Bulbs	140	(3)
Pruning Shrubs	143	(3)
CHAPTER 8 October:
Putting the Garden to Bed	146	(3)
Growing Garlic	149	(3)
The Wonderful World of Hydrangeas	152	(3)
Pruning Deciduous Trees and Shrubs	155	(3)
A Visit to the White House Gardens	158	(4)
Ginseng	162	(3)
CHAPTER 9 November:
Attracting and Feeding the Birds	165	(3)
Fall-Blooming Crocus and Other Bulb Wonders	168	(3)
Planting Bulbs for Forcing	171	(3)
Goldilocks and the Three Soil Types	174	(3)
Jean and Weston Cate, Growers of Heirloom Vegetables	177	(4)
Steps to Take That Can Save the Life of a Newly Planted Tree	181	(3)
CHAPTER 10 December:
Holiday Gifts for the Gardener	184	(3)
Bonsai	187	(4)
More Books for the Gardener	191	(4)
My Friend Emily, a Very Determined Gardener	195	(3)
Growing Shiitake Mushrooms	198	(3)
Composting: Facts or Fiction	201	(4)
CHAPTER 11 January:
Winter Mulching: Save Those Christmas Trees	205	(2)
On Becoming a Gardener	207	(2)
Beware of Orchids	209	(3)
Reflections on the Winter Landscape	212	(3)
A Visit with a Sculptress of Bonsai	215	(4)
CHAPTER 12 February:
Beyond Flowers: A Gardener Enjoys the Winter Landscape	219	(4)
On Growing Houseplants	223	(3)
Getting a Gardener through the Winter Blahs	226	(2)
Gardening Tricks from the Smiths	228	(4)
So Many Seed Catalogs, So Little Time	232	(3)
Cut Flowers	235	(4)
The Perfect New England Window Box	239	(4)
Index	243