Beguiling gardens tell a story, and what’s a meaningful narrative without punctuation? As an instructor at De Montfort University in England says, “Punctuation marks are like signposts; they guide us through language, reminding us when to pause and when to stop and are essential for clear…communication.” With some thought and careful parsing, you can use punctuation marks to … [Read more...] about Punctuation in the garden
Designing with dwarf conifers
When it comes to conifers, bigger isn’t always better. We may pine for mature Douglas firs and Norway spruces, but those goliaths will swallow up most urban gardens. Thankfully, there are dwarf forms of many conifers, suitable for gardens of all sizes, right down to pots and troughs. Of course, “dwarf” is a relative term. The ‘Fat Albert’ cultivar of blue spruce is often called … [Read more...] about Designing with dwarf conifers
Allergy-free gardening
If you wheeze and sneeze when you set foot in the garden, just think about sex — plant sex, that is. “What people don’t realize is that many plants are either male or female,” says Tom Ogren, pollen expert and author of Allergy-Free Gardening: The Revolutionary Guide to Healthy Landscaping (Ten Speed Press, 2000). “Male plants produce huge amounts of pollen, the biggest … [Read more...] about Allergy-free gardening
Provide home for mason bees in your garden
The collapse of honeybee populations is devastating, as practically every fruit and vegetable we eat relies on bees to pollinate the flowers. No pollination means no delicious edibles. But don’t despair. Solitary bees, especially mason bees (Osmia lignaria), are buzzing to the rescue. Resembling metallic blue flies, these small native bees are easy to attract, work … [Read more...] about Provide home for mason bees in your garden
