Heart of the Garden

  • Powdery Mildew on My Roses

    It was early May. My roses were starting to wake up and start unfurling. I was excited to see the aphid clusters relocate, but that infestation was soon replaced with powdery mildew. Washing off the leaves with a sharp stream of water didn’t seem to have any effect. I cut…

  • Silly Things People Do: Anthropomorphize Plants

    I have nothing to say about this…

  • Weeding the Garlic

  • Seed Starting Time is Here!

    Actually, it’s been here for a while. Lesson learned from last year: DON’T OVER DO IT! Step one: Consider the actual space in which you will stick your plants once they can go outside. Throwing a seed in the pot is easy but you will have to take care of…

  • How to Start a Worm Bin

    Worm bins are a great way to compost your kitchen scraps. As a “green” component of the green/brown compost ratio, your kitchen might produce too much “green” waste to upset the ratio in your outdoor compost bin. Since most people I know don’t have huge basements for a giant worm…

  • My Top Three Part Sun Perennials

    Candytuft Candytuft loves full or part sun. It’s really hardy, low maintenance, and spreads nicely while respecting other plants. It’s white pincushion blooms are striking at their peak in mid-Spring, and the greens stick around well into Fall. It also attracts beneficials and butterflies. A very happy fairytale perennial. Euphorbia…

  • The Difference Between German, Roman and English Chamomile

    It’s the European Union of HERBS! So English and Roman are the same thing. Let’s just get that out of the way. But German is a whole nuther Genera. So here are the basics: GERMAN CHAMOMILE My German chamomile is beautiful in the Spring, but gets out of control by…

  • Add Salad Burnet Seeds to Your Herb List

    I picked up this plant at the West Chester Growers Market last year. I asked the farmer what it was and he said “Salad Burnet! It’s great. Tastes like cucumber.” It’s funny when people use vegetables to sell the flavor of other vegetables. I wondered if he’d somehow mistaken the name.…

  • How to Prevent Rust on Your Hollyhocks

    I love hollyhocks, cheerleader pom poms, scaffolding of the garden. But I admit they do make me think of that Absolutely Fabulous episode when Eddie says to Saffy… “I hate those flowers. Those. Those flowers there. They’re too English. It’s about simplicity and sort of Japanese efficiency. The land where…

  • What to do with Tiny Glass Bottles

    I lurv little antique bottles like this, but they often end up getting knocked around or catching dust. My dad found the one on the right when he was metal detecting a historic site in Maryland so it must be old. The other one has a threaded top so it’s…