2009 February — A Way to Garden

february garden chores

February 4, 2009 at 10:22 am

All based on my Zone 5B Berkshire MA/Hudson Valley NY location; adjust accordingly.

NEW BEGINNINGS, ALMOST: The last bit of winter’s the hardest, to my mind, with patience wearing thin (wish the ice would wear thin, instead). Getting ready for seed-starting action provides a distraction, and one could always order a few more packets to soothe the soul. My list of favorite sources is in the right-hand sidebar of every page here. Did you do your germination testing yet to see what leftovers are still viable? [read more…]

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big rig: my circa 1989 seed-starter stand

February 4, 2009 at 1:23 am

YOU CAN BUY ONE IN A CATALOG, or you can make your own seed-starting rig as I did 20 years ago. It’s still growing strong. I promised the details in a comment the other day, and got reminded of my stray remark, so here they are: [read more…]

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‘trying to fool mother nature’

February 2, 2009 at 12:15 am

ON GROUNDHOG DAY I am always reminded of another holiday: the Fourth of July, and specifically my first Independence Day on this piece of land, more than 20 years ago. To mark Groundhog Day 2009, I offer a vintage essay on trying to fool Mother Nature, and being proved the fool instead.

It was a different winter then, and in so many ways a whole different era, but I think there’s still something left in this old piece of writing, anyhow (though not a definitive answer on how to outdo a woodchuck, sorry). Enjoy. [read more…]

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