I was driving the other day on a back road, winding my way out toward the ocean, and I saw something I’ve seen many times before. But on that day, […]
On the Landscape
ON THE LANDSCAPE
Turning the Corner to Fall
Grackles and goldenrod announce the shift we feel within
The wind blew, and summer was gone. This is how it happens. One day, a day on either side of the middle of August, something changes. The air feels different. […]
ON THE LANDSCAPE
Swimming in the Rain
A storm washes away a dusty tiredness, the raindrops awakening the universe’s workings
The air feels suddenly heavy. There’s more energy and weight in it than there was only moments ago. My eyes strain their tiny radial muscles to adjust to the sudden […]
BACK TO THE GARDEN
Conifers Are the Heart of the Year-Round Garden
The conifer bed is an exercise in the appreciation of subtlety
Flowers get a lot of attention, and for good reason. They are wondrous, wild, living bursts of color. They are also fleeting, with some blossoms lasting only a day. Deciduous […]
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When Dirt Is Your Canvas, Start With a Big Idea
Rules that lay the groundwork for designing the space you seek
Late summer and early fall are good times to plant. Which means now is a good time to start thinking about that garden bed expansion or adding the new plantings […]
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In the Hidden Gardens of Eastham, Places for Pollinators
Alongside show-stopping hydrangeas, a plant-animal spectacle
Gardens are extensions of their caretakers’ personalities and interests, but often they are mostly hidden from view. Last week, I had the good fortune to attend the Eastham Garden Tour. […]
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The Most Enduring Gardening Decision
Trees provide structure, watching over us as we make memories
Take a moment and let yourself drift back to a memory. Can you recall a place where, long ago, you took shelter in the shade on a sunny day — […]
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Before You Garden, First Nurture Your Soil
On welcoming fungi, worms, and bacteria into your dirt
We often think of our gardens as a collection of plants. They are leaves, stems, forms, and flowers, all interacting with the wind, rain, and sun. They are colors and […]
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Letting Go of a Grudge Against Roses
All this tough, beautiful plant needs is a little care
For a long time, I held a resentment against roses. I liked to see them, but I wouldn’t plant them. I didn’t want them in my garden. They are too […]
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Deadheading (or Not) Reveals a Gardener’s Aesthetic Leanings
Blooms are beautiful, but so are the seed pods and structures that follow them
The flowers of the irises are mostly passed. Almost all the peonies have bloomed, the petals breaking away and collecting on the ground. The baptisia is still going, in white […]
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Watering, Deeply
Guiding roots where they need to go to sustain the plant’s life — and your own
Our summers have been marked by significant dry spells for the last few years, and sometimes two or three weeks pass without a drop of rain. When these hot, dry […]
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It’s Time for Tomatoes and the Stories They Inspire
Plant your seedlings deep, give them sun and heat, and breathe in their aroma
Everyone has a story about tomatoes. They are plants of family, of memories, of passed-down secrets, like old recipes. Whenever tomato growing comes up, there is nearly always a personal […]
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Designing a Planter That Packs a Punch
How to play with elements of garden design that satisfy on a small scale
One of the things we humans like to do is to bring little chunks of nature into our immediate surroundings. This is what gardens are, and houseplants, too. We enjoy […]
ON THE LANDSCAPE
At Dusk With the Peepers
Listening to the sound of spring in a vernal pool come to life
It happens one night in early April. The air is warm, softened, the hard edges of winter worn away by gentle rain. In the woods, a sound that had almost […]
METAPHYSICS
Winter Sunsets
In the evening light reflected by sky and water, a glimpse of the universe, and of ourselves
Every evening, just before dark, a miracle occurs. You can go see it, and each time you do, it will be infinitely different from the last time you watched it. […]
