In the Garden

Since ancient times, explorers have brought back seeds and plants from exotic lands.

The story of Jack, of beanstalk fame, appealed to me as a boy, and still does. I love climbing vines and grow many including those that are perennial or annual flowers, and some vegetables. Vines are a great way to save space and to get blossoms up and visible.

Mulch is commonly used to help suppress weeds and to hold in soil moisture in dry times. There are many different kinds of mulch and it is important to get the right kind and to apply it properly if you wish to get the benefits of mulch.

by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – Mid-summer is often a quiet time for flowers; many gardens have fewer dramatic

By now your rhododendrons, lilacs and other spring bloomers have bloomed and are ready to prune. By pruning now, you will not damage buds that will form later this summer and bloom next spring.

If you are a regular reader of this column, you know that I kill plants (just like you probably do).

As the song goes, it’s “Summertime, and the livin’ is easy!” Well, not really. Yes, I’ve planted my 53 tomato plants, 200 onions and more, but there is still plenty to do.

by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – If you don’t have a peony, I’m surprised. If you don’t have three,

I saw a friend recently who was bubbly and excited about her garden. “It’s full of color and stays that way all summer!” she exclaimed. “And it is no work! All I have to do is water it daily and give it a little fertilizer every few weeks.” She invited me to come see it, so of course I went.

When you face a flower bed and can’t immediately tell what’s a weed and what’s a flower, you have a situation my wife, Cindy Heath, calls Code Red.