Lately we have heard a lot of talk about microbes and the biology of soil.  In the past we spoke of plant fertilizers in terms of N-P-K (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) and that seemed to be the end of discussion. Last Spring we approached Annie Haven of  Haven Family Ranch in San Juan Capistrano, California, a farm run by the Haven family for more than 160 years. She sells muslin bags of aged cow and…

I love growing pure white narcissus paperwhite bulbs for holiday decorations and gifts, but I wish they wouldn’t get so leggy that they flop over as soon as they start blooming. I learned that the bulb industry, with Cornell University, has a solution for people like me. Read on for step-by-step instructions... It turns out that alcohol, diluted with water, is what shortens the narcissus stems. If you follow our instructions below, the stems will be 1/3 to 1/2 shorter with…

Fall is a great time to plant and divide perennials and shrubs.  This is because, as in Spring, temperatures are cooler and there is usually plenty of rain. If you are in the market for new plants in fall you can usually find sales at garden centers when they are trying to make room for holiday trees and greens. Also, blooming plants will get a head start by being planted the previous fall.  Even if the ground is frozen for…

"The Curious Gardener" presents A Book Give Away this Month-- To enter sign up for our "Curious Gardener" newsletter and you'll be automatically entered to win one of two copies we're giving away.  If you've already signed up for our newsletter, send me an email at dwinslow@womanswork.com and I'll enter you.  We'll announce the winner in our next newsletter, out in early December. Conventional wisdom suggests that most of our favorite plants are also the favorites of our four-legged friends.…

If I had to choose a favorite fall shrub it would be callicarpa dichotoma, also known as beautyberry. Its arching branches with opposite leaves      (meaning the leaves are symmetrically placed on the branch instead of placed in alternate sequence like most plants) are graceful, elegant. Add      to that elegance a compact cluster of berries that appears on the branches in summer and becomes purple in early fall, and you have a standout    plant.  Callicarpa is…

Here’s why I love this book and will be giving away two copies signed by the author. First, it has a novel rating system for plants that gives a more nuanced view of the subject. A rating of 10 is the most deer resistant, but Ruth Rogers Clausen also includes plants with ratings of 7, 8 and 9, and tells you what level of (minor) nibbling you might expect if you choose those plants. Plants below a 7 are considered…

I first saw a climbing Black-Eyed-Susan (genus thunbergia) at The NY Botanical Garden. I had heard it is an easy vine to grow and is best started from seed. In fact, I wasn't able to find it as a potted plant at any of my local garden centers, so I had no choice but to start it from seed. I decided it must be a sleeper because I couldn't find the seeds at my garden centers…

Smith College, my alma mater, has a vibrant and lush botanical garden that attracts people from all around the world. It features a collection of over 10,000 living plants on the campus as well as 60,000 pressed specimens. If you ever find yourself around the Northampton, Massachusetts area, you should stop and visit. It's free and offers a chance to see a spectacular arrangement of trees, flowers and plant life. To learn more about the Botanic Garden of Smith College,…

Transplanting young seedlings that were grown inside your home to a garden outside can be a traumatic experience that places their health and well-being in jeopardy. You have to realize that outdoor environments bring fluctuating temperatures, rain, wind and intense humidity. If the seedling isn't prepared for conditions such as these, there's a good chance they won't take to their new outdoor environment. The good news is that you can harden off seedlings beforehand to make the transition smoother and…

Lilac (genus: Syringa) is a deciduous shrub that's most known for its pleasing fragrance and lilac colored flowers. There are literally hundreds of different varieties of lilacs, ranging in color from deep purple and lilac (hence the name), to white and pink. And from pleasingly fragrant, to not at all fragrant, to downright unpleasant smelling (Japanese tree lilac).  Often when purchasing a lilac the blooms are not open, so it's impossible to tell whether it will be fragrant, and what…