Barking Dog Gardens

Organic Matter and Soil Quality

There is a lot to talk about this time of year in the garden, but I would like to come back to a theme we have covered a number of times in this newsletter and in my classes. Organic matter and soil quality are critical to the success of anything that you might grow, andContinue reading “Organic Matter and Soil Quality”

The Rugged Native Plants of Georgian Bay, Ontario

Every year that I come to this amazing and remote part of the northern Great Lakes, I am amazed by the diversity of plants and their resilience to survive harsh Winters and challenging conditions. We are on an island in the Georgian Bay, which is the northern part of Lake Huron in Canada. The picture aboveContinue reading “The Rugged Native Plants of Georgian Bay, Ontario”

Mindfulness in the Garden

OK…this might be a little risky, and some of you may think I have gone off the deep end, but here goes. Gardening is a physical task in the attempt to try and control nature and living items by creating something beautiful or productive. Unfortunately, this year has proven what little control we have over our naturalContinue reading “Mindfulness in the Garden”

Rabbit Management Strategies

Everyone is having challenges with rabbits in their gardens, and it has gotten worse in recent years. The following is an immersive dive into rabbits and strategies to manage their browsing on plants in your garden. First, there are, for the most part, two different species of rabbit that live in our New England gardens: NewContinue reading “Rabbit Management Strategies”

Easy Steps To Make Your Garden More Sustainable (Part 2)

This is part two about ideas to help create a more sustainable garden. Not everyone, except for two of you that I know of, are willing to dig up their whole landscape and start over, so here are some more ideas to create gardens that are more sustainable and better for the environment. Here is link to previousContinue reading “Easy Steps To Make Your Garden More Sustainable (Part 2)”

Easy Steps to Make Your Garden More Sustainable (Part 1)

For 2023, Winchester’s Sustainability Director, Ken Pruitt, secured a grant to help Winchester, Arlington, Stoneham residents learn how to create and maintain more sustainable gardens. Through training videos and a comprehensive handbook, released later this year, the hope is that it will equip homeowners and local contractors with the tools to create more environmentally friendlyContinue reading “Easy Steps to Make Your Garden More Sustainable (Part 1)”

Organic Material is Critical to Garden Health

Keeping organic material in your soil (lawn and garden) is one of the most important aspects of good gardening. I liken it to a zero-sum game. Every time you or your contractor removes, leaves, grass clippings, pruned branches, cut back perennials, dead annuals, you are removing organic material that, at one point, resided in your soil.Continue reading “Organic Material is Critical to Garden Health”

Early Work in the Spring Garden

“Work in the Spring Garden” is the title of a class I just taught last week at New England Botanic Garden @ Tower Hill. We discussed several important topics that need to be considered as we get out into the garden in the Spring. Also, check out the Home Gardener Series that we have created at NEBG. It isContinue reading “Early Work in the Spring Garden”

Plant Health Trilogy Part 3: Light

For plants to thrive, their needs need to be met with regard to three critical elements: Water, Soil and Light. In the last two newsletters we talked about the importance of proper watering and appropriate soil as they impact the health of your plants. The final part of the trilogy is LIGHT, and this is a deceptively challenging elementContinue reading “Plant Health Trilogy Part 3: Light”

Plant Health Trilogy Part Two – Soil

We continue with the second part of the horticultural trilogy: Soil. Last newsletter we talked about the importance of providing the right amount of water to your plants and working to group plants with similar moisture needs together. Soil is the foundation from which your plants grow and the properties of the soil can dictate aContinue reading “Plant Health Trilogy Part Two – Soil”