Madeline Yakimchuk

Globe artichoke. (Photo by Madeline Yakimchuk)

Gardening Tips Week 10: Time to Prune

March 15, 2023 at 10:30 am

Editor’s Note: This column last appeared on 14 March 2018.   What to do this week This week, we have a success report from Madeline about her globe artichoke overwintering experiment, and some encouragement to think about the early spring pruning of your trees and bushes. Let’s start with pruning.Read More

Soil blocks. (Photo by Madeline Yakimchuk)

Gardening Tips: Playing in the Mud

March 8, 2023 at 12:45 pm

Editor’s Note: Today’s column first appeared on 7 March 2018.   What to do this week I’m back after a short break. Thank you all for your patience. I hope your onion seedlings are started! If they are not, you can do them in soil blocks. If you have themRead More

Tomato seedlings. (Photo by Priit Tammets, CC by 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Gardening Tips: Caring for Seedlings

February 22, 2023 at 11:45 am

Editor’s Note: This column last appeared on 21 February 2018. I’ve removed an author’s note from that year, because it doesn’t really apply to this year’s weather.   What to do this week I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that it is very important for recently planted seeds toRead More

Onion seedlings planted in toilet paper rolls. (Photo by Madeline Yakimchuk.)

Gardening Tips: Windowsill Planning

February 15, 2023 at 2:30 pm

Editor’s Note: This column last appeared on 14 February 2018.   What to do this week: So now that the seeds are ordered, let’s plan those windowsills. Onions get the first rotation on the best windowsill. Best means warmth and light. You can plant onions by mid-February. You can alsoRead More

By J.M. Perkins (Firm); Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection [No restrictions], via Wikimedia Commons

Gardening Tips: All About Onions

January 25, 2023 at 3:35 pm

Editor’s Note: This column last appeared on 24 January 2018.   What to do this week: It’s almost time to plant onions. Yes, already. This is seed catalog season, as you may have noticed by the previous few columns, but I must admit it is not actually necessary to placeRead More

Gardening Tips: Fun with Seed Catalogs

Gardening Tips: Fun with Seed Catalogs

January 18, 2023 at 11:45 am

Editor’s Note: This column last appeared on 17 January 2018.   What to do this week: It is still winter, and we are still holed up with our seed catalogs. In case you haven’t noticed, some catalogs are better than others. Some are pretty, and inspirational for that reason. OthersRead More

Beans. (Photo by Nadia Talent)

Gardening Tips: Seed Storage

November 30, 2022 at 11:30 am

Editor’s Note: The Spectator is reaching into Michelle Smith’s archives for gardening tips and this week found a column that was first published almost exactly five years ago, on 29 November 2017.   What to do this week This week is a good time to get your seeds safely storedRead More

George Washington's garden at Mount Vernon in winter. (Photo by Carol M. Highsmith, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Gardening Tips: Putting the Garden to Bed

October 19, 2022 at 2:45 am

Editor’s Note: This column was last published on 21 October 2020.   What to do this week This week, I want to do a checklist for putting your garden to bed for the winter. Some of the items on my list have been covered recently in more detail, so IRead More

Vegetables in a root cellar. (Source: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Gardening Tips: Storing the Harvest

September 14, 2022 at 3:00 pm

Editor’s Note: The Spectator is reaching into Michelle Smith’s gardening column archive for some weekly advice that is as relevant now as when it was first written. This column last appeared on 16 September 2020.   What to do this week This time of year there is a lot going on for gardeners.Read More

Beets. (Photo by Madeline Yakimchuk)

Gardening Tips: Getting to the Root of Things

August 24, 2022 at 12:08 pm

Editor’s Note: The Spectator is reaching into Michelle Smith’s gardening column archive for some weekly advice that is as relevant now as when it was first written. This column last appeared on 19 August 2020.   What to do this week This week, we are still on harvesting, and mid-season busy-ness. IRead More