Editor’s Note: I’m reprinting this column from 11 May 2022 because it deals with frost and we’ve been dealing with frost lately, too.   What to do this week The unseasonably cold weather lately doesn’t encourage planting, but soon the days will warm enough that gardeners will engage in theirRead More

Editor’s Note: We’re reaching into Michelle’s Smith’s archives for posts as useful now as when they were first published and this week, we’re revisiting one of her lovely long-form essays, last published in November 2020.   The cat and I huddled under the blankets in the dark as the windRead More

Editor’s Note: This column first appeared on 16 May 2018 but I suspect the picture of the lilacs in full bloom was from the previous spring.   What to do this week There is an old folk saying that one should not plant summer crops until the lilacs and appleRead More

Editor’s Note: This column first appeared on 26 April 2017   What to do this week Optimistic beginner gardeners are often tempted to plant after a few days of great weather in May. I think it is important to let you know how to reasonably predict the risk of frost,Read More

Editor’s Note: We’ve been reaching into Michelle Smith’s archive to present always timely gardening advice. This week’s column first appeared on 31 May 2017. Editor’s Second Note: We are delighted to have Michelle Smith back with us this week, elsewhere in this edition!   What to do this week ManagingRead More

What to do this week It must be green tomato season, unless you have been as lucky as I have been and are enjoying ripe tomatoes too. Local tomatoes had a bit of a slow start this year. It was cool, and then it was dry, so the plants didn’tRead More