Dry weather imperils plants on Martha’s Vineyard
With no significant rain in a month, Island flora is dangerously stressed when it needs to be tough going into the dark months.
Gardening on Martha’s Vineyard starts to slow down
All the signs point to it: pesky yellow jackets, heavy dewfall, the katydid and cricket chorus, roadside banks of goldenrod. Summer is cresting and Labor Day looms.
Dog-day challenges, recalling a pair of Fair pillars
While making last-minute preparations for the Fair, the author recalls Jane Newhall and Ozzie Fischer, two Fair pillars who are no longer with us.
Bloomin’ rhodies keep at it on Martha’s Vineyard
Have actually spent much of my weekend working in the garden, instead of writing about Working in the Garden.
Martha’s Vineyard gardeners tidy up, fill empty spaces
With needed mid-season TLC, gardens can be replanted with autumn vegetables. And consider raising fruit in the future.
Summer settles in for Martha’s Vineyard gardeners
Vegetable gardeners shift to nurturing maturing plants and planning for fall crops. Roses need attention, too, and watch out for invasives.
Rhododendrons, azaleas, weigela, late lilacs – all showing off
This has been a wonderful year for rhododendrons, the plants appearing to be at capacity for numbers of flower trusses.
Spray hazards, blight fight face Vineyard gardeners
Indiscriminate spraying: This is what I saw a couple of days ago. In a neighborhood of seasonal and year-round houses a tree-service company was spraying the woods.
Mulch, bulbs, and bugs preoccupy Vineyard gardeners
Each spring we have the chance to start anew. We have the opportunity to take a fresh look at what we are doing in our relationship with our surroundings.
Weeds, seeds, and blossoms mean spring on Martha’s Vineyard
Along with daffodils, dandelion tea-making time has come around again. The tea functions as a liver and kidney tonic, and diuretic.
Planting a vegetable garden on Martha’s Vineyard
Before planting, spread whatever compost, humus, or leaf mold you have accumulated over the top of the ground.
Rake, prune, and watch bulbs light up
Rake lawns and save the thatch for composting. Lawns are shedding dead material, from matting by snow and ice. This is some of the best material for composting.
The benefits of bees
Various life forms responsible for pollination depend on pollen, nectar, and water for themselves and their young. Having a variety of trees and plants is a huge assist for bees.
Winter starts to relent on Martha’s Vineyard
Dawn arrives earlier now, sunrise occurring before 7 am. On a clear dawn the SE sky is spangled with a glittering "morning star," Venus.
Some gardeners even find winter fertile
Whether under limpid or lowering (rhymes with glowering) skies, winter landscapes are often black and white, with snow-covered ground and evergreens blackened by cold.
Planning, testing, questioning pay off for gardeners
It is easy to have the feeling of losing one's head.
Look ahead, look down, and look after plants and animals
Farewell to the old year and its accomplishments and woes, and greetings to the new one with its challenges and hopes.
The sound, sight, and taste of Island gardens in winter
Working late in the garden I looked up, prompted by the cawing of crows and the sound of their wings in the chilly clear air.
The lure of a formal garden
Our recent Thanksgiving trip yielded a few horticultural observations, among many other holiday experiences.
Thinking of others
Thanksgiving celebrations in the post-war years seemed to be a refuge for spiritual urges that did not involve commercialism.