Stalling out
We have started to settle into a new regime with new digs between a donkey and a camel. The stalls are rather spacious though the smell of dung lingers until acclimation sets in. Tables are set up and we have started to decorate. Our berths now are dedicated to “Man-O-Melon” and “Peabiscuit,” our vegan view […]
Starting from scratch
There was nothing but barberry as far as the eye could see. Dead trees, thick vines, large boulders were scattered around an inhospitable landscape. This is what I have to work with to create a therapeutic space. It should be fun. (I have to admit I’m a bit behind on my writing. Unlike the photo […]
Flower power
As most aspects of the garden wind down, cleaning old beds and pulling dead or soon to die plants takes priority this time of year. It has always seemed bittersweet to liberate plants from the soil right after or even during their peak. That was the case a little over a month ago at Green […]
It takes a family
Every time I tempt my family into the garden, I am often accused of inflicting horticultural therapy upon them. They may be right. My wife needs little prompting, as she better appreciates the diversity of plants than I and finds great solace in nature’s grasp. My daughters are a different story as when I have […]
Berry, berry nice
This summer’s incessant rains have been bad for many crops. Our strawberries matured as either red, flavorless mushy masses or tasteless slug bait. I expect the local crop of peaches to look more like inflated softballs and feel like a Nerf ball than they should when conditions are right. On the other hand, our raspberries […]
Aggregating aggregate
To many, a garden evokes the simple and beautiful memories of flowers in front of large cascading green plants while strains of either Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony or Vivaldi’s Four Seasons lingers in the background. And while these visions can be true, they are often counterbalanced by inordinate hours of backbreaking work that are better accompanied […]
Getting that good old-fashioned karma
Even though I read every guide book I can lay my hands on, when ever I travel I always discover a surprise. On this trip, my surprise is the result of a conversation with my good friend M.R. Rangaswami, who has one foot in the high-tech world and the other in a green one. As […]
I like to watch: Gardenless on the Garden Isle
After a season of wet, fungus-rich weather, my past week in Kauai has been nothing short of a blessing. Morning walks on the beach, beautiful sunrises and -sets, rain only in the evening for brief, short periods. Paradise. But after a while I feel restless. Like something important is missing. As we were walking one […]
Flying brown, going green
Taking certain things for granted can be very dangerous as it is all to easy to forget what we really hold dear. It wasn’t until my third airport of the day that I finally noticed that these aviation parking lots are devoid of vegetation or natural life save for scrub growth around the runways or […]
Preparing the soil
One of the things that has often struck me about gardening articles and literature is that the end result is always a wonderful plant or the perfect fruit. A rose, a peach, a melon. You know what I mean. A few years ago William Alexander wrote a book on his gardening exploits and wound up […]