Vegetables, flowers, soil, pests, containers, seasons and the experiments that make a garden better over time.
From first seedlings to established beds, this is for troubleshooting, progress, regional differences and the occasional unexpected success.
I have two raised beds built and filled at the same time. One grows normally. In the other, plants are smaller and the soil surface stays wet longer after watering. They get almost the same sun. The weaker bed may be a l...
Lettuce grows beautifully here in the cooler months and turns bitter or bolts as soon as the real heat arrives. I'm thinking of accepting that as a seasonal crop instead of fighting the weather, then using shade cloth an...
I saved seeds from a particularly tasty tomato and planted a few out of curiosity. Then I remembered it might have been a hybrid, so the seedlings may not produce fruit identical to the parent. That's fine for an experim...
My tomato seedlings look green and healthy but have stretched into thin stems that lean toward the window. They're probably too far from the light. I can move a lamp closer, but I'm unsure whether the current seedlings w...
A corner of my yard gets long bright afternoons in summer and almost no direct sunlight in winter because the neighboring building casts a much longer shadow. Garden plans based on one sunny photograph are misleading. I'...
I was away for two weeks during a stretch that alternated heavy rain and hot dry days. The garden looks confused: weeds thriving, some plants flattened and others badly wilted. I'm resisting the urge to fertilize, prune...
My balcony containers look fine in the morning and dramatically unhappy by late afternoon on hot days. The smaller pots can dry enough that the mix pulls away from the sides. I have started grouping pots together and mov...
My vegetable bed has had compost added every spring for years. The soil is dark, drains reasonably well and grows healthy plants, yet I still follow the old habit of adding another thick layer because garden advice says...
A volunteer squash plant appeared in the vegetable bed and is growing enthusiastically. I didn't plan for it, and its leaves are already shading herbs nearby. Part of me wants to let the surprise develop; the practical s...
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