The Old Farmer's Almanac Garden Musings

The Old Farmer's Almanac Garden Musings episodes:

• 12.01.2020

  Trees in Season

  It’s easy to grow a few Christmas trees for your family use at the edge of a lawn or field. Some advance planning is required because it takes 8 to 10 years to produce an average-size tree. You may want...

  
• 11.01.2020

  Saving Energy, Naturally

  A walk down a country lane can demonstrate what a difference trees and natural features can make to one’s comfort. The cool shade of overhanging maples is a welcome relief from the midday sun of July, yet on a bright...

  
• 10.01.2020

  A Good Eye, Deer

  Though an occasional nuisance to gardeners, deer are generally admired for their beauty and grace. The current deer population in the United States, estimated at over 12 million, is much larger than when this land was first settled by Europeans....

  
• 09.01.2020

  Be a Host to Hosta

  Over the years, the hosta has remained a favorite perennial with many gardeners. Also known as heart lily, plantain lily, and funkia, this easy-care plant, grown primarily for its colorful rippled foliage, is an ideal choice for shaded gardens. Some...

  
• 08.01.2020

  Flowers That Make Good Sense

  Many herbs are just as at home in the flower garden as they are growing by the kitchen door. Chives, for instance, can be nestled among rock garden plants or used in the perennial border. The spiky, light green chive...

  
• 07.01.2020

  Petunias

  Petunias are a common sight in almost any garden or landscape and with good reason: They are easy to maintain, come in a wide variety of colors and sizes, and can be bought just about anywhere. Their popularity, however, should...

  
• 06.01.2020

  Cane Enable

  This month, our Garden Musings are about raspberries. Mmmm. See our article with plant care tips—or, give your eyes a break and listen to the podcast, read by our editors! Fresh raspberries are always sold at a premium. And not only is...

  
• 05.01.2020

  Growing Beans Can Be a Snap

  Among the most enthusiastic vegetables you can have in your garden is the humble bean. Though they can not be planted until the earth has been well warmed and the danger of frost is past, beans are quick to peep...

  
• 04.01.2020

  Plant Parenthood

  Taking divisions from your own (or your neighbor’s) perennials is the easiest way to add to your perennial garden. Divisions guarantee what you’ll get; however, your choices are necessarily limited to what is available (usually plants that spread quickly and...

  
• 03.01.2020

  Frame and Good Fortune

  No matter how long the gardening season, it always seems to fall a bit short. Frame gardening is one way that many gardeners extend the growing season for a variety of flowers and vegetables. To make a cold frame, construct...

  
• 02.01.2020

  Wave Reviews

  A “foot-candle” sounds like a gadget that might have been advertised in an early edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac, but actually it is a measure of light, specifically the amount of light cast by a candle over a one-square-foot...

  
• 01.01.2020

  Rome-ing the Landscape

  What do paper birch, white birch, and canoe birch have in common? Plenty! They are the same tree. Over the years people in different parts of the country have come to know trees by local names. Aspen, for instance, is...

  
• 01.01.2020

  Different Soils for Different Toils

  Different Soils for Different Toils The expression “dirt cheap” must have come about before the advent of commercial potting soils. A gardener can drop a bundle even before acquiring seeds or plants. There’s nothing wrong, of course, with paying good money...

  
• 12.01.2019

  The Graceful Jade

  Excluding fruitcakes and zucchinis, potted jades are probably the most common gift passed between friends and family members. But it’s not a high-maintenance acquisition, for the jade plant thrives on neglect. Treat it badly enough, and this humble servant may...

  
• 11.01.2019

  Fate With Brush

  The ancients used brush for building boats, shelters, arrows, spears, and fences. Today we are not apt to cut more than a few bean poles or tomato stakes. If you are industrious, you might construct some winter protection for shrubs...

  
• 10.01.2019

  Ya Vole

  The field mouse, a.k.a. field vole or meadow vole, inhabits just about every region of North America. An important part of the food chain, these cute little critters are a favorite snack of snakes, foxes, coyotes, and birds of prey....

  
• 09.01.2019

  Walking on Herbs

  Anyone who gardens seems never to have enough time on their hands. You can, however, enjoy “thyme” at your feet. An herbal lawn or pathway is somewhat more difficult to install than a conventional grass lawn, but in the long...

  
• 08.01.2019

  Mullein It Over

  Growing to a height of 8 feet or more and topped with a bright yellow, cylindrical flower, mullein is one of those plants that have acquired many popular names throughout the centuries because of its myriad uses. The names Aaron’s...

  
• 07.01.2019

  Cures for a Sluggish Garden

  They work at night under the protective cloak of darkness, slithering along on a silvery slime secreted from their own bodies. As daylight takes over the garden, they seek dank and dark places to hide from the sun. The only...

  
• 06.02.2019

  An Old-Fashioned Cutting Garden

  In Victorian times it was popular to have a special garden whose sole function was to provide flowers for cutting. This trend periodically enjoys revival, and with reason. While perennials and annuals can be grown together effectively, the food requirements...

  
• 05.01.2019

  Delphiniums: A Labor of Love

  The towering spires of delphinium are often compared with church steeples, yet it is the long nectary of the flowers that provides the inspiration for the name: The dolphin’s nose, Greek delphis, gives us delphinium, and the feet of larks...

  
• 04.01.2019

  To Till or Not to Till

  Rototilling the vegetable plot can be quite satisfying. A compacted, rutted piece of ground harvested last fall is transformed into a fresh, new, rich-looking expanse of earth ready to be planted with this year’s dreams. Some expert tiller operators, eager...

  
• 03.01.2019

  Determining the Indeterminate (A Fruitful Discussion About Tomatoes)

  Tomatoes bring a considerable amount of pleasure even before they are eaten. (This is assuming that as a true gardener you like to putter and experiment.) In addition to deciding between different types of fruit, you get to choose between...

  
• 02.01.2019

  Giving Your Flowers a Box Seat

  Growing plants in window boxes puts them at eye level, which lends a different perspective than having them in your garden. The plants will become part of your view to the outdoors. And from the outside, the plants and container...

  
• 01.01.2019

  Outwitting Winter

  Winter is tough on plants. A snowless one exposes the soil to extreme temperature fluctuations that can damage the roots of trees and shrubs and actually heave perennials right out of the ground. Too much snow, especially the heavy or...

  
• 12.01.2018

  Kisstletoe

  Long before exchanging a kiss under the mistletoe became a Christmas tradition, this curious plant was thought to possess magical and healing powers. European mistletoe is a partial parasite that has no roots and lives on the trunks and branches...

  
• 11.01.2018

  Beyond the Bog

  The American cranberry, Vaccinium macrocarpon, is a true North American native that was unknown in Europe until the colonists learned of its virtues from Native Americans. The berries, rich in vitamin C, were a welcome fresh autumn fruit that could...

  
• 10.01.2018

  A Cellar to Root For

  Before electricity and refrigeration were commonplace, and when fresh produce was only seasonably available at the grocery store, most every home had a root cellar in which to store fruits and vegetables for winter use. This was usually a separate...

  
• 09.01.2018

  Pearing Up

  Asian pears are not a cross between a pear and an apple, as their nicknames “oriental apple” and “apple pear” might suggest. They are a species of pear that was first cultivated in China thousands of years ago and brought...

  
• 08.01.2018

  Blowing in the Wind

  If misery loves company, then hay-fever sufferers should never have to be alone. Thirty-five million Americans have pollen allergies that may cause itchy eyes, ears, and throats; difficulty breathing; or all of the above. Insect-pollinated plants have bright flowers and heavy,...

  
• 07.01.2018

  Outside the Cottage Door

  The joy of cottage gardening comes from its informal, seemingly unplanned, blend of flowers of different sizes, textures, shapes, and colors. Successful gardens, however, are the result of careful planning to keep the helter-skelter mélange of plants overflowing with color...

  
• 06.01.2018

  Let Your Love Light Shine

  The light shows created by myriads of flashing fireflies against a black night sky of summer have been fascinating mankind for ages. The nearly 2,000 species of fireflies worldwide inhabit every continent except Antarctica. The firefly, or lightning bug, isn’t a...

  
• 05.01.2018

  Meddling With Nettle

  Anyone who has ever touched a stinging nettle has quickly found out that this innocent-looking weed more than lives up to its name. Its three- to four-foot-tall stems and both sides of the dark-green, heart-shape, toothed leaves are covered with...

  
• 04.01.2018

  Stalk Talk

  Crisp and succulent, celery has a unique flavor and satisfying crunch that make it a favorite with gourmets and dieters alike. Celery is delicious regardless of whether it’s served cooked or raw. It adds zest to soups and stews and...

  
• 03.01.2018

  Stars, Saucers, and Little Girls

  Just the name “magnolia” evokes images of southern mansions, mint juleps, and massive southern magnolias with tropical-looking evergreen foliage and huge, creamy-white flowers. There are, however, a plethora of other magnolias, many with Asian origins, which display bold masses of...

  
• 02.01.2018

  Scent-sational Skunks

  Skunks can be found just about everywhere in North America. The most common, the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), lives in southern Canada, most of the United States, and parts of northern Mexico. Because it somewhat resembles a house cat in size...

  
• 01.01.2018

  Herbs of Winter

  Indoor herbs needn’t be limited to the usual thyme, oregano, mints, and parsley lined up on the kitchen windowsill. There are some that make attractive, if not exotic, houseplants. One such herb is borage, also known as “beebread” for the numerous...

  
• 10.27.2017

  Gifts That Keep On Giving

  Gifts That Keep On Giving Holiday plants as gifts can be enjoyed long after the Christmas season is over. Three favorites—the poinsettia, Christmas cactus, and amaryllis—require similar care and can be coaxed into blooming for future holidays. Red poinsettias are popular, but...

  
• 10.27.2017

  Not All Willows Weep

  Not All Willows Weep The graceful silhouette of the weeping willow (Salix babylonica) and its long, slender, pendulous branches make it easy to recognize even from a distance. Actually, planting this tree at some distance from your home and lawn is...

  
• 08.24.2017

  A Garden to Fall For

  A Garden to Fall For Many gardeners prefer autumn to any other season. The heat and humidity of summer have passed, biting insects are gone, and the leaves of many plants paint the landscape with bold strokes of red, yellow, orange,...

  
• 08.24.2017

  Out of Your Gourd

  Out of Your Gourd Hard-shelled gourds, along with pumpkins, squash, and ornamental gourds, all belong to the cucurbit family. Unlike their soft-skinned cousins, however, hard-shelled gourds have a very tough outer surface that takes on the characteristics of wood when dried. Gourds...

  
• 08.01.2017

  Building a Butterfly Garden

  Building a Butterfly Garden The glimmering wings and graceful flutters of butterflies bring color and movement to the landscape while they aid in the pollination of flowers, fruit, and vegetable plants. Unfortunately, urbanization and other development are shrinking their natural habitat,...

  
• 07.01.2017

  It’s About Thyme

  It’s About Thyme Thyme (Thymus spp.) is native to the sunny slopes of the Mediterranean and once grew wild from Spain to Siberia. The Greeks and Romans considered thyme a symbol of courage and style; they flavored cheese and wine with...

  
• 05.01.2017

  Beetle Mania

  Beetle Mania One of the most destructive garden insects is the Japanese beetle, a six-legged creature about one-half-inch long with copper-color wing covers and a metallic-green head. It has a voracious appetite for flowers, fruit, and foliage, and dines on hundreds...

  
• 05.01.2017

  Kiwi: The Down Under Wonder

  Kiwi:  The Down Under Wonder Kiwifruits aren’t much to look at, but beneath the brown furry skin of this egg-shape berry lies succulent, translucent, emerald-green flesh with an irresistible flavor that hints of melon, strawberry, banana, and citrus. The fruit is...

  
• 02.13.2017

  Plants That Move

  All plants have some ability to move, but most of these movements are on a scale too slow for us to see. Tropisms are the simplest plant movements. They are controlled by growth hormones and are a growth response to...

  
• 02.13.2017

  Yield of Dreams

  Many gardeners are finding out that by not following the straight and narrow they can triple, even quadruple, their vegetable harvest while spending less time weeding, watering, and feeding their plants. Gardens laid out in traditional long rows with packed-down...

  
• 12.07.2016

  A Divine Vine

  A Divine Vine Whether growing on a trellis or left to ramble over the ground, a passionflower vine (Passiflora sp.) will add color, fragrance, and a tropical air to the garden, transforming it into a heavenly place. Priests who accompanied Spanish...

  
• 12.07.2016

  May the Force Be With You

  May the Force Be With You For a fragrant and colorful preview of spring weeks before winter releases its icy grip on the landscape, try your hand at forcing branches from your favorite flowering trees and shrubs into early bloom. Simply...

  
• 10.25.2016

  Making Your Christmas Tree Last and Last

  Making Your Christmas Tree Last and Last The tradition of bringing a tree into the house and decorating it for Christmas originated in Germany more than 400 years ago but didn’t gain popularity in the United States until the mid-1800s. In...