Gardening

The Kitchen Gardens of the Mistress of Riversdale

Today’s organic methods were the only options for gardeners in the early 19th century

Carol Shomette

We had a storm and terrible rain this week … my garden almost washed away; a dozen tulips were washed out of the ground and carried outside the garden fence. No one has seen such a flood in 10 years.

article – Gardening

History & Lore

People

Places

– by Carol Shomette – 6/29/17

The Poop on Biosolids

Composting and PFRP make them safe for your garden

Dr. Francis Gouin

Readers continue to write with concerns about composted biosolids and Bloom. To calm your concerns, I’ll lead you through the processes that make fully treated biosolids safe to use in your food garden.

article – The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin

Gardening

– by Dr. Francis Gouin – 6/29/17

Feed Shade Trees for Long Life

Vertical mulch with Bloom

Dr. Francis Gouin

A mature tree not only increases the value of your home but also offers shade during these hot days of summer, thus reducing the cost of air-conditioning. Trees also provide branches for hanging swings and places for birds to nest and perch. However, your surrounding lawn does not provide the best conditions for keeping mature shade trees healthy. Soil compaction is often a problem, as foot traffic, riding mowers and often other vehicles compact the soil surrounding the roots.

article – The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin

Gardening

– by Dr. Francis Gouin – 6/22/17

Easy Does It

Don’t over-handle your onions

Dr. Francis Gouin

Onions are bulbing. Disturbing the plants now will reduce the storage life of the bulbs. Keeping your onion patch free of weeds is important, but from now until harvest you’ll want to weed by hand. An onion hoe may damage bulbs.

article – The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin

Gardening

– by Dr. Francis Gouin – 6/15/17

Too Much of a Good Thing

Even with compost you can overdo it

Dr. Francis Gouin

Recently a Bay Weekly reader complained she could not grow cauliflower or broccoli. The plants grew big and lush but never produced edible heads — all this despite the large amount of compost she added to her garden soil each year.

article – The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin

Gardening

Green Living

– by Dr. Francis Gouin – 6/8/17

Making Your Garden ‘Bloom’

Biosolids are safe for food production; here’s why

Dr. Francis Gouin

Since I became involved in composting biosolids in the early 1970s, technology for processing wastewater has undergone major changes. Back then, most wastewater treatment facilities had only primary or secondary treatment technology. At the same time, industries were dumping all kinds of waste into sewer systems.

article – The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin

Gardening

Green Living

– by Dr. Francis Gouin – 6/1/17

Meandering through the Secret Gardens of Annapolis

Once a year, Hammond Harwood House opens the gates to the capital city’s private gardens — and invites you to look inside

Jackie Graves

They are there, hiding behind impossibly small doors tucked into the crowded summer streets of Annapolis. Or perhaps they appear as unexpected splashes of color coyly winking at strollers past a secluded courtyard.

article – Gardening

Good Living

History & Lore

Places

– by Jackie Graves – 5/25/17

The Right and the Wrong of It

Break the rules and root vegetables won’t grow

Dr. Francis Gouin

A Bay Weekly reader complained that most of the carrots, radishes, turnips and salsify he harvested from last year’s garden had branched roots. My immediate diagnosis was that he must have added a lot of compost to the soil before planting. When root crops are planted in soil rich in freshly applied compost, they tend to produce branched and fibrous roots.

article – The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin

Gardening

– by Dr. Francis Gouin – 5/25/17

Spring’s New Golden Fields Spring

Death by herbicide is the first step toward no-till farming

Dr. Francis Gouin

This spring, Chesapeake Country meadows turned from green to the color of straw. It’s been a strange sight and one you’ll see more of in coming years. No, it’s not a symptom of climate change. It’s a step in no-till farming. No-till farming offers many advantages over conventional farming.

article – The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin

Gardening

Green Living

– by Dr. Francis Gouin – 5/18/17

Cool Soil Makes for Hungry Plants

Feed new plants or warm the soil

Dr. Francis Gouin

Like air, soil is slowly warming. When soil temperatures are below 60 degrees, soil microorganisms are rather inactive and plants have fewer nutrients to absorb. As the soils warm, the microorganisms become active and more nutrients become available.

article – The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin

Gardening

– by Dr. Francis Gouin – 5/11/17

The Kitchen Gardens of the Mistress of Riversdale

The Poop on Biosolids

Feed Shade Trees for Long Life

Easy Does It

Too Much of a Good Thing

Making Your Garden ‘Bloom’

Meandering through the Secret Gardens of Annapolis

The Right and the Wrong of It

Spring’s New Golden Fields Spring

Cool Soil Makes for Hungry Plants

Bay Weekly Classifieds

Calendar of Events