E-mail This Article To A Friend:

gardeningGardeningAll things green.2NA=1154&NC=1292&DI=4098&PS=58562&PI=7315gardeningfalsefalsespacernotembeddedgardeningGilding the LilacBradford McKeeA new hybrid could kill the nostalgia for these fleeting blooms of spring.noGilding the LilacHow the Bloomerang hybrid is ruining lilac season.noPeople who love lilacs know a certain urgency, for the flowers don't last long. At the nursery where I've worked on and off for seven years, there are always customers who reliably march in during the spring on a lilac mission. When I show them to the lilac aisle—the store usually carries a few of the hundreds of known varieties—customers tend to sniff them with eyes closed, swoon, and say something like, "My mother had these." I know what they mean. My mother had them, too. When I was a kid, we had a lilac out back that was 20 feet high and probably a good deal older than my mother herself. Cutting the flowers was a certified rite of spring. So I can attest that when lilacs bloom, so do vague but welcome memories.truenotochyperlinkno200952564437AMMondayMayMay65/25/2009 10:44:37 AM633788306770000000200952564437AMMondayMayMay65/25/2009 10:44:37 AM633788306770000000gardeningPimp My YardConstance CaseyA garden coach can transform your lawn into a farmers market in a day's time.noPimp My YardA garden coach can jump-start your vegetable patch.no"There are several ways to lay out a little garden; the best way is to get a gardener."truenotochyperlinkno2008122672248AMFridayDecDecember712/26/2008 12:22:48 PM6336587296800000002008122672248AMFridayDecDecember712/26/2008 12:22:48 PM633658729680000000gardeningThe Science of GardeningConstance CaseyHow evidence-based growing beats relying on old wives' tales.noThe Science of GardeningThe benefits of evidence-based gardening.noConfronted with huge, uncontrollable forces, we tend to fall back on magical thinking. Say a goat was sacrificed on the volcano rim last year and lava did not engulf the village. It must follow that this year some poor goat is doomed.truenotochyperlinkno2008112870156AMFridayNovNovember711/28/2008 12:01:56 PM6336345251600000002008112870156AMFridayNovNovember711/28/2008 12:01:56 PM633634525160000000gardeningTalking DirtConstance CaseyHow to prepare your garden's soil now for spring planting.noTalking DirtPrepping your garden's soil for spring planting.noThe driest, dullest entry in almost any garden how-to book is the advice on soil. It's a shame: The tale of soil is full of weird characters and fascinating processes we understand barely, if at all. It's also unfortunate because soil is the single most important factor determining success in your garden. Right now, this autumn minute, is the time to improve your soil. Right now, conveniently enough, is when you have a free supply of the ideal soil conditioner—fallen leaves.truenotochyperlinkno2008102965540AMWednesdayOctOctober610/29/2008 10:55:40 AM6336086014000000002008102965540AMWednesdayOctOctober610/29/2008 10:55:40 AM633608601400000000gardening"Autumn Is a Second Spring"Constance CaseyThe advantages of planting a garden in the fall.no"Autumn Is a Second Spring"The benefits of autumn planting.noThe landscape around us is obviously winding down as the days grow colder and the nights get longer. Mid-to-late fall sees most of the plant world going from mellow to muted to moribund. But, contrary though it seems, this is the best time of the year to plant new things and to work in the garden.truenotochyperlinkno200892264511AMMondaySepSeptember69/22/2008 10:45:11 AM633576627110000000200892264511AMMondaySepSeptember69/22/2008 10:45:11 AM633576627110000000200311442711PMTuesdayJanJanuary161/14/2003 9:27:11 PM631781584310000000200311442711PMTuesdayJanJanuary161/14/2003 9:27:11 PM631781584310000000falsetruetruetruetruetruetrue20011018111443PMThursdayOctOctober2310/19/2001 3:14:43 AM631390436830000000200181561609PMWednesdayAugAugust188/15/2001 10:16:09 PM631334961690000000