David Speer

pick of the crop: spanning the globe

Written on March 22, 2010 at 2:48 pm , by David Speer

Sometimes I forget what a narrow view most of us have of gardening. Gardeners are for the most part focused on our own little patch of ground, and we sometimes lose sight of the fact that the gardening world is as big as the globe itself. So here’s today’s roundup from England to Canada, the Pacific Northwest to Florida and Louisiana.

Take a stroll through the garden of the founder of the English Gardening School.

Dieticians north of the border are encouraging Canadians to celebrate food from field to table.

Bad economic times spur many people to grow their own fruits and veggies.

It’s time to start weeding and planting in the UK, or so says the Guardian. Maybe I’m glad we’ve headed off weeding for a while with a late blast of winter.

Houma Today reminds gardeners down South to take proper steps to protect citrus trees after recent freezing cold.

The Spokesman-Review reminds us that the gardener needs TLC to get in shape for spring just as much as the garden.

The Rutland Herald asks: Gardens sprout bouquets and salads, but can they also seed inner peace?

And finally, for all of you who think that we never give Florida gardening a second thought, the Miami Herald tells Zone 10 gardeners “things are different here.”

the pick of the crop: non-traditional media sweep

Written on March 18, 2010 at 2:56 pm , by David Speer

Spring: the season when non-traditional gardening media discover our favorite pastime. Some examples.

The CBC in Canada says anyone who has a balcony can create a space to grow tasty vegetables.

MSN Money caught my eye with this headline: Windowsill veggies worth $200?

Powells.com (the website of a fabulous, quirky bookstore in Portland, Ore.) reviews Geoff Hamilton’s book on organic gardening.

OK, so the Christian Science Monitor does a fine job of covering gardening almost year-round. Here’s an example. A story on a blizzard of snowdrops.

The News Tribune in Tacoma, Wash., checks in with a story on how to use newspaper to create a garden spot.

The ABC News site’s entertainment page carries a story from The Associated Press about leeks.

The Epoch Times carries a top ten gardening trends story from Canadian garden writer Mark Cullen. The short version: chemicals are out and creative small space gardening is in.

And finally, the Hamptons.com urges everyone to celebrate Earth Day this year by planting a veggie garden.

Pick of the Crop – apps, veggies, and city stuff

Written on March 16, 2010 at 10:38 am , by David Speer

Gardening? There’s an app for that.

Chefs in Melbourne, Australia, have created a city-center (or would that be centre?) edible garden to inspire office workers to eat healthy.

The Baltimore Sun offers 10 easy steps to creating your first vegetable garden.

HealthNewsDigest.com advises parents to plant a garden to encourage kids to eat more fruits and veggies.

Baltimore is planning to plant its second vegetable garden at city hall.

It is an exciting time in gardening, with programs like this one bringing gardening knowledge and passion to bigger cities.

Chicago Now picks the top ten from the recent Chicago Flower and Garden Show.

Pick of the Crop: The Beet Goes On

Written on March 11, 2010 at 10:47 am , by David Speer

The Times-Standard in California has come out squarely in favor of beets. Another sign of how popular veggie gardening is going to be this spring.

AFP grabbed my attention with this lede: It is perhaps the only solution in the search for a better future for Afghanistan that world leaders have not yet considered: gardening.

When it comes to saving seed, “Fridge good, shed bad,” or so the Washington Post says.

Tim Wood at The Plant Hunter blog writes a cool article on that plain dirt gardener Felder Rushing.

This extension office article doesn’t mince words when it comes to gardening on the cheap.

I wonder if the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show has the same feel now that it’s settled in to its new home. I probably would miss the ambiance of the old show at the Cow Palace, but that’s just me.

How-to for a DIY A-frame vegetable garden trellis can be found here.

Pick of the Crop: Flower and Garden Show Time

Written on March 8, 2010 at 1:58 pm , by David Speer

Flower and garden shows are in full swing around the country and elsewhere in the world. Take a look at what’s going on.

Cincinnati

Chicago

Baltimore

Pittsburgh

Marshalltown

Starkville

More on Philly

Charlotte

Muncie

Wichita

Chicago (again)

And here’s a link to find more shows and other garden events. To post a garden event of your own, go here, click on your state’s name, and follow the instructions.

Pick of the Crop: What’s Coming Up

Written on March 4, 2010 at 10:13 am , by David Speer

Our own Country Gardens tops this list of the top garden magazines.

How to be a Retronaut is an incredible site that I can legitimately tout here now because of a great set of flower photos from Belgium. All of them were taken between 1910 and 1920, when color photography was still in its infancy.

The Washington Post’s garden tip of the week advises to hold off on pruning hydrangeas.

We often recommend container gardening for those short of space, but this blog article proposes it as a way to fight hunger and desertification in Malawi.

Ginny Smith at the Kiss the Earth blog on philly.com is keeping the world up to date on the Philadelphia Flower Show.