a close look at bird nests; top crabapples; veggie-garden tips; open day/plant sale (rain or shine)

purple martins in birdhouse

Greetings!

Bluebirds are slugging it out with tree swallows over the season's lease on a particular nestbox, and robins are flying by with beak-fuls of grass, back and forth and back again to the same spot. Everybody's nesting -- but what's the best building material, and to a bird, what's the definition of prime real estate? Ellen Blackstone of BirdNote teaches us about the diversity of nests -- including crazy, fascinating adaptations like birds who dig burrows in the earth, or dare to lay eggs right on the ground!

 

'candy mint' crabapple 

best crabapples: your questions answered

It's crabapple time in my garden, and I'd love to add even more of these multi-season stars. But which crabapple among the many hundreds is "the one"? Lately you've asked me a whole range of such questions: What's the best variety for jelly, the one with longest-lasting fruit, and more. In this new story and podcast, I answered (along with your other questions, such as how deep to build a raised bed).

 

the vegetable garden top 8

There's a lot going on in the vegetable garden right now, so I wanted to be sure to put helpful stories from the archives right at your fingertips:



Margaret Roach

A Way to Garden

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rain or shine: garden open, plant sale, talks saturday

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We gardeners are like the Post Office -- rain or shine or whatever the sky deals, we'll take it, and trudge onward. I have a full day planned for visitors Saturday. Come learn, shop, and have a little walkabout:

 

Garden open, 10-4

All-day Broken Arrow Nursery plant sale at my garden, 10-4

Lee Reich 11 AM lecture on organic fruit growing

Lee Reich 2 PM grafting workshop

 

Directions (and ticket info for Lee's events), all right here.

 

The garden in May
 

 

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