Sky-High Garden

The High Line garden on Manhattan's West Side is an amazing example of the transformative power of gardening. An abandoned railway track, suspending above gritty city streets, was planned and planted to become a heavenly haven for flowers, grasses, birds, butterflies, and wandering admirers. I wrote an article about this sky-high garden in the September 2012 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, called "Garden in the Sky." Check it out on page 92!

Fresh Snips of Flavor

A quick-snip of lemon thyme

Sizzling summer heat poses no problem for my herbs. They love it. I have a bevy of tangled containers on my back patio filled with my favorites. I mad-dash from the back door, snip up a fistful of flavor, then whisk back into the cool kitchen to make dinner. What's my hasty harvest? Lemon thyme (lemony and thyme-y). Basil (of course!). And flat-leafed parsley. I learned about this underused herb from my friend Renee Shepherd (owner of Renee's Garden) when I interviewed her for a story for Better Homes and Gardens magazine. She uses the flavor-filled 'Gigante' Italian parsley leaves in salads. Just snips them in. I've been trying this too--just adding fresh herb leaves mixed up with my spinach and arugula. Just do a quick toss of olive oil, sweet balsamic vinegar, and grated fresh garlic to whip up an herby summer salad. Renee has been in the gardening biz for a long time (selling heirloom and gourmet seed varieties). And she's on top of all the cool new cooking trends. Check out the article in Better Homes and Gardens, the August 2011 issue, page 90. You'll find tips for freezing your herb harvest. Do it now. You'll thank yourself for your brilliant insight in January. 

So Much Sky: In the News!

Check out the June 2012 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine which features a little news nugget about So Much Sky. 

You can also WIN A FREE copy of the book at the blog Rural Living Today. Leave a post at the end of the blog by June 14th to enter the giveway.

It's Apple Time

In the September issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, I did an interview with a Seattle family who created a gorgeous (and fruitful) garden fence using espalier apple trees. Espalier is a way of pruning and training a tree to grow sideways and in this garden the trees are planted like they are holding hands around the yard. This pruning method is often used in formal gardens as a decorative way to grow fruit. (In fact, espaliered apples are used in Monet’s garden in Giverny as a low-growing fence.) But it’s also an efficient way to raise apples and pears because of the small amount of space the trees take.