I love the science behind gardening, the stories that reveal what makes things tick in the natural world. A new book by Lee Reich called, “The Ever Curious Gardener: Using a Little Natural Science for a Much Better Garden,” is loaded with such stories. Lee Reich, or should I say Dr. Lee Reich, has degrees in chemistry, soil science and horticulture, and is author of many previous books including, “Landscaping With Fruit,” “The Pruning Book,” and “Weedless Gardening.”
The topic of our recent conversation was more about wondering and explaining not just the how-to, but the why and how things happen in those subjects and more: ways to know your soil better, to propagate bulbs by understanding their physiology, or nudge fruit trees not to skip a year of bearing fruit and more.
I put out my first bird feeder of the season around Thanksgiving or so each year and get the party started. But there’s more...
If you’ve ever posted a photo on the massive community science project called iNaturalist and wondered how such contributions get used in research …....
Have you done your bulb shopping yet? It’s ordering time—both for fall-blooming treats like Colchicum, which you can only buy now if you hurry,...