Why I Oughta...

Recently, we had a crew come in and clean up the garden, edge out the beds and lay down a layer of mulch.  Was it leaf mulch?  No.  And, I'm ok with that.  It was hardwood fines and it sure looks good.  I channeled my inner Stu Finer and made the most of the installation.  Mulch and those edges play a role in what is called 'garden legibility'.  That was #10 on my 2025 to-do-list:  work on legibility in the garden .   This mulch - with its dark brown color - sure *does* make the garden more legible.   Below are a few photos showing the mulch in the beds.  Starting with the front yard - where the recently expanded front porch bed is now showing how much space there is for annuals.   The island bed in front is now larger, connected to the driveway and has a better, more organic shape to it.  This was #3 on my 2025 to-do list  (part of it, at least).  Below are a couple of photos showing the island b...

I've posted a few times about the notion of 'repetition' in the garden and how it is a technique that helps create an eye-pleasing and easy-to-navigate visually garden.  I've taken up the idea of repetition a little bit in more recent years by focusing on a could of core, foundational plants that I can carry throughout the backyard.   I was happy with the idea of getting to know the concept of reptition in our garden.  Until....I came accross this piece on Meristem Horticulture by Jared Barnes, Ph.D where he introduced me to the idea of "Legibility in the Garden".  Here's a link to the piece and below is a screenshot of the lede. First things, first.  Dr. Barnes knows his stuff.   And, he takes pretty wonderful photos and is an engaging garden writer. He says: "I love cultivating plants and cultivating gardeners. Over the years, I’ve helped thousands of people of all ages learn to garden better. " He's been doing that with me for a while ...