Field notes, weekly

The Journal

A cluster of pale green hellebores blooming along a garden border
From a member's garden — Hellebores in early spring
  • Week of May 18

    The arrival of the Hellebores

    An observation on how this year's mild February shifted the dormancy cycles in the Nash County corridor — and what it means for our spring transplants.

    — Margaret L.

  • Week of May 11

    On staking tomatoes before you think you need to

    A short polemic on the costs of waiting. The cane should be in the ground the same week the plant goes in, not the week the first cluster sets.

    — Robert H.

  • Week of May 04

    What the dogwood told us this year

    Bloom date arrived four days earlier than the ten-year average. We chart the implications for our successional sowing schedule.

    — Eleanor R.

  • Week of Apr 27

    A defense of clay soil

    It is fashionable to complain about Piedmont clay. The truth is more generous — given compost and patience, clay is the great preserver of moisture through August.

  • Week of Apr 20

    Seed exchange notes & varieties to watch

    A roundup from last week's swap: Cherokee Purple held strong, the Tennessee Britches were back, and three members brought a butterbean we cannot identify.