Page 8 - Michael Dirr News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Van Wert, Ohio breaking news and local information from the Van Wert Independent.

Van Wert, Ohio breaking news and local information from the Van Wert Independent.

Henry Homeyer: The basics of a garden library Two of my favorite books by Sydney Eddison. On left, “The Gardeners Palette” and on the right, “Self-Taught Gardener.” Two fine books on perennial flowers. On the left, “The Well-Tended Perennial Garden (Planting & Pruning Techniques)” by Tracy DiSabato-Aust; on the right, “Herbaceous Perennial Plants, Fourth Edition) by Allan M. Armitage. I will never have too many gardening books. HENRY HOMEYER photos / For the Monitor Michael Dirr is the author of several fine books on trees and shrubs Ed Smith's book on vegetables should be in...

Mophead hydrangeas. Three days after the 2020 tornado ripped through Nashville, I followed its path along I-40 East toward Cookeville, Tennessee, to interview master gardener Leo McGee about the hydrangea garden he and his wife, Gloria, have spent the last thirty-six years tending. (You can read the original story here.) When presented with the stunning results of years of hard work up close, it was impossible not to be in awe of his immense knowledge and skill, especially knowing just how tricky it is to make hydrangeas thrive.  photo: ABIGAIL BOBO Gloria and Leo McGee. At the time, neither...

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.   I know that many people, especially gardeners under the age of 40, use the internet to find the answers to their questions. That is fine, but the internet is full of “fake news” and spurious assertions. I do use the web, but if I want to learn about something in-depth, I reach for a book. People who write books generally write about things they know. Garden books are written by gardeners. Some years ago I taught a class in sustainable gardening at Granite State College, part of the University of New Hampshire system. I asked my s...