margaret renkl's 'the weedy garden,' + the march chores
Hello Adrienne
MARGARET RENKL’S newest book, “The Weedy Garden: A Happy Habitat for Wild Friends,” is aimed at children, but it’s really for everyone, she says. And indeed, we grownups, too, often need a reminder that our gardens are not just “our” gardens, but critical habitats for our wild neighbors.
How we manage these spaces determines whether bees and butterflies and frogs and fireflies and turtles and birds and everybody else out there thrives or not.
Margaret, the popular "New York Times" Opinion columnist and author of hit books including "Late Migrations" and "The Comfort of Crows," visited the podcast to talk about the new book and the message for humans of all ages that guides her approach to gardening. She lives and gardens with an ecological focus in Nashville.
Plus: Enter to win a copy of "The Weedy Garden."
the march chores: 'are we there yet?'
I'M LIKE THE KID in the backseat on the way to the amusement park, with my one incessant question: “Are we there yet?”
Intensifying light and the sounds of early March—yes, those are the first serious bird sounds of the new season—will do that to a person. Already male woodpeckers have started drumming emphatically, and more songbirds clearing their throats each week forecast that it is nearly spring again. There is much to do in the garden in the month of March, but not so fast:
Except in frost-free zones, there are really two March chores lists: one labeled, “If frozen…” and the other, “If thawed…” Many tasks are only to be started if and when any snow melts, the ground defrosts, and mud starts to drain off and dry. If and when. Don’t walk or work in soggy soil, or even tread on sodden or frozen lawns unnecessarily. Love your soil, and protect it.
Plus: lots of unseen beneficial insects and spiders are still overwintering in leaf litter and other remains of last year’s garden.
march 19 webinar: the science behind leaving your leaves (+ more garden-care insights)
Wonder when in spring will be the "right time" to move the leaves you left in place in fall? If only there were one perfect moment!
The third class in my Garden 2.0 winter webinar series is March 19 at 1 PM Eastern, featuring the Maryland state entomologist, Max Ferlauto.
Max co-authored two years of research published in March 2025 about the impacts of fall leaf removal—right through spring and beyond. His study offered hard numbers to back up the recent call to “leave the leaves," and also lots of insights about best yard-care practices to achieve biodiversity and soil health, including alternative planting and management strategies beyond fall-cleanup tactics.
He'll share them with us, with the data to back up why he recommends each one. (That's Max above with some of the fine mesh traps from his research study, used to count emerging insects and other arthropods.)
recap: choosing the best seed-starting mix, with joe lamp'l
WHEN GROWING from seed, the list of decisions starts with what turns out to be the simplest question of all: which variety of bean or tomato or zinnia to order. But then things get more complicated, questions like figuring out when to start what, and whether any of your choices need any special pre-treatment or particular conditions to germinate—including what germinating medium to use.
We’ve all heard the recommendation to use less peat, the standard for seed starting until relatively recently, when this non-renewable resource has been under scrutiny. But what peat substitutes work and don’t? That’s just one of the many questions Joe Lamp'l answers on social media and in the “Master Seed Starting” online course he offers about his favorite topic, growing from seed, and it’s one we explored together.
Joe is host of the popular "Joe Gardener" podcast, and creator of a suite of online gardening courses. He gardens in the Atlanta area, and I don’t know any other home gardener who starts more seeds each season. He’s also the author of "The Vegetable Gardening Book." And he had helpful answers to my germinating-medium questions based on trials he's done, and on the science.
Plus: Enter to win a copy of his book ... and get the details on registering for his seed course at a discount.
in 'the new york times': welcoming woodpeckers, ecosystem engineers
THE MOST RECENT in my "New York Times" series that began in April 2020: Woodpeckers are carpenter birds, ecosystem engineers—keystone animals who support so much other life. Welcome some to your garden; author and wildlife photographer Paul Bannick tells us how.
Before that: In "Tree," a first-year seminar at Harvard, the trees do a lot of the teaching, about empathy, love, and more.
One column earlier: The fast-changing climate has made my old friend the garden feel like a stranger sometimes lately, and I'm sorting out how to cope and get my groove back....learning to expect the unexpected.
Before that: I shopped the seed catalogs with Kevin West, author of the new book "The Cook's Garden," with a focus on flavor...not just any tomato (or bean, or squash) but just the right one to match the recipe you have in mind.
One column earlier: How about a houseplant that's not just leafy but sculptural, a living artwork that might even stick around as a lifetime companion? Rob Moffitt of The Haus Plant in Los Angeles pairs unusual plants with not-your-average flower pots to brilliant effect.
Another column prior: For some 50 years, Eliot Coleman has been teaching farmers and gardeners the principles of organic growing, emphasizing "processes, not products."
I'm starting my seventh consecutive season of interviewing gardening experts for my In the Garden column in The Times, and they interviewed me, too, in a Q&A on page A2 of the paper. The link is here, with links to all my past columns as well.
Happy gardening meantime,
Margaret Roach
PO Box 211, Copake Falls, NY 12517
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