Margaret Roach

Sharon

Publisher and Blogger at A Way To Garden

Host at MARGARET ROACH A WAY TO GARDEN

Ex-Martha exec, now just mad gardener, rural nature addict, award-winning writer & podcaster, creator of https://t.co/kURkvx2VbL and matching book & podcast

Articles

The abundance in ecological landscaping — PHOTOS

1 week ago | seattletimes.com | Margaret Roach

As we evolve our gardens to be more ecologically focused, let’s set an intention of abundance — as in brimming with color and texture, yes, but also brimming with life. Compared to more traditional, formal landscapes, such native-plant-forward designs are often labeled looser, naturalistic or wildish, all perfectly accurate descriptors.
How to Avoid Even the Unintended Results of Your Ecological Mistakes

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Margaret Roach

Like many other gardeners, Sarah F. Jayne felt inspired by the writings of the entomologist and wildlife ecologist Douglas W. Tallamy to create a more biodiverse, habitat-style landscape — to garden with the intention of sharing her property with nature. But as she worked to increase the native-plant quotient in her garden in Oxford, Pa., by removing invasives, and taking other key steps, she realized that despite decades of gardening experience, she kept coming up short.
The Next 'Big Idea' in Ecological Landscapes: Abundance

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Margaret Roach

Learn to embrace both the visual and functional aspects of your garden to support diversity in your plantings. Rudbeckia hirta is a seasonal headliner in a dry meadow designed by Kelly D. Norris, supported by big bluestem grass (Andropogon gerardii Holy Smoke) and blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis Honeycomb). Credit... Kelly D.
The Care and Pruning of the Extravagant Lilac

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Margaret Roach |Clark Hodgin

What you need to do when the blooming season ends to make sure next year's crop thrives. In season, lilacs are an extravagance of color and fragrance - especially when you have something like 437 plants, representing 138 different species and varieties, as the New York Botanical Garden does in its Burn Family Lilac Collection. After they finish blooming, though, lilacs can present an extravagantly messy aftermath, nudging the gardener to intervene in the name of tidiness.
The Four Ecologically Crucial Things You Should Do in Your Garden

2 months ago | nytimes.com | Margaret Roach

The ecologist Douglas Tallamy says your landscape can help manage the watershed, support pollinators, bolster a viable food web, and sequester carbon. Each time I'm asked a question about some aspect of ecological horticulture, I hear another question triggered in my head:What would Doug do? My answer-formulating thought process starts by pondering that. "Doug" is Douglas W.
¿Ya es primavera?

Mar 26, 2025 | infobae.com | Margaret Roach

Flowers and PlantsSeasons and MonthsSpring (Season)Gardens and GardeningNational Phenology NetworkUnited StatesMe estoy tomando en microdosis este momento invernal de la historia de Estados Unidos, y mi droga elegida es el simple acto de buscar atentamente cada pequeño indicio de la inminente primavera. El nuevo libro Phenology de Theresa Crimmins, un manual sobre por qué y cómo fijarse más en qué es lo que ocurre y cuándo, me ha preparado una receta infusionada con naturaleza.
Is It Spring Yet?

Mar 20, 2025 | myheraldreview.com | Margaret Roach

I’m micro-dosing my way through this wintry moment in American history, with the simple act of looking closely for each tiny hint of spring-to-be as my drug of choice. The nature-infused prescription was laid out for me in the new book “Phenology” by Theresa Crimmins, a primer on the why and how of taking sharper notice of what happens when.
The return of these flowers signals the beginning of spring

Mar 19, 2025 | seattletimes.com | Margaret Roach

I’m micro-dosing my way through this wintry moment in American history, with the simple act of looking closely for each tiny hint of spring-to-be as my drug of choice. The nature-infused prescription was laid out for me in the new book “Phenology” by Theresa Crimmins, a primer on the why and how of taking sharper notice of what happens when.
The benefits of soil blocking on your plants, the environment - PHOTOS

Mar 5, 2025 | seattletimes.com | Margaret Roach

Have you ever unearthed the congested tangle confined within each cell of a seedling tray at transplant time, when tiny roots had already hit their compartment’s wall and started circling because there was nowhere else to grow? We’ve all certainly confronted another unwanted result of conventional seed-sowing methods: the pileup of leftover plastic cell packs better skipped in the name of the environment.
Good for Your Plants and the Environment

Feb 26, 2025 | nytimes.com | Margaret Roach

Have you ever unearthed the congested tangle confined within each cell of a seedling tray at transplant time, when tiny roots had already hit their compartment's wall and started circling because there was nowhere else to grow? We've all certainly confronted another unwanted result of conventional seed-sowing methods: the pileup of leftover plastic cell packs better skipped in the name of the environment.