PDF 
For many years, I wrote gardening and cooking columns for Seattle newspapers and national magazines, many of which are sadly gone. My life has also changed and I no longer travel or lecture widely but stay close to home to care for family members with health issues. My garden has altered as well, yet it remains a comfort, inspiration and great pleasure to me. Though change is inevitable, I am delighted to be sharing my experiences, ideas, and recipes once again through the Log House Plants gardening community. As always, I welcome readers’ thoughts and questions, which may be directed to me at gardeningwithannlovejoy@gmail.com or through the Log House website.
Ann Lovejoy
Bainbridge Island, Washington
Thank you Ann for your wonderful books and advice!
I am wanting to make raised beds on an acre of land we have built on. I am dreadfully afraid to import soil/sandy loam onto our site to build beds after bringing in horsetail earlier (that has gone wild for 15 years). I have been fighting this pest that is now composted with yard waste in local suppliers and I understand (through extensive research) that it will not heat compost out. What should I bring in and where would I get it? We live in basically downtown Auburn. Most large suppliers use Cedar Grove compost in their mixes (this is where I got the infestation from to begin with). What do I do for established horsetail in my lawn and previous 70 foot berm? Please help!
Hi Irene,
Horsetail is ancient and not easy to get rid of, but it can be done, especially if it was imported and not already in place. However, fifteen years is a long time and I am afraid it has probably made itself quiet at home. The key things to remember with horsetail are that it thrives in anaerobic soil, that it prefers low humus situations, and that growth is stimulated when it is pulled up (the scarring triggers new shoots from the root). Thus, the way to get rid of horsetail is fourfold. First, always cut, never pull, the tops. Second, improve soil oxygen levels by creating a positive soil profile in all beds; in other words, mound up all beds so they are higher than surrounding pathways/lawns etc. A few inches is enough to get more oxygen into the soil. Third, carpet all beds generously with compost each season, increasing the humus content of the soil, bringing in more air, and neutralizing acidic, anaerobic soils (which horsetail prefers). Finally, trench out pathways to a depth of 12-18 inches and refill with crushed gravel to pull away excess moisture and again allow in more oxygen. Actually, there is a fifth step, which is to learn to appreciate the amazing beauty of horsetail, which is wondrously made and intricately detailed. If there are places where it persists, toss in seed of forget-me-nots and Verbena bonariensis and enjoy seeing the webby, delicate (looking) lace embroidered with blossom. Good luck!
Ann
I once lived in Seattle, where I worked at the Weekly, beginning my publishing career which now continues here in Boston. The first book I had a hand in creating was “The Year in Bloom” (for Sasquatch, back in 198o-something), which I still refer to. As a matter of fact, I was digging through this lovely book again last night hoping to find some information about how to prune a lilac. I planted mine about 17 years ago, and have let it be who it wants to be all this time. It is very tall (reaching to the second story), and bows down into the yard. I’m wondering if I can prune it this weekend without destroying it?
Hi Sarah,
Wow, that was my first book, what fun to know you still use it! Yes, even in Boston, early winter is a fine time to prune lilac, which you can cut to the ground if need be. To keep lilac under control, the rule of thumb is to remove 3-5 of the oldest, most gnarly trunks to the ground every 3-5 years. A lot of older lilac varieties are really small trees, naturally reaching 15-20 feet, which puts the bloom out of sight/reach in small yards. Korean lilacs like Miss Kim remain small and are usually disease-free as well. Good luck, and thanks for the flash back!
Ann
Hi Ms. Lovejoy!
Thanks so much for the information! I never did prune my lilac, but now I’m feeling empowered to get going on this project. I’m spending time in my garden this afternoon, hoping to tuck everything in safely prior to tomorrow’s major meteorological event (nor’easter/blizzard/hurricane). I think I’ll tackle the larger trunks after we all make it through the storm.
Regards!
Hi Sara,
Hope all goes well in terms of weather, and know that it’s pretty hard to kill off an established lilac. It will undoubtedly come back from pruning just fine. Just remember not to take too much in a given year and the root system will generate new growth come spring.
Ann
I have enjoyed your books through the years, though with the proverbial grain of salt necessary to translate to my own high desert climate. I have just found your blog and am enjoying reading through older posts — beguiling me at the computer, instead of where I should be: out in the garden getting it ready for my imminent 2 week absence to Scotland (where I will see more Pacific Northwest-like weather and landscapes). I just have to say, as both a gardener and pianist, that I am slightly taken aback by the photo at the top of your blog. I hope you got it right back inside after the photo shoot!?
Kathy in Bend
Hi Kathy,
Ah, yes, that is the Log House Plants floral piano, bedecked with summery abundance. Don’t worry, no harm was done; it was an old piano, salvaged from a daycare, that was on its way to oblivion. Alice bought it, gutted it and it spent a couple of proud final years as a planter in the Log House Nursery gardens. When it finally fell apart, it became part of the woodpile, endlessly recycled. I do think a garden piano would be delightful, however; as a singer, I think making music out of doors ranks among the most pleasurable of summer activities as well (my group, Time & Tide, plays lots of farmers’ markets, boat festivals, and so forth). I hope you enjoy good weather during your trip to Scotland, which really does have a similar climate to mine (which as you may know is quite changeable and often less than delightful). Bon voyage!
Ann
Hi, I believe I remember you from my dad Nelson’s poetry workshop at the UW back in the early ’70s. You may remember me as Mr. Beast … or not! Anyway, just thought I’d say howdy.
– Sean Bentley
Pingback: prequel: our Spring Street garden, ’99-’00 | Tangly Cottage Journal