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From the Garden

Practical guidance, garden lessons, and real-world decisions from an evolving garden.

Parsley & Petal

A close call with Minnie led to a list worth keeping: trusted pet emergency contacts, evacuation resources, what to have ready, and a printable P&P Pet Emergency Contact Card.

FEATURED STORY

What You’ll Find Here:

What Worked
Successes, failures, and lessons learned along the way.

Plants & Places
The plants, combinations, and garden spaces that have earned their place.

Challenges & Solutions
Real-world answers to the problems gardeners face every season.

Experiments & Discoveries
New ideas, test garden projects, and observations from a garden that's always evolving.

New to Parsley & Petal?

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Parsley & Petal

Green Crumbs: A Pet Emergency

A close call with Minnie led to a list worth keeping: trusted pet emergency contacts, evacuation resources, what to have ready, and a printable P&P Pet Emergency Contact Card.

Wall of Shame, No. 1: Pickle or Pear?

It started with a packet of Dill Pickler cucumber seeds and ended with Abbott and Costello on a piece of white linen. Welcome to the Wall of Shame.

Ask Minnie Paeonia Lou

No buds on the morning glory? A mophead hydrangea that barely bloomed? Minnie Paeonia Lou takes on two late-summer garden mysteries and what you can do about them.

What the August Garden Needs Now

By August, the garden shows the effects of a long, hot summer and offers some useful information in return. What to water, deadhead, divide, move, and simply observe now, plus a look at what worked, what didn’t, and what can wait for cooler weather.

From the Test Garden: July Propagation Experiments

Every July, I stop looking at garden centers and start looking at my own garden differently. This year, I'm testing six summer perennials to see which are easiest to propagate and documenting what happens along the way.

Test Garden — June Update: The Garden Has Opinions

The first Test Garden harvests are in, but not everything followed the plan. From peas and broccoli raab to mystery pests, patient flowers, and lessons learned along the way, here's what this season has been teaching me.

The Test Garden: The Great Untangling

Every gardener eventually runs out of room. Then comes the harder task: deciding what stays, what goes, and who gets the extras.

The Test Garden — One Month In: What Grew (and What Didn’t)

The trays have finally stopped looking like scattered seedlings and started revealing their personalities.

What Rabbits Eat First in Spring (and Why)

Early spring is when you learn that “rabbit-resistant” does not mean immune.

Test Garden — Week 2: What’s Coming Up (and What Isn’t Yet)

There’s a point, about a week in, when the trays stop making sense. Some seedlings are already reaching for the light. Others look the same as the day you planted them.

Test Garden — Week 1: Starting from Seed (Late March Notes)

A first look at the Test Garden — what I’m growing from seed, the setup, and what’s starting to take shape.

Do Deer Eat Hydrangeas? What to Expect (and What I’ve Learned)

Yes, deer will eat hydrangeas, especially certain types, but the damage isn’t always obvious at first glance.

The Test Garden: A Season of Growing from Seed

Every packet promises possibility. Not every seed delivers.

When to Apply Pre-Emergent in Northeast Lawns (Timing Guide)

Pre-emergent works by preventing weed seeds, like crabgrass, from germinating. Timing is what matters.

How I Prune Hydrangeas in My Rhode Island Garden (Mophead & Panicle Guide)

Most hydrangea pruning mistakes start with one simple question: Which hydrangea do you have?

What Deer and Rabbits Eat First (and What They Leave Alone)

These are the plants that have actually survived deer and rabbits, and how I manage stubborn wildlife in my garden.

My Essential Garden Tool Kit: The Tools I Actually Use

A good garden, like a good wardrobe, is built around a few pieces that do their job beautifully.

From the Garden

What You’ll Find Here:

What WorkedSuccesses, failures, and lessons learned along the way.

Plants & PlacesThe plants, combinations, and garden spaces that have earned their place.

Challenges & SolutionsReal-world answers to the problems gardeners face every season.

Experiments & DiscoveriesNew ideas, test garden projects, and observations from a garden that's always evolving.

New to Parsley & Petal?

What Worked
Successes, failures, and lessons learned along the way.

Plants & Places
The plants, combinations, and garden spaces that have earned their place.

Challenges & Solutions
Real-world answers to the problems gardeners face every season.

Experiments & Discoveries
New ideas, test garden projects, and observations from a garden that's always evolving.