Garden Detective

Hey, it's a fantasy, but it's just as relevant now as it was in 1988. Gotta love the Talking Heads!

I've always considered myself resourceful, but this container-gardening video suggests a use for baby diapers that had eluded even me. Check it out:

I know all about houseplants. But with 2 kids, 2 jobs, a husband, a house and a dog, I don't have much time to care for them, so I keep them to a minimum and focus on the outdoor landscape during the growing season. Right now, I only have 3 houseplants: A one-year-old Miracle Berry plant, which has yet to fruit and whose leaves are getting crunchy, a Poinsettia (to honor the season), and a Cleopatra Begonia -- my favorite -- which I grew from a cutting given to me by my dentist. Dr. John Gaeta of Glen Cove has been keeping many of his patients in cuttings, as they frequently ask to take a piece of his office decor home, as I did.

For those who have a greater love of houseplants than I do, British horticulturist Matin Fish demonstrates in this video the special care they require over the winter months.

We're going to stray from the prototype this week and watch a homegrown video instead of visiting You Tube. Also, you're getting this a day early because I know I'll be too busy tomorrow.

It's getting cold and nasty outside, but with a little advance planning, as you'll see, we can enjoy our gardens all winter long.

Here's a video I shot last winter with Vincent Simeone, director of Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park in Oyster Bay. It was quite a windy day, as you'll see. Go ahead and laugh at me as I get blown around by nearly hurricane force winds. I know you will. And it's O.K.-- I'm all about a little comic relief.

I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts parsley still thriving in the backyard. Ordinarily, I would treat it the same way I do all my herbs: Snip, rinse and air dry overnight in a single layer on a paper towel, then store it in a plastic bag in the freezer.

The single-layer drying method is crucial because it allows each leaf to freeze independently so that when I need to use it, I simply pull out as many individual leaves as I need. If I were to rinse it and place it directly in the freezer, a big green ice cube would result. Trust me, I've done it. It isn't pretty.

When I was turning over my vegetable and herb border last week, I left the parsley and mint behind because they were still doing well. Now I'm thinking about drying some of them, crushing the leaves and storing them in jars for a different, stronger accent. Here are some pointers in case you want to give it a whirl as well.

I remember sitting in the back of my dad’s car, circa 1971, singing Lynn Anderson’s “I never promised you a rose garden” out the window. Good times. Press play and sing along!

To keep you entertained, amused and maybe even informed during the dark, cold, fruitless days of winter, I'm scouring the 'net for garden-related videos I think you'll enjoy. I'm not above stretching the theme a bit from time to time, as I've spotted a few contenders that use the term 'garden' loosely.

If you stumble across anything appropriate for this space, please email me about it and I'll consider including it.

And now, without further ado, here's our first You Tube Tuesday video...

We’re in the garden, baby! James, Mike and Dave spend a Sunday in the garden trying to figure out what to do when their lawn mower breaks. With accompanying lyrics like, “First we had a broken lawnmower, now we have a deranged leaf blower," it's pretty clever.