Soil & Compost
Composting in Small Yards Without the Smell
Iris Bramble9 min read
A compost pile in a small yard gets a bad reputation for good reason. Here is the setup that kept mine sweet-smelling through a Portland summer.
Volume I · Issue 01 · Portland, Oregon
Practical notes from the garden.
I am Iris Bramble. Twenty years of gardening, two coasts, four zones, and one very patient notebook. Vegetables, perennials, soil, pests, and the weird stuff that actually happens in real gardens.
Latest from the Journal
Vegetables
Ten Tomato Growing Mistakes I've Already Made for You
I have killed more tomato plants than I care to admit. Here are the ten specific mistakes that cost me real fruit, and what I do differently now.
Iris Bramble10 min read
Newer entries
All entries →
Perennials
Drought-Resistant Perennials That Actually Thrive
Iris Bramble10 min read
Every list of drought-tolerant plants I read my first few years overpromised. These are the ones that held up through the real thing in my zone 8b garden.
Soil & Compost
The Raised Bed Soil Mix That Kept Working for Us
Iris Bramble9 min read
I have refilled these beds four spring seasons in a row. The mix I settled on is not fancy, but it produces, and I can explain why every ingredient earns its place.
From the back of the notebook
Pests & Problems
Dealing With Aphids Without Losing Your Mind
Iris Bramble8 min read
Aphids are not the emergency most gardening forums make them out to be. Here is what I reach for first, second, and last, in that order.
Small Spaces
The Patio Vegetable Garden: A Realistic 20-Square-Foot Plan
Iris Bramble10 min read
Twenty square feet of container space can feed a small household most of the summer if you pick the right crops. Here is the layout that worked on our second-floor balcony.
Vegetables
Seed Starting Indoors: What I've Learned
Iris Bramble9 min read
Most seed-starting advice leaves out the part where you explain why your seedlings went leggy in week two. I will tell you. It was the light, and also the heat, and also me.
Perennials
When to Prune Everything: A Simple Month-by-Month Guide
Iris Bramble10 min read
Pruning timing feels mysterious until you write it down month by month. Here is the calendar I keep taped inside the potting shed, and why each plant lands where it does.
Perennials
Building a Pollinator Garden on a Budget
Iris Bramble9 min read
A pollinator garden can be expensive if you buy every plant in a 1-gallon pot at the nursery. It does not have to be. Here is how I built ours for under $120.
Vegetables
Winter Garden Maintenance: The Ten Things That Actually Matter
Iris Bramble8 min read
Most of what you read about winter gardening is aspirational. Here is the short list of chores I actually do between November and February, and what happens if you skip them.