Independent field notes
Much Ado About Mulch is a practical and lighthearted guide to everyday gardening. It covers garden tools, planters, soil products, irrigation, plant care, seasonal maintenance, and the lessons that help gardens grow with fewer weeds, fewer surprises, and considerably less drama.
Marianne FinchMarianne Finch is an experienced home gardener who believes patience, good soil, and the right tool can solve most garden problems. She writes practical, approachable guides about tools, planters, irrigation, soil care, seasonal maintenance, and the lessons learned from years of nurturing plants—and negotiating with weeds.
Deer often return to the same plants because those plants are easy to reach, nutritious, or conveniently placed. I’ll explain how to combine safer barriers, smarter placement, selective replacement, and routine maintenance instead of relying on a single “deer-proof” fix.
Read articleI’ll help you distinguish bird pecking from insect or disease damage, then choose sensible protection through timing, netting, harvesting, and habitat-friendly deterrents without turning your fruit garden into a fortress.
Read articleI’ll compare the sensible ways to respond when ants are protecting aphids, from conserving beneficial insects to using targeted treatments. You’ll learn how honeydew connects the pests, when ant control matters, and how to avoid broad sprays that create more garden trouble.
Read articleI’ll help you diagnose uneven green patches in new sod by checking watering, soil contact, installation depth, shade, and mowing before you reach for fertilizer.
Read articleI’ll help you work out why a new garden bed smells like ammonia, compare the safest ways to correct it, and decide when the soil is ready for planting without wasting compost, plants, or patience.
Read articleI’ll clarify why a new garden bed can sink unevenly after heavy rain and show you how to check for hidden voids, washouts, leaking edges, and poorly mixed fill before you regrade or replant.
Read articleWhen extreme heat arrives before irrigation is installed, I’ll help you connect plant priorities, temporary watering, shade, and soil protection into a focused response that saves water without creating new problems.
Read articleA wet spring changes which garden jobs deserve attention first: drainage, soil protection, slug checks, and careful planting matter more than keeping every bed busy. I’ll help you weigh quick progress against the long-term health of your soil and plants.
Read articleI’ll help you decide whether spring’s soggy winter mulch should stay, be thinned, or be moved, with practical checks for emerging shoots, pests, soil temperature, and the cheapest way to protect plants without creating new problems.
Read articleWhen late-winter beds are muddy, tools are neglected, and planting plans feel premature, I’ll help you sort useful preparation from work that can wait until soil, weather, and wildlife are ready.
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