At my beginner gardening class (offered free through Salem Community Gardens) I was the representative novice. Lisa, our instructor, asked me point blank, “Did you know that pickles are made from cucumbers?” Much to my embarrassment, this idjit gardener had to stop and think about it. That’s Lisa’s new litmus test for the beginner gardener.

After years of admiring the gardens of accomplished gardeners and failing to retain much of the wisdom they tried to share with me, I’m realizing anew that there’s really nothing quite like doing something, to learn about it. Bits of gardening advice I’ve heard only faintly in the past are beginning to resonant with new meaning as I plant, weed, harvest, transplant and inspect the little wonders in my two, four-foot by four-foot, raised-bed plots.

Part of the joy of it is the small scale, the limited negative consequences of the results, and the discovery of something so vast, patiently waiting for me to recognize its simple truths. The garden’s once nearly imperceptible-to-me whisper is becoming a louder and clearer call.

Here’s the latest video of my gardening experiment. Give it a look, but, more importantly, give gardening a try yourself, if you haven’t already. If you’re an old hand, keep digging, and consider sharing some tips on the Katie Hutchison Studio Facebook Page.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

The second installment of my travelogue video series about antique shops in Essex, Massachusetts features Howard’s Flying Dragon Antiques.  A family-owned business for 36 years, Howard’s is chock-full of finds, small and large.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast and North Shore Art Throb

The first in my series of travelogue videos about antique shops in Essex, Mass. features Andrew Spindler Antiques. Founded in 1998, Andrew’s shop displays an eclectic, highly edited range of objects, dating from the 17th through the 20th centuries. It’s an impressive, high-end collection recently touted on 1stdibs.com and mentioned again in The New York Times June 3rd story about Andrew’s home. 

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast and North Shore Art Throb

This week it was time to move my kitchen-window, wanna-be garden off the shelves and into raised beds at the community garden. The bean bush seedlings didn’t look like they could take another day in their undersized, peat pots, and the other seedlings seemed to be aching to get out of their confining starter tray too. 

Sadly, some hadn’t made it to transplant day; the scallions and sweet peas met an early demise. Had I read the scallions seed packet I would have learned that it is “not recommended” to start them inside. But the bean bush packet says the same thing, and they were my star performers. There was more unheeded advice to be found on the sweet pea packet; “Soak seed in water for 12-24 hours or nick with sandpaper before planting.” But who can be bothered with the fine print?

I have, only upon this writing, made the horrifying discovery that my sunflower seedlings are of the “Mammoth Russian” variety, which the packet says grow six- to ten-feet tall! I had assumed “Mammoth” referred to the size of the flower head. Score one for the idjit gardener! How ridiculous those will look in the middle of my four-foot by four-foot garden. I think I’ll transport them to my mother’s garden where they will likely be more at home growing adjacent to her sizeable hornbeams.

The lettuce leaf and baby carrot seedlings, though healthy looking, were difficult to thin and transplant.  I’m highly skeptical that any of them will survive the experience. The Italian Large Leaf basil was easier, but I may have packed too many into a square.

I have a feeling my eventual square-foot gardens will bear little resemblance to their initial appearance. O.K., I can hope. Think of the following video as the pitiful “before” shots we architects and designers are so fond of including adjacent to miraculous “after” shots. Here’s hoping for stunning “after” shots.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Did you see The New York Times article last week about the garage retreat near Seattle?  It's a fun and sophisticated 250-square-foot getaway.

A small space of one's own, beyond the hustle and bustle of everyday life, can remind us of life's simple pleasures. Such little buildings generally tread lightly on both the environment and our pocketbooks, while recharging our spirits.

The design of small retreats, backyard and beyond would be a great topic for a book, don't you think?  I thought so and was working on such a book a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, it fell victim to the publishing industry's downsizing which began in mid-2008. I still believe there's a book there, waiting to be discovered.

You can sample a Katie Hutchison Studio small retreat design by visiting the Manchester Garage/Garden Room page in the KHS architectural portfolio.

I imagine my fascination with the topic started with my childhood backyard retreat and was reinforced by my mother's current, petite summerhouse in her Connecticut village. I wrote about her garden and her little retreat in a House Garden Primer.

Get a peek at her garden summerhouse in this short Flip video.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast