Betty Mackey lives and gardens in Wayne, Pa. she is also a writer, lecturer, photographer, and small press publisher. Her work has appeared in Organic Gardening, Green Scene, and other popular garden magazines. She is a book author whose main titles are The Gardener’s Home Companion, Cutting Gardens, and Gardening Made Easy. Betty started her independent press, B.B. Mackey Books, to provide books on regional garden topics and specialized horticultural subjects and publishes the work of several well-known garden writers.
Betty Mackey's Articles
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Splendor In A Pot
Sweet potato vines
Published on 6/24/11
This spring, keep sweet potatoes in mind as you plant your container garden. Leafy and ornamental, those purple, chartreuse, or bronze colored sweet potato vines bring out the best in their flowery companions. Read More »
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A Rich and Purple Summer
A dramatic color for flowers and vegetables
Published on 7/23/10
The blizzards of early 2010 were a pain, so I think I’ll give myself a rich, warm treat this summer. A garden thrill. That would be purple plants. Read More »
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Tulip Time
Nothing says spring like this Dutch treat.
Published on 5/23/10
A silky, colorful tulip says spring in an unmistakable manner. It is a hard flower to beat, although it is a favorite one for the critters to eat. Lately I have stopped planting such expensive deer and squirrel fodder, but I love tulips in their many forms. And I still can enjoy them, thanks to abundant shopping and viewing opportunities. Read More »
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Spectacular Cyclamen
Providing holiday cheer
Published on 11/09/09
Nothing against poinsettias, but for holiday elegance, give me fragrant florists’ cyclamen. Lusciously flowering in fruity shades of pink, cherry red, purple, lavender, and white, each plant is like a potted bouquet with its flowers held above a handsome rosette of large, heart-shaped leaves. Green and waxy, the leaves may be dappled with concentric tracings of silver. The flower petals, back-flung in an energetic way and sometimes bi-colored, can be described as propeller shaped. Winter is this indoor plant’s time to shine. Read More »
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Harvest Time Again
Community-supported agriculture
Published on 8/04/09
People are going back to the basics—directly to the farm to get the experience of interacting with the land—not to mention getting that inimitable taste of truly fresh produce. Read More »
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Warm From The Sun
Heritage tomatoes
Published on 6/01/09
Look to multi-colored heritage tomatoes for a bright explosion of color and taste. Fire-engine red is just one option. From varieties so small that several fit into a teaspoon to whopper sizes larger than a sandwich, with round, lumpy, flat, or elongated shapes in all colors but blue, there’s treasure galore to be found. It is worth seeking out the succulent summer flavor in a sun-ripened tomato, especially a heritage tomato that was bred to be savored warm from the field, not cold from commercial storage. Read More »
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What Is So Rare As A Day In June?
Plant connoisseurs debate at auction
Published on 3/01/09
The name ‘Rare Plant Auction®’ is a registered trademark and no organization but the Delaware Center for Horticulture (DCH) is permitted to use it,” says auction plant expert and longtime committee member Charles Cresson. This annual auction is a one-of-a kind gala evening event held at Longwood Gardens, offering drama, sociable schmoozing, fine dining, great plants with rare personality, and great personalities famous for their horticultural expertise. Read More »
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The Mossy Greensward
Lawns don’t have to be grassy
Published on 12/01/08
Shade, deep shade, surrounds my house. It is pointless to battle this situation and try to grow a traditional sun-loving bluegrass lawn here under ancient oak trees. So instead of fretting about wild moss invading the lawn’s grass, long ago I decided to remove the grass (I buzzed it all away with a weed whacker) and enjoy and encourage the moss in all its natural glory. There’s no mowing, no fertilizer, and no pesticides—simply a velvety blanket of green which made its own way into my once-patchy lawn. Read More »
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Solar Power For The Garden
Sunflowers always delight
Published on 7/01/08
The natural response to a sunflower is a smile. We can’t resist their open faces and warm colors. A stand of sunflowers is a glorious sight in summer. Read More »
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