How do you go about planning your garden for the year? Do you run to the garden center when it feels like spring and grab a little of this and that? Or do you pick up a few packets of seeds to plant in your flower beds and hope for the best? Do you purchase vegetable starts only to find that you planted way more zucchini than you could everRead More →
Here’s a gardener’s nightmare… you purchase your beautiful flower seeds for the growing season. In the spring, you plant those seeds in the ground. And then you wait for the first little sprouts to pop up. You wait. And you wait. And you wait some more. Eventually, you realize nothing is going to grow. Why did your brand new seeds fail? Maybe the seeds needed a period of cold inRead More →
There’s a cozy blanket of snow covering the garden. The world is quiet and still as the fluffy flakes continue to pile up. The garden is resting and waiting for renewal to begin. It needs this time to “just be”. The garden embraces this season of rest. That layer of snow can protect the plants from excessive cold, just like being wrapped in a warm woolen sweater. Organic matter leftRead More →
We live such fast-paced and busy lives that we often ignore seasonal changes. It’s hard to miss the color changes outdoors, but are you actually changing your activities to fit the season? Most of us don’t stop our fast pace until we collapse into bed at night. We ignore our internal clock telling us to slow down. We’ve forgotten that life lived by the seasons can provide the perfect opportunityRead More →
As the gardening season winds down, there’s always so much to do! Trying to beat the first frost is critical… getting all the produce harvested before Mother Nature says enough is a mad dash. Not only are there veggies to pick and process, but herbs to harvest. And you also need time to gather in your seeds for next year. I’ve been working overtime to grab the seeds that areRead More →
As we move into fall, our gardens are slowing down. Some gardeners relish this slowdown to the busy gardening season. Others of us try to squeeze every moment we can into the garden. Knowing that the gardening season is ending can be disheartening. Instead, let’s make the most of every outdoor opportunity we have to enjoy the end of the garden season. Rather than lament that we’re getting close toRead More →
Are you growing fresh herbs in your garden? Then consider creating a lovely fresh herbal wreath to hang in your kitchen. It will not only add some beauty to your decor, but every time you walk by, the wonderful fragrance will amaze you. Over time, the herbal wreath will dry out. Keep it as a decorative wreath or snip the dried herbs to use in your cooking when needed. YouRead More →
It’s the height of summer and the cutting garden is blooming like crazy. You go to grab a vase for your latest bouquet and you can’t find any empty containers. You’ve already filled them or given them away to your neighbors. Short of running to the store to buy a new vase, what can you do? Fortunately, there are lots of possibilities for vases when creating a summer bouquet. LookRead More →
As I walk through my garden, I’m amazed at all the flying creatures moving about. Birds, bees, butterflies, and moths make their way to the flowers and plants growing around the garden. The garden is like a giant smorgasbord for these creatures. Growing a diverse garden of plants provides a lovely display for you, but a feast for these wonderful pollinators. As many of us know, pollination is vital toRead More →
For years I walked away from the section in the garden center where they were selling dahlia tubers. Yes, the flowers looked pretty. The colors were varied and the tubers seemed easy to plant. But, I shied away from having to dig the tubers up each fall if I wanted to continue to grow the flowers. It seemed like so much work. I didn’t have any place to store themRead More →