A dry rain barrel and cracks in the soil are good indicators of the state of my landscape.
July 22, 2011 Read more
nutrients
“That is humongous!” my four- year-old exclaimed as I held up a tomato horn worm.
While searching for the perfect tree to plant in our front yard, I asked the garden center owner, “When is the right time to plant a tree?”
July 14, 2011 Read more
Planning a youth garden camp takes time, creativity and a lot of help! I have led this particular youth camp for several years now and strive to make each one hands-on, educational and fun.
June 21, 2011 Read more
Today we were out weeding…again. I explained to our two-year-old that if it has a flower it is NOT a weed, please do not pull it! I know some weeds, like dandelions, have flowers, but the weeds we were pulling today did not have flowers.
As you may recall in March I started tomato seeds inside. I wanted to prove to myself that I could successfully start plants from seed. I often hear master gardeners talk about their seed starting success; I guess I wanted to be just like them. Ha!! To the fault of my busy schedule the little plants remained little plants and are not nearly as large as the ones I see at the garden centers. Today, I broke down and bought big tomato plants to replace my pathetic little ones I planted two weeks ago. I guess it’s my garden ego needing nurtured. A friend from Texas posted pictures of her freshly harvested tomatoes today. Although she is in zone nine and I am in zone six, I felt my competitive spirit stirring.
May 27, 2011 Read more
I can’t get enough of our local garden show; thankfully I was able to spend two days taking it all in. The heart of the show are spectacular displays of full grown trees, shrubs, and flowers massed together in large architectural landscapes created by local garden and landscape businesses.
March 11, 2011 Read more
I just used my last garden onion and it’s March! I did a little dance and expressed gratitude to the onion for bringing flavor to our dinner. I have failed at winter preservation in the past. This year, I finally got it right. We have enjoyed onions all winter long without shopping the produce aisle at the grocery store.
Within three weeks, conditions will be favorable for planting potatoes and peas. But I know that my garden soil needs a little TLC before I start digging.
March 8, 2011 Read more
There is some kind of natural attraction between a toddler and a garden hose. Everyone is going to get wet, except for the plant I am trying to water. Watering is a yearlong chore at our house.
November 12, 2010 Read more
Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that gardeners experience some of the same frustrations in their home gardens that farmers see on their huge plots of land.
September 15, 2010 Read more