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.
Soil
After enjoying an afternoon of swimming, we came home for more water fun – that is watering the garden and flowers. Watering is a chore that cannot be skipped during hot summer days. As I was watering my day lilies I noticed yellow leaves. I turned my attention from watering to diagnosing.
June 1, 2011 Read more
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
Seven years ago we bought our first home! In those seven years, we completely destroyed the carpet in the living room. It has had every conceivable substance spilled on it (let your imagination go wild)!
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
The weather has been erratic lately. One day the girls are running through the yard in their flip flops and the next day they are wearing snow boots building a snowman. This weather has even triggered the tulips. They are starting to pop up out of the soil.
February 24, 2011 Read more
I love teachers. They are a group of men and women whose career choice is more like a calling to them than a job. From my large farm family in Southeastern Idaho, only one corporate guy, me, emerged.
October 21, 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
Have you ever gone to the paint store and tried to pick the perfect color? It's challenging to say the least! Our goal was to select yellow for the girl’s bedroom.
September 1, 2010 Read more