The ups and downs of the gardening world.
Sunny yellow blooms fringed with a fringed ruff poking through snow is my first sign that spring has sprung. Eranthis hyamalis, or Winter Aconite, in the buttercup family, is a spring ephemeral, which means that it is a short-lived plant above ground with a burst of blooms, then disappears, remaining under ground until next winter. …
Continue reading "Winter Aconites-First Sign of Spring"
A cutting garden - a piece of earth used primarily for cutting flowers and bringing into the house for arranging in vases - sounds kind of elitist. Like a prim and proper English lady who has a team of gardeners, and ventures out to the garden with a floppy straw hat with her "secateurs" to …
Continue reading "A Garden For Cutting & Arranging"
Everybody is into seed starting this spring because of the new interest in gardening for people forced to stay at home. New gardeners frequently think that you just throw some seeds from a seed packet into potting soil and place them in a bright window and hope for the best. But there are tricks and …
Continue reading "Become a Smarter Seed Starter – Best Tips for New & Experienced Gardeners"
The cold and dreary days of Winter seem endless in January and February, especially during a pandemic when we are not getting out as much as we're used to. But by providing food and shelter for native animals and birds, with good selections of native plants, we can brighten up our landscapes and our lives. …
Continue reading "Winter Interest with Native Plantings"
Having a bunch of succulents on hand from various projects, I wanted to create something special for Valentine's Day. Rooting succulents is easy and I wanted to make the rooting process attractive as well as productive. Succulent cuttings simply involves cutting a 3" terminal branch and removing the lower leaves. Leave them out for a …
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Declining Pollinators Many pollinator species have suffered serious declines in recent years because of a variety factors-loss and fragmentation of habitat, pesticide use, and climate change. Unfortunately, most of our suburban and urban landscapes offer little in the way of appropriate habitat, forage, and housing. Even the most beautiful gardens are not always healthy ecosystems …
Continue reading "Three Native Plant Choices for Late Winter/Early Spring"
Ummmm…..that’s sooo good! I hear that phrase over and over when someone tastes my home-grown honey for the first time. Their face lights up and a look of total delight transforms them when they dip their fingers into the sticky sunshine. Most people are used to the purchased plastic bear of generic clover honey (sometimes …
Continue reading "Wannabees Thinking About Honey Bees"
Douglas Tallamy, world renowned and influential ecologist/entymologist, urges Americans to go native and go natural. Many people shorten this and call it 'ReWilding'. For a great article on his philosophy, read all about him in the Smithsonian magazine. For tips on ReWilding your own garden, read on. What is ReWilding? ReWilding, returning your landscape back …
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Recycling a fresh cut Christmas tree into a bird feeding station is the ultimate repurposing of your Christmas decorations. Setting up my old tree next to my bird feeders gave me hours of enjoyment watching birds feeding, chirping, and feasting - not to mention the squirrels pigging out! Just watching the squirrel antics kept us …
Continue reading "How to Turn Your Old Christmas Tree Into a Wildlife Magnet"
If you are on the fence about starting a garden in 2021, and have watched all your neighbors jump into growing everything under the sun, then read the following guest post from Carrie Spencer of TheSpensersAdventures. The images are property of TheGardenDiaries. Gardening can seem intimidating when you’re just starting out. Fortunately, most plants are …
Continue reading "How to Get Started Gardening (Without a Green Thumb)"
