Swap Seeds For A Better Garden This Year Gardener's have traditionally loved to trade with each other: tips ad advice, seeds and plants, even tools of the trade. It is no surprise that as the seed supplies available from seed companies have been shrinking, that grassroots gardeners have stepped up to organize seed swaps. These are great places to go to let others have some of your abundance … [Read more...] about National Seed Swap Day on Saturday
Featured
What Makes a Low Maintenance Garden?
It is increasingly the Holy Grail of garden designs: making a landscape low maintenance. For many reasons, reducing the work load of our outdoor spaces has become a priority. We are busy with many activities We are aging Viewing flowers rather than weeding flowerbeds is preferable That is not the definitive list, by any means, but it does hit the highlights of why this style of … [Read more...] about What Makes a Low Maintenance Garden?
Create A Child’s Garden, Grow Love For Nature
Let Your Children Discover the Benefits of Gardening Do some of your goals for your children include eating more vegetables, better grades, and improved immune system? Does that seem too good to believe if I told you gardening is a pathway to all three? Well, believe it! Gardening is good for children, and they can have fun enjoying the beauty and curiosities of nature while those … [Read more...] about Create A Child’s Garden, Grow Love For Nature
Growing Indoor Flowers In December
Today I was reading Teresa Byington's Garden Diary blog, and her post on Amaryllis bulbs. She brought back memories of the winter windowsill plantings through the years, including some Amaryllis. As she mentions, this is really easy gardening and most people have great success with the kits that are offered. Amaryllis is one of the most showy, with their huge blossoms crowning the … [Read more...] about Growing Indoor Flowers In December
I Found Out About “She Sheds” And Coincidentally, About Friends
My Houzz: A Backyard Getaway Emerges From a Grain Shed A high school friend of mine is considering lending his sizable carpentry talents to making "She Sheds". I hadn't even heard of them, although I could make an educated guess as to what they might be. Still, since having a guess is never as good as solid knowledge on a subject, in my opinion, you can see why I then thought I would research … [Read more...] about I Found Out About “She Sheds” And Coincidentally, About Friends
Rural Landscape
Shepherds from my nativity set I've been in the middle of my Christmas devotions on my Advent blog. While writing about the shepherds watching their flocks (from the Christmas story), I thought about the fact that while sheep were once a common sight in fields around here, there has not been a flock in recent years, now that I think about it. I know that agriculture business changes … [Read more...] about Rural Landscape
The De-clutter Journey
Specifically, How Did You Do It? For those who are struggling, like I have, here are some of the practical steps of getting rid of clutter and the whole lifestyle that goes with it. Like some physical maladies, this one might have a different root for some people than it has for others. It might be the result of more than one contributing factor. What causes our messiness and proclivity … [Read more...] about The De-clutter Journey
And Now It Is Arctic, But My Home Is Cozy
Bookcases, boxes, magazines -I can't get rid of everything! While it was a personally productive fall for me, the blogging and the garden had to take a back seat. I made good on decades of promises to de-clutter and come to grips with the pile of life's detritus and accumulation. You see, I come from a line of "collectors" on my mother's side. My dad was spare in his living and his … [Read more...] about And Now It Is Arctic, But My Home Is Cozy
The Down And Dirty Weeding Tool List
The Bare Essentials Some essentials when brand new I've done a lot of tweeting and writing about weeding this season. There are a couple of reasons for that including the unusually wonderful weather (from my perspective, anyway), and my desire to have my yard look like I actually garden, despite many trips to visit the children and grandchildren. The weather: It has been a … [Read more...] about The Down And Dirty Weeding Tool List
Lavender, Lavender, Where Art Thou?
Summer Lavender When we put in our stone walk many years ago, I envisioned it rimmed with a lavender hedge. Lavandula vera has been a feature lining the walkway, scenting the air, and providing the garden with charm ever since. The story does not have a happy ever after ending. It is more of a Romeo and Juliet tragedy because of the periodic deep frozen temperatures we endure every so … [Read more...] about Lavender, Lavender, Where Art Thou?
Ready To Eat Local? How About Slow Gardening?
Go Slow Slow Food and Slow Gardening are related. What is slow food you ask? Sourcing your ingredients locally and using high quality is the gist of it. Growing your own would be a part of it, but patronizing the farmer's markets and encouraging your grocer's to supply locally produced products would be part of it, too. How about slow gardening? I suppose there is something of an … [Read more...] about Ready To Eat Local? How About Slow Gardening?
Seeds For Trial Garden
A few of the seeds that were sent to me This year I received seeds to trial in my gardens from American Meadows. They arrived this last week, and the weather is finally warming up so that I can get ready to plant them. Exciting, is it not? I have a large amount that were sent in the nicest cloth bags, 1/4 lb. worth of an annual Wildflower mix, and equal amount of a Honeybee mix! Those … [Read more...] about Seeds For Trial Garden