small pile from the latest storm For many parts of the nation it was a tough winter, although as my husband and I were discussing, the world events put our little complaints into perspective. The heart goes out to those in Japan who are suffering from an epic disaster. Prayers, also. The seasons of life…
gardening tips
Garden Hints and Tips #457
I just made that number up, but not the helpful garden tip!Buy lots of Bounce Dryer Sheets. The Garden Professors shared this nugget: Entomologist Dr. Raymond Cloyd of Kansas State University and his group were intrigued by Master Gardener anecdotes of dryer sheets repelling mosquitoes, though no research had been done. Could your common Bounce…
How Did I Get Here Again? Advice For Older Gardeners
Life Is Good A fellow garden blogger has to cut back on the hard labor in the yard due to medical issues. I can identify. We all grow older, and our gardens grow older… we can move from a garden (or house) that is too much work, but you are sort of stuck with your…
Springtime Garden Tips
Planting New Trees and Shrubs Earlier in the season my son-in-law asked me about planting a new arborvitae. He lives in Georgia, and I had seen his homesite for a screen he wanted in his back yard during last year’s visit. Arborvitae was a fine choice for what he wanted and where the plant would…
Inspiration: getting seeds started
I recall some of the many types of containers I experimented with in starting seedlings. One of the first attempts(and I always seemed to have beginners luck with my gardening) was with empty egg cartons. Each little egg holder was filled with soil, the top closed to keep in moisture and then opened as the…
Tree news
Today is the day my trees are getting trimmed. The men with the heavy equipment have been at work for the last hour or so. I requested for the mulch from the branches to be dumped in an area where I can utilize it for “under” mulch next year. And in researching something I came…
I love sunflowers
…but haven’t grown them for a few years. Just loved this helpful review from someone who takes her sunflower growing seriously. Check out her blog clipped from leafychronicles.blogspot.com It’s time to report on this year’s trial of dwarf sunflowers. Late in the spring, the rushing around left no time to order the dwarf sunflower seeds…
Miscellaneous Garden Tips
Just tossing together a few odds and ends of helpful tips. Dig banana skins directly into the soil under your roses. Crushed eggshells deter slugs and add calcium to the soil. They will somewhat sweeten (make more alkaline) the soil. Coffee grounds add organic matter, and are somewhat acidifying. You can pick up used grounds…
Expert Rose Advice
While perusing old garden links I came upon this page of rose advice. While spring is a better time for planting roses in this part of the country, advice is welcome at any time, and you might live in a climate where fall planting is fine for roses. The advice attached to the above illustrations…
Diatoms
I happened upon a most amazing picture. Who knew that diatoms were such a lovely lot? Organic gardeners know that diatomaceous earth is useful for insect control, but I was surprised at its uses. There are food grade and pool grade, the latter being poisonous, but the food grade is good for worming, and to…