Sifting through Amazon for gift ideas? At a loss for how to delight your favorite gardener? Or just need a list of friendly hints so that you get what you really would love for Christmas, this year? A list drawn up from my own wishlists. (Affiliate links used for your convenience and to support this site.)…
This Is What I’m Doing in the Garden
Single Focus Living I can’t seem to gardenblog and attend to my actual chores at the same time, so posting has been sparse. Fall is always one of the busiest times in the garden and this autumn has been spectacularly wonderful for getting things done. Which is a good thing, because I am now very…
Is It Fall Already?
Yesterday’s winds, today’s rain, and the smell that has been on the air tells me so. The asters blooming, the store displays burgeoning with mums (I bought two huge ones at Sam’s Club) also tell the undeniable story that summer has past. I still have tomatoes ripening on the vine, and they should continue to…
Homesteader Heirloom Apples and Real Cider
The Renaissance of Heirloom Apples Traditionally, an old fashioned fall treat has been the availability of aromatic autumn apples and the rich complex flavor of pressed cider. Although grocery stores attempt to carry “cider” in pasteurized containers all year, the taste is insipid in comparison to the special flavor that blended heirloom varieties give to…
Tomato Troubles
I have large tomatoes, plenty of them…that is not the trouble. Hornworms. and cracking, those are the troubles. Right now, I am picking the fruits just turning red and ripening them on my window. Hornworms are officially called Manduca quinquemaculata. As caterpillars they are voracious pests, munching through incredible amounts of your tomato harvest. How To…
I Have A Thing For Bicolor Bulbs, Especially Tulips
We all have our weaknesses, and one of mine is for those bicolor tulips that have a rim of one color and central color of another. while solid colors make a strong statement in the landscape view, the striking look of two colors suits me best. Three Examples One way I like to see these…
How To Plant Dutch Bulbs For Fabulous Spring Flowers
Start Spring With A Big Pop of Color Apeldoorn Tulips | Though the usual sequence is to plant the bulbs in the fall for bloom in the spring, some growers cheat the system by chilling those sold for spring bloom. This is necessary for Southern gardens which don’t get the required cold temperatures. Presented here…
Trouble with Hiring Garden Help
Americans Don’t Want The Work; not if it’s landscaping outdoors. I had thought to hire someone to help with landscaping chores next year. Will I be able to find someone? The going rate is double minimum wage (more than 15.00 an hour). If I find someone, how much help can I afford?
Found Flowers
“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.” ~ Henri Matisse When in California a few years ago, I had been walking in a nature preserve on a bluff overlooking the Pacific. By chance, some unknown person left this pretty handtied bouquet of flowers in the dirt path. It was so delightful,…
When Gardeners and Their Gardens Grow Old
It is a fact of life. Like weeds. You don’t even notice how it creeps up on you, but suddenly it is there and it must be dealt with: Age Two things begat this post, the fact that the heat has forced me to stay indoors and updating a post that had very good advice…