Ideas, Info, Tools & Technology to Create Your Dream Garden
gardening
Going On Vacation
Sep 13th
Well, I’m about to go on vacation, back home for a sisters reunion. Lucky for me my husband isn’t going, because then I would have to find someone to take care of the yard and houseplants.
After putting in a lot of work on your garden, it pays to find someone who will care for it properly while you're on vacation.
We’ve been gone twice for longer periods, with unfortunate dire results. The first time we were in India for three months for a yoga and meditation intensive. I put my trust in the next-door neighbor teens to water things. When I More >
Planting Fruit Trees In Fall
Sep 9th
Now’s a great time to put in an order for bare root fruit trees. If you live someplace where the soil doesn’t freeze until late November or December that’s even better. Putting in fruit trees in the fall can really give them a great start. Instead of having to take off and make leaves and fruit right after planting, they get a whole winter to put down roots.
One thing you need to do with fruit trees planted in the fall, and really any time, is protect the trunk from the sun. In the winter the dark bark can warm up More >
New Garden Woes
Sep 5th
Here I sit, all ready to start work on the new garden and we’re predicted to get rain through Wednesday, and possible showers on Thursday. Argh! I need to get this garden in place before I leave for my sister reunion, so that all my little plants will still be alive when I get home.
I’ve given up on getting the greenhouse up before I leave, because the first thing I have to do is paint all the lumber and I won’t be able to do that until the weekend, because of the rain. That’s also when I can work on More >
Fall Color
Sep 2nd
Asters come in pink, lavender, and white
As the summer comes to an end your yard may be looking a little tired. The green of the trees has lost its vibrancy, annuals are looking bedraggled from heat stress, and perennials are finished with their bloom.
For most people the flowers of fall are pansies and chrysanthemums, however, there are a lot of other plants you can add to your garden to spark things up.
Fall clematis, sweet smelling ocean of white blossoms
Of course all annuals will perform depending on your zone, so check out and see if there are any that will continue More >
Moving
Aug 30th
It's always nice to take a few friends with you when you move!
You knew the time was coming. Your spouse had been looking for a new job for some time. You’d really, really hoped that it would be in the same town, but they just called you and been offered a fantastic job in another state. You’re wildly excited, except, your gardens! You’re going to have to leave your gardens behind!
Now that you’re going to have a change of address, you need to decide what to do about the yard. Of course large plants are going to have to stay More >
They’re Up!
Aug 29th
Tiny arugula seedling emerged in just five days!
My fall veggies that is. In only 5 days the mizuna and arugula were up. A couple days later chard, tatsoi, and pak choy joined in. Kale arrived a couple days later. The only thing that hasn’t sprouted, that I thought would by now, is the collards. The carrots won’t be up for at least another week. They take a long time to germinate.
One of the most surprising things is that some of the really old seeds are going great guns. Both the mizuna and the arugula had a lot of old seeds More >
Fall Tool Cleaning
Aug 26th
It’s a little early to actually clean your tools, as there is still a lot of time left to garden, but it’s a good time to schedule your tool cleaning. Since tools are often exposed to the elements of rain and sun, regular care and maintenance will make them last much longer.
Before putting your tools away for the winter, it’s a good idea to clean them thoroughly. If you have metal spades, trowels, shovels, etc. they may have developed some rust on them through the season. Cleaning the rust off now with mild abrasives and then coating your tools with a More >
Putting In A New Garden
Aug 25th
As the cooler weather is just around the corner, I’m ready to start putting in a new perennial garden. As I mentioned earlier, fall is a great time to plant perennials, trees, and shrubs.
I’ve always wanted a picket fence around the front of my house. Not just this house, any house I lived in. Until now I’ve never had one, and I’m not going to have one quite yet, but I’m going to start putting in the gardens in preparation for the picket fence.
Not a pretty sight, but wait until next summer when it's filled with flowers.
I’ve already done the More >
Summer Garden In Review
Aug 19th
I have to admit this was not one of my more stellar summer gardens. Oh, it’s still going, but so much of it has been hit by the long, hot, humid weather that there’s not much going on. Lots of diseases and pests this year, too, ugh.
I ended up with early blight on my tomatoes. Their still alive, but look horrible, with dead black leaves hanging all over them. I’ve treated them several times, to no avail. The summer squash produced exactly one squash each and then got killed by squash vine borers. The corn has gotten blown over in More >
Nature’s Little Surprises
Aug 16th
Here's my current mystery plant. Look at the lovely big leaves!
Seems I’m always finding new and interesting things in my garden, that I didn’t plant. The first year we lived in this house, broccoli and bird’s nest gourds came up. I recognized both as something other than weeds, so we enjoyed the broccoli and I have a box full of gourds to decorate, someday, when I have time.
Next, I have this very pretty “weed” that is growing next to the house. It has leaves that look sort of like ducks feet and has pretty small yellow flowers all over it More >