It’s that time of year again! The end of the old and the beginning of the new. It’s at this time of year that I like to review my project list to see how well I accomplished my goals. Every year I come up with a list of projects I hope to complete in my garden … Read more
Over Christmas we traveled a little. Not much, we never go very far. We just visited with family. One evening a family member asked me if I knew of some attractive, easy to grow, low maintenance plants she could put in the front of her house. She wanted something she could plant that wouldn’t require … Read more
For a long time now I have denigrated my Bradford pear tree. It’s smelly in the spring, although it looks nice. It produces loads of inedible fruit that spawns offspring in my garden and everywhere else the birds decide to fly. Bradford pear trees are generally weak trees that split because of their “V” shaped branch … Read more
I like warm weather, don’t get me wrong. I like the warm spring sunshine that bathes everything in light and encourages the flowers to grow. I like the summer days – when it isn’t above 90 degrees and 65% humidity – I’m not picky. I love the warm fall days where the sun trickles through … Read more
Seed starting time is just around the corner! OK it may be a little more than around the corner for some gardeners but while we are planning our holiday gatherings those seed catalogs are coming in, enticing us to get started! Today lets look at several seed starting techniques and methods that you can use to effectively … Read more
As you know I’m a huge fan of plant propagation. I would bet that many of you reading this are too, or if you not a huge fan you are at least interested! It’s a fascinating area and can be an amazing benefit for growing your garden. Just think of all the free plants you … Read more
Over the last couple weeks the weather has been much warmer than it should be, but now we’re getting back to a much more normal December weather pattern. There was even the mention of snow in the forecast for next week. We’ll see. I won’t count my chickens but a little snow would make a … Read more
I finally managed to get my Indoor Hanging Wall Planter Project up on the wall! I ran out of screws so I’ll have to run to the store to pick up a couple more and make sure it stays up securely. It’s fine for now but I definitely need those screws attached before adding pots … Read more
This Friday I thought I’d try something new…an open post! I’d like to hear what you think about the garden, gardening ideas, projects, or just your thoughts on various issues. So here’s what I’m going to do. Every couple weeks I’ll host a Friday Free for All Post where you can comment on a subject … Read more
The current project I’m working on for Lowe’s Creative Ideas fits into two categories for me: indoor gardening and vertical gardening. “Migration” was the theme given to us which means we were to bring the garden indoors but the issue with that for me is space. I bring plants indoors to overwinter each year like … Read more
Want to do something nice for the birds? Feed them! Here’s an easy way to do it! Get a grapefruit (any suitable citrus will work). Cut it in half. Eat the grapefruit. (Important step) Fill grapefruit halves with bird seed. Set grapefruit halves on a deck rail Enjoy watching the birds! Piece of cake – or rather … Read more
Yesterday I watched and shared this video from Quiet Creek Farms and the Penn State Extension Service on the Growing The Home Garden Facebook page. The video has some great techniques for seed starting including a recipe for their seed starting soil. It has a business slant geared toward developing a CSA but the techniques … Read more
Over the weekend I spent about 30 minutes piecing together a cold frame to do some hardwood cuttings. The process for building a cold frame is very similar to building a raised bed. I used some old pressure treated lumber that used to belong to a deck, an old storm door without the glass, and … Read more
I’d like to thank all the participants of the Fall Color Project this year! We’ve been able to see lots of wonderful colors from across the country. In a few days I’ll put together a wrap up post with all the participants listed but today I would like to take a moment to announce the … Read more
