Did you Get Lost in the Garden?

One of the precursors to fall is the beautyberry. Much like the forsythias harken the arrival of spring the beautyberries are always reliably beautiful beginning this time of year. The blooms of summer gradually have transformed from small white blossoms into clusters of tiny purple gems.  Our beautyberry is now in its third year in the ground and has reached…

I thought I would take a moment to talk about hardwood cuttings. It is the beginning of winter and which is also a great time to go out and try to reproduce many of your favorite woody trees and shrubs in the garden. Many plants will easily propagate through hardwood cuttings and I’ve included a short list below that you…

Here’s just a quick update on the greenhouse-shed project. More work will ensue later in the week but several time consuming things have been done. The roof windows on the south-western side are somewhat framed, the plywood is attached and the shingles are up. The roof is one of the more shed-like aspects of this project. Since the south western…

Here are two more great fall color posts for the Garden Blogger fall Color Project. These two posts come to us from the mid-west specifically Chicago, Illinois and Iowa.Mr. McGregor’s Daughter in Chicago, Illinois is observing some really fantastic fall color. The red oaks are competing with the maples for an extraordinary autumn show. Usually the maples win hands down…

To me grass clippings are one of the best resources a gardener can get! I see grass clippings from lawn as an amazing way to gather organic matter for other uses in the garden ranging from composting and garden beds to mulching! Here are some really great ways to utilize this free organic resources in your gardening if you are…

A view of our southern sky with the skeletal tree branches making an interesting skyline.A sunset with dark red clouds reflecting the light of the western sun.

Layering is a fantastic way to make more free plants with very little risk. Propagating a plant through layering usually involves pinning down a branch to make contact with the soil so that the branch can begin forming roots.  I’ve used layering to propagate more difficult to root plants like oak leaf hydrangeas.   Below you will find a short…

…Pots! This weekend I put together a 5′ by 16″ shelf cabinet in the garden shed designed for storing all those extra pots. Well not all of them – I just have too many – I need more shelves! It’s made from 1″x11″ painted boards and mounted with a 2″x4″ backing. Finish nails and a few screws make it very sturdy….

What plant or plants are you looking forward to planting this year? Do you have something new or is there something you planted last year that did really well and you want to try again?Our planting season last spring was almost entirely a bust due to our need to rehab our house. The carpets needed replaced, everything needed painted, and…

Before this weekend I made a big list on what I wanted to accomplish and one of those tasks was finishing the siding on the greenhouse shed. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough time to complete it but I did manage to complete some large and tricky areas. When it comes to projects and time my ideas are always bigger than…

I just posted another greenhouse update that includes pictures of the new trim that is enclosing the eaves and along roof line. It’s progressing nicely and the roof is all enclosed! Post: Greenhouse Roof Finally Enclosed

The Nashville Lawn and Garden Show is coming up very soon! Here are some of the details. Nashville Lawn & Garden Show February 28 – March 3, 2013  Tennessee State Fairgrounds  Come enjoy Jardins du Soleil – “Gardens of the Sun” The 24th annual show will feature  internationally-inspired garden designs! Amazing live gardens Thousands of spring flowers & plants Free lectures…

It won’t be long now until the first bloom of the new gardening season will be on its way. In just a few more days the Winter Jasmine will be coloring our front porch with its bright yellow blooms. I traded for the jasmine at plant swap a couple years ago and have found it to be a very welcome…

Coleus (Solenostemon now Plectranthus scutellarioides) is one of those lucky annuals that can be saved from a merciless death by frost and freeze. Coleus, which is actually a tropical perennial, can be kept indoors as a house plant then replanted outside in the spring once all danger of frost is past. Take Some Cuttings Just clip off some cuttings with a…

I would like to thank Roben Mounger (AKA Ms. Cook) for the great write up on her culinary blog Ms. Cook’s Table! I would also like to welcome any new visitors from the Columbia Daily Herald who found me because of her article. I hope you find something that interests you in this visit, if not keep checking back I…

Alright you tomato crazed vegetable gardeners! It’s time to give away some tomato seeds to start your heirloom tomato collection for next year. The seeds I’m talking about are from a tomato called ‘Woodle Orange’.  Which is perhaps a lesser known variety but definitely not because it under performs. In fact it’s a delicious alternative to the standard reds and…

Recently I received an email asking me to review a video all about backyard food production systems. I was curious so I said sure. I grow a large vegetable garden in the backyard every year and if there were ideas inside this DVD that I could use and incorporate into my garden it might be worthwhile for others who read…

Can you identify the picture below? I’ve zoomed in and removed the color to make your guess a little more difficult but I think you can handle it! Email your guess to The Home Garden so that we can retain a little mystery and give everyone a chance to guess! If you get it right you’ll get a link to…