In times like these can you afford not to garden? The other day I was thinking about the actual value of a garden. What do you get out of it? Not just the sense of satisfaction of eating the greatest tomato ever grown. That’s pretty valuable in itself. Not just the pleasure of being able … Read more
It’s been days since we’ve seen any sign of the sun. He was back today and even a little yesterday. I don’t think I’m alone in missing my friend the sun, am I?
The other day I was out and about (as happens often) when I was surprised by the sight of a couple hyacinths coming up. It’s not that I’m surprised that the hyacinths are emerging but rather that I didn’t realize they where there to begin with! This would be one of those time where plant … Read more
I was outside on Tuesday afternoon walking around the yard while a thirty minute window in the clouds opened to allow the sun to shine down. It was a short respite from the rainy weather but this time of year any respite is a good respite. While walking about I was struck by how white … Read more
Over the last year I’ve been enthralled with heucheras. I see a new one and I have to add it to the garden! If you are looking for a versatile foliage perennial then definitely take a look at the heucheras (Coral Bells). There are many varieties so far I have at least 5 different kinds … Read more
I’ve mentioned that with my newly redesigned garden layout that I would like to put a fence around it. Partly to keep the rabbits and groundhogs out but also to add an air of formality around the garden. I have two ideas in mind that I’d like to gather some opinions about. In the drawing … Read more
Over this weekend our travels found us at one of the local big box stores looking for shelving hardware for our downstairs closet (another project but not one that will make it to the garden blog). While there I went through the seed kiosks looking for the plants that made my master list for seed … Read more
This time of the year it seems like there are a million and one choices for seeds. The catalogs have been rolling in at record paces enticing us with beautiful pictures of what we could have in our gardens but how do you figure out what you need to buy especially if your trying to … Read more
My recent fascination with the snowy owl visiting our town isn’t something new, I’ve always been interested in birds and wildlife. Gardening and nature to me are so closely woven together in the tapestry of life that you don’t get one without the other, and if you do you’re doing something wrong. Nature in all … Read more
I got a few more pictures this morning of the Snowy Owl here in Spring Hill, TN from Pete. The first one can only be described as spectacular with a sunrise in the background. He also managed to get a few close-ups! Related Snowy Owl Posts: A Snowy Owl Story Snowy Owl Visits … Read more
After my post yesterday about the Snowy Owl Visit to Spring Hill, TN, Pete sent me a few of his pictures of the owl. He was able to get much closer to the bird than I could and his pictures are fantastic! He prefaced the pictures with a story that I’ll share with you in … Read more
We’ve had an unusual visitor here in Spring Hill, TN. A snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) flew in with the arctic air that’s been hanging over our state. I had heard rumors of the visiting bird through the Nashville news stations (OK that’s a little more than a rumor) and set out today to investigate. My … Read more
Last year we designed, built, and grew our first vegetable garden in our new home. The garden was made of two large beds that were subdivided into 3 smaller conjoined beds in an “L” shape. Unfortunately the vegetable garden layout we designed was built more around aesthetics than around function. Since then I’ve realized something: … Read more
There is a kind of magic in making cuttings. Watching something as simple and unremarkable as a little twig come to life with roots and branches all of its own can only be fascinating to the gardener. Several weeks ago I planted my Winter Garden with various plants which included three red twig dogwoods (Cornus … Read more
Where do I find the seeds for my gardening activities? Lot’s of places! The most obvious location is in a store, either online or one of the old fashioned brick and mortar stores. The local Co-op always has seed to find as do the box stores (they have already begun putting out seeds for spring. … Read more
It’s January but if you are like me you’ve been rapidly perusing the seed catalogs about as fast as they come in looking for new and exciting plants for this year. It seems that each day a new plant catalog comes in the mail and I see all kinds of plants that I’d love to … Read more
Part of my worm bin composter is finished. This really is a very simple project that anyone can do at home. To complete this part of the composter it only took about 30 minutes which also included the time to gather the materials and to put them away. Since the weather outside this week is … Read more
What do winter blooms, buds, bark and branches all have in common? You will have to look at the end of this post to find out. See if you can guess! The Winter Blooms The henbit in our area is beginning to show signs of blooming. Masses of little tiny flowers will over take yards … Read more
The cold weather combined with morning clouds and the light of a new dawning day create a genuine tapestry of light. Six minutes later (after scraping the ice off my wife’s car) the sky changed palettes to include more gold. Mother Nature’s paintings are ever changing which is probably why we appreciate them. … Read more
In order to raise worms for worm composting (vermicomposting) you have to have a place to put the worms and the kitchen scraps. There are all kinds of composting bins that can be effective but they all work on the same idea. A box houses the worms, kitchen scraps, and bedding. As the worms eat … Read more
Here’s a list of this year’s gardening events that you don’t want to miss! Click on the links for more information Nashville Lawn and Garden Show – March 5-8, 2009Bloom ‘n’ Garden Expo – April 3-5, 2009Perennial Plant Society Plant Sale – April 4, 2009Middle Tennessee Hosta Society – Annual Hosta Sale – May 9, … Read more
Several years ago I used to watch a cartoon called Earthworm Jim. (Yes I’ll admit I watched cartoons in college!) It was based on a video game that I never played but I guess was somewhat popular at the time. In the cartoon Earthworm Jim was a space traveling superhero worm valiantly ridding the universe … Read more
…digging the rain garden. I looked back at the January 12, 2008 post to see what I wrote about one year ago. During that week I was heavily entrenched (forgive the pun) in digging the rain garden. Today I’m very pleased with how well it functions. This January we’ve had at least 3 inches of … Read more
As previously mentioned in my 2009 garden project list I am working on a self sowing garden. I mentioned the advantages to a self sowing garden earlier in the week and my own personal reasons for wanting to plant it and now it’s time for the next step…seeds. But first, what are self sowing plants? … Read more
I was looking back at photographs of the past year in the garden and found these shots of the front sidewalk garden. When the weather is cold and rainy outside it’s nice to look back sometimes and see how things were where they were in bloom. The sidewalk skirts the garage portion of our house … Read more
This blog does receive a small amount of revenue from advertising that enables it to function, grow and hopefully make it more interesting. Funds gained through advertising are used for projects, plants, and other things that will are discussed on The Home Garden and The Home Garden ~ In The Greenhouse. At no time will … Read more
This bell may not make a sound but it sure strikes a chord with the chickadees and titmice. We received the seed bell as a stocking stuffer for Christmas. The birds must have loved it. After two and a half days the seed bell is all gone! At least I managed to get some nice … Read more
Please bear with me while I make a few cosmetic changes! I’ve been wanting to find a new look for the blog that is more functional and I think I have found a template that works. There will be some minor tweaks and repairs over the next few days. All the content and comments should … Read more
A springtime flowering favorite of mine is the Yoshino cherry tree (Prunus x yedoensis). I’ve written about these trees several times in the past and I know I’ll write about it again as it is such a valuable tree in the landscape for it’s ornamental beauty. I’ve never been able to root this tree…until now! … Read more
One of my projects this year is a self seeding garden. I showed you in yesterday’s post what I’ve done so far and I mentioned a few of my personal reasons for planting a self sowing garden but since that post I thought of a few more general ideas why someone might want to consider … Read more
It won’t be long before the warm weather approaches (or at least I keep telling myself this) and gardening begins for the 2009 season in earnest. One of the projects I have planned this season is the self sowing garden. A self sowing garden is pretty self explanatory, it has plants that seed themselves year … Read more
While we were away last weekend picking pecans I snapped some photos of the setting sun. Sometimes I think wintertime sunsets are trying to make up for the lack of color in the garden and elsewhere during this season. This picture was taken overlooking one of the fields near my wife’s grandmother’s home.
Over the holidays we went to the West Tennessee town of Trenton to visit my wife’s grandmother. Her home rests in the middle of several acres of rich Tennessee farmland where they typically grow either soybeans, corn, or winter wheat depending upon the whim of the farmer. The crop is most likely determined through a … Read more
Not many plants bloom in the dead of winter but you can count on Mediterranean White Heath (Erica x darleyensis) to put on a subtle show. It blooms with tiny little snow colored blossoms that (at least in my Tennessee garden) emerge during January and February. I have five of these little winter gems located … Read more
Rather than talk about useless resolutions for 2009 I thought I would discuss my project plans for the garden. I do have one goal that encompasses all things gardening and in my life that could be considered a resolution: to do all things better than I did the last time. That one statement covers pretty … Read more
