Did you Get Lost in the Garden?

Here is the beginning of a running tally of vegetables we collect from the garden. I’ve noticed that several other garden bloggers are doing similar vegetable counts and it’s just too cool of an idea to pass up! Hopefully I can keep it updated on a daily basis. Keeping track of the total vegetable crop should be a good way…

If there is one plant I intend to keep in my garden every year it would be a gaillardia and more specifically ‘Oranges and Lemons’. ‘Oranges and Lemons’ gaillardia (blanket flower) is a prolific bloomer that gives a bright and sunny look to the perennial plantings from summer through fall (zones 5-9). Even after the blooms have faded the seed…

Like a picture, a walk in the garden is worth a thousand words.

Here’s the second second of my “waiting on spring” posts called The Garden: Then and Now. The first one featured the Deck Garden, this one is all about the Birdbath Garden. The birdbath garden originated with a little copper birdbath we were given years ago. It was designed to hook onto a deck railing on the back porch but we…

When redesigning the vegetable garden I decided to dedicate one 4’x6′ bed solely to the cultivation of scrumptious strawberries. Since they are perennials this bed is no longer in any kind of rotation with the other beds but it was necessary, at least for now.  The strawberries began blooming this weekend which really isn’t the greatest of times to start…

Yesterday our family visited the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show. It’s put on each year at the Nashville Fairgrounds and has a ton of garden vendors and lectures for gardeners. The vendors at the show were selling unique plants (like succulents, hellebores, and confiers), garden equipment (mowers, pruners, hoses, foods and spices, soaps, and home improvement products. We visit the…

Before reading a certain garden blogger’s post I had never heard of a cotton plant with dark foliage (Gossypium herbaceum ‘Nigra’). Then this spring Nancy Ondra of Hayefield emailed me and asked if I would like to try some seeds. Me being the seed collecting addict I am I said of course! She also sent along some seeds for an…

Trees are the anchors of our landscapes. They enrich the soil, provide oxygen, offer shelter and food for wildlife, and deliver incredible seasonal beauty. My goal is to diversify our property by replacing invasive plants with a variety of beautiful, beneficial trees and shrubs. In two of my more recent videos, I discussed planting over ten different types of tree…

The gardener returned to the garden today from his voyage across Tennessee.  From his home, to the lands of the cedar glades, and to the western lowlands he crossed the miles in only trio of days.  Friends from long ago were coming to visit from the northern winterlands and he had to return in time to see to their hospitality. …

What else would you expect with garden blogs but to be growing? Two newcomers are on the scene for Tennessee growing the total to five (that I know about). Gail at Clay and Limestone and Craig at Harvistry. Both blogs appear to have unique content that is worth a look!Gail’s title refers to the content of most soil in Tennessee….

Here is a collection of vegetable gardening posts that I’ve written over the last few years. Some are gardening designs and others are more general but in either case hopefully they will be of some use to you! Garden Layouts and Designs The garden layouts and designs section contains a group of posts about designing a raised bed vegetable garden. …

The first daffodil blooms of 2012 are now on display in my garden!  Every year I like to track the first daffodil of the season.  It amazing how much each year can differ.  The warmer the weather the earlier the flowers appear.  We’re almost a month earlier than last year’s daffodil blooms! Here’s a look back at the dates and…

I want to take a moment to tell you about some other products that were sent to me recently for my garden.I fully intended to run these products through the garden wringer but the funny thing about this season is that I haven’t watered the garden since early JUNE! We’ve had regular rainfall coming through and so I haven’t needed…

I had a very productive weekend! It’s been a while since I spent so much time outdoors and despite the heat, the sun, the sweat, and big case of farmer’s tan a bunch of chores were accomplished. One surprise though was my potatoes. The potato bed was overrun with Bermuda grass as I mentioned the other day but even before…

This morning was one where the garden was draped in a fog.  Fog adds a touch of mystery to any scene. This sunrise picture was taken from our back deck.  A birch tree to the left is sporting its last few remaining leaves while the maple is clinging to the last of the fall colors. Our blue garden shed was…

There are few shrubs I like better than viburnums and truly the ‘Shasta’ Viburnum (Viburnum plicatum f. tormentosum) is one of the more beautiful selections of viburnums. The viburnum pictured below is in its fourth year of growing in my garden and has never looked better!  Loads of white lacecap flowers cover the branches in a two row fashion which…

I’ve been planning my raised bed garden for a while now and now I’ve come to another phase. Figuring out how to plant the garden. I’m planning on using a technique called companion planting. Carol at May Dreams Gardens mentioned this a couple weeks ago although she called it Three Sisters gardening. It’s concept is pretty simple, plant plants that…

Trees serve as the backbone of the garden. Trees add structure and height, clean the air, filter water, prevent soil erosion, provide shade and can be a habitat for wildlife. If you have ever sat beneath a maple tree in the heat of summer and enjoyed the cool shade it provided you understand the value of that tree. To me…