Did you Get Lost in the Garden?

I’m finding that this year has by far been the most challenging year for the garden. At least so far. It’s not just because of the sweltering heat that is sitting on us like some big ole bear on a circus ball. And it’s not just the complete lack of rain over the last couple week (wait I did feel…

Don’t be afraid, unless you’re an aphid. These little larvae are on the side of good and fight the evildoers in the garden. They may look creepy at first but these little lady beetle larvae are some of the best friends you could have. They eat even more than the adults do! Lady beetles love aphids as well as mites…

I’m a little late on this post but here it is! What questions did people ask in September? Here’s a glimpse of what information some people were looking for and wound up here!How fast does Russian sage grow? Pretty fast! I put in two plants this spring from cuttings and they grew to full size and bloomed. They had ideal…

Sometimes looking at plants from above just makes you think of more winter, more cold, more rain, more sleet , more snow… ‘Autumn Joy’ Sedum – seed heads …but if you look underneath you just might find a little bit more to look forward to! ‘Autumn Joy’ Sedum – sprouting Greenhouse Update: I completed some work with some concrete blocks…

Who would have thought? A daffodil (Narcissus) blooming in mid-February! The little sprouts are coming up all over but this one and a couple others like it have decided they like the weather. It could be that they are in a slightly warmer micro-climate near concrete but mostly it’s because of the extremely unseasonably warm weather we’ve been enjoying. It’s…

This weekend was the annual Bloom ‘N Garden Expo at the Williamson County Agricultural Center.  You can bet that when there are plants and me in the same location I’ll end up coming home with something!  When going to these festivals I make two rules for myself with purchases.  One, the purchase has to be something I don’t have and…

One of the best times to work out in the garden is the early morning before 7:30 AM. Anytime thereafter the temperature and humidity skyrockets, at least here in Tennessee. Early morning is also one of the best times for watering. It gives the plants water in the coolest part of the day when they can absorb the most since…

Jan at Thanks For Today is sponsoring a meme in support of Earth Day (April 22, 2010). I have to admit I’ve had trouble with this. It’s not that I have any problem with Earth Day or writing a post full of great tips for saving the world but when coming from a personal perspective to share something new my…

My last garden shed post was way back in June and I’m definitely overdue to share some more progress. This one has much more to do with gardening than building a shed so go take a look at the first part of two posts! The Gardens Around The Shed

Fall, as I’ve said before, is probably my favorite time of year. I enjoy the processes involved with closing down the garden, the cooler weather, and the changes in the leaves. It’s also a great time to garden with its own set of unique challenges. For planting trees, shrubs, and bulbs there is no better time than autumn. For growing…

This afternoon the temperatures dropped enough for work outside to become “feasible.” Not ideal in any sense of the word simply feasible. Add to that this cough, sinus drainage, and a mild case of pink eye and you would think I would just stay indoors and rest. Not so for this dedicated (or dumb) gardener! My oldest daughter accompanied me…

Have Merry Christmas! And a Happy New Year!

When winter comes I really feel it and maybe you do too. I feel the feeling of melancholy that accompanies being stuck indoors for long stretches of time. There is a name for that feeling, Seasonal Affected Disorder. I’m certainly not a doctor but I can recognize when “SAD” is hitting me and the best cure for me is to…

One little seed starting trick I have in my bag of gardening tricks is to start seeds in plastic cup greenhouses!  I shared a picture of seed starting in my mini-greenhouses about 2 weeks ago on my Facebook page and I thought today I would share with you the progress of the seedlings. Plastic cups are an easy and effective…

With a slight fog in the air the sun’s rays illuminated those morning mists.The dew glistened on the Silver mound artemisia in the front sidewalk garden.A purple Mother’s Day rose with its leaves frosted by the morning dew.If you look close enough you can see the spider web waving in the air.Morning is a great time to be in the…

This time of year more than any other when the cold weather is still stuck upon us we look for any signs of spring. We scour the garden for any hints of warmer weather that will hopefully be on its way soon. We have it lucky right now here in Tennessee. While the snows are burying parts of our country…

Even though I’ve been fairly quiet recently about my plant propagation efforts I’m still working on several things.  Many of my cuttings I do indoors and keep away from the cold winter weather.  Very soon I’ll go and take cuttings from the evergreens but for now here’s what I’ve rooted recently. Confirmed rooted: Japanese Dappled Willows (Salix integra) – I…

Recently I was given some natural stone to add to my landscape by a local gardener.  Some of the stone was large and flat while other stones were rough edged and angular. Today I’ll show you how I used the large flat stones in three areas of my yard. First I’ll tell you how I set the stones. I didn’t…