Did you Get Lost in the Garden?

Recently I highlighted a few new acquisitions to my garden under the guise of some sort of window collection. Clearly all you bright gardeners saw right through my windows and into my future plans to put together a greenhouse! Today I’ll officially tell you about my plans, and more specifically about its location, even though I still don’t have a…

Recently I put together my newest raised bed.  I was inspired by some pictures I’ve seen lately where metal roofing materials were used for the sides.  It was a very cool look that I wanted to see if I could replicate for my garden. Plus metal materials last longer than lumber for raised beds.  I went to the store and…

If you want a drought tolerant hardy perennial that looks great check out a ‘Moonbeam’ coreopsis. ‘Moonbeam’ is one of the threadleaf varieties and is more drought tolerant because of those narrow needle-like leaves. The smaller surface area means that the leaves lose less water through transpiration than other varieties of coreopsis. It still has the massive profusion of blooms…

Today I thought I would show you the before and after since yesterday I teased you on the details of the front porch garden remodel. It’s current state is still classified in the unfinished category but it is well on its way to becoming a welcoming front porch garden. First let me show you the before pictures: The crabapple is…

You’ve seen it before I’m sure.  A surprise plant or two coming up where you would least expect it.  A bird may have moved the seed around, or maybe it was caught can carried along on the wind. But have you ever had a whole garden just appear ready to go?  I have!  Now it’s not the perfect fall garden. …

The plant of the week this past week was correctly guessed by several people. It is a honeysuckle vine. This particular one is sprawling up the lamp post outside my parent’s home. I suspect that it is a trumpet honeysuckle or coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens). It was there before they purchased the house so I can’t be 100% sure of…

Fall is fast approaching us here in Tennessee whether it feels like it or not (to me it feels like September) and I’ve started thinking about what to plant. Perennials are perfect for fall plantings since their roots grow slowly over the winter to become established root systems by spring. Then in spring the root systems are ready to go…

…before the daffodils bloom! We are definitely behind last year’s blooms. The only daffodils I saw outside today were 1-2 inch leaves protruding from the ground. Anyone have a guess as to when the first daffodil in my garden will be blooming? Latest Greenhouse Post: How I’ll Use My Greenhouse.

Here are a few garden layouts, plans, and designs that I have put together for my garden. Some are landscape plans while others are diagrams of my vegetable garden. The herb garden layouts were never actually implemented in my garden as I went with the interplanting approach. Eventually I may incorporate a formal herb garden in our landscape. You are…

It’s amazing to see how plants grow. You look back at pictures taken in previous years and see a drastic difference between then and now. Take my sedum garden for instance. When it started there were only a few plants in the area between our driveway and the front sidewalk. A ‘Blue Spruce’ sedum that we had in a pot…

Lately I’ve been looking back at all the pictures I took over 2009 like in my last post (the picture of rudbeckias.) Soon I’ll be talking about seeds and getting ready in earnest for 2010 gardening but I find that glancing back at the previous year’s pictures helps to guide me when it comes to the seed catalogs. I stumbled…

Summertime in Tennessee will be HOT. No doubt about it! We frequently get into the upper 90’s and sometimes it can last for several days in a row. You need a plan for your garden to deal with the hot temperatures. Most warm season plants that you grow will do fine with a few basic techniques for dealing with the…

This could be a tense question for all those opinionated gardeners out there but which should you pick, native or exotic plants? There are definitely advantages to choosing native plants with tolerance to the climate being first and foremost. Natives are better for the indigenous wildlife as it provides the food and sustenance they are used to eating.Exotic plants are…

Despite what the weather may lead us to believe Spring will arrive soon. Maybe it will help us believe it if we repeat that phrase: Spring will arrive soon! (Repeat as needed) It’s March and during March we can expect a number of tumultuous and turbulent weather systems that will toy with our psyche. Have faith gardeners because spring and the gardening…

I think the whole subject of GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) in our food supply is definitely worth its own post as many people (including myself) have some great concerns. I will not knowingly advocate for GMO’s and definitely caution against their consumption. I am not a scientist and don’t know all the facts regarding the genetic manipulation of organisms but…

For those of us who garden in the summertime almost exclusively for the purpose of tasting that juicy red perfect tomato from the vegetable garden there’s a pretty good resource for you. It’s an Ebook called How to Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes written by Lucia Grimmer and Annette Welsford. Together the two tomato aficionados have assembled a handy resource for…

Hollyhocks! These plants are simply enormous. I haven’t measured them but a rough estimate of six and a half feet sounds very realistic. Unfortunately they are in a really bad location – flanking our front walkway. I should have transplanted them last year to another location more suitable but either didn’t think of it or was too lazy. Although the…

While aphids are easy to deal with they are definitely a nuisance! I discovered these on our hostas the other day feasting on the flower stalks. Aphids are easy to find, just look for the ants. Ants are opportunistic little insects that love a sweet and easy meal that the aphids provide. When the aphids begin to feed on the…