Did you Get Lost in the Garden?

I just can’t wait. Pretty soon the tomatoes will be ripening and we’ll be pulling them from the vine as fast as we can. Unfortunately the hard part of gardening is learning patience for we still have to wait. It takes time for things to grow and mature and you have to grow to appreciate the process from seed to…

Hostas are one of my favorite garden plants so it stands to reason that I like to propagate more! The propagation of hostas is done primarily through division which is a very simple process. Like any process there are several methods that will work to propagate and divide hostas. The Best Time to Divide Hostas The best time to divide…

What looks great with coreopsis in the garden? The answer is coreopsis looks great with just about everything! Over the last two years I’ve acquired several types of coreopsis (also called tickseed) and experimented with it in different combinations and found it plays well by itself and with others. Here are few coreopsis companions from my garden. “Moonbeam” Coreopsis Here…

Here’s the situation. I have two pots on my front steps which each house an arrangement of Dusty Miller and cordyline.  The problem is the cordyline is looking a little worse for wear.  It’s not supposed to be hardy here in Tennessee but so far it’s stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive despite cold temperatures in the mid to lower 20’s. It’s…

Memorial Day isn’t about cookouts or backyard BBQs. It’s not about the fireworks or vacations either. It’s about paying tribute to the memory of those who have given their lives in the service of their country. Originally it was meant to honor those who died in the Civil War and eventually changed to honor those from all wars after World…

Here is the current list of seeds I have started so far. Only a few seedlings have popped up but more will come. It is still early and conditions outside are just now starting to warm up. I’m starting them in the garage under the cover of my mini-greenhouse and some plastic containers turned upside down as propagators. Spending $5.00…

Have you ever put something in the garden that you just shouldn’t have? Maybe you thought “I don’t have a better place to put this so I’ll just stick it in here” or even “I’ll stick this plant here and keep it trimmed back.” I’ve thought both of those many times and made mistakes and the latter statement gets me…

I often heard stories from people about their gardening experience when they were children.  Usually the story has something to do with the person being forced to pull mountains of weeds. The quickest way for kids to lose their interest in gardening is to force them to do laborious and monotonous tasks, like weeding. When asked which garden task we…

Quite a few people chimed in to offer their opinion as to what our naturally formed rock sculpture looks like. There were a range of responses from prehistoric and mythic reptiles to fuzzy and furry creatures of the woodlands and prairies. What I learned is that identifying what a rock resembles is a lot like naming the clouds, every one…

Have you ever wondered “How in the world do I keep the squirrels from emptying out our birdfeeders?” It’s a common problem that so many of us have while trying to feed our fine feathered friends. We spend all kinds of money adding seed to the feeders to feed the birds only to have it thrown all around on the…

If you are a gardener you have probably heard people talking about how great woodchips are. That is probably because they are a very good resource for building up organic matter. Woodchips and leaves are also very easy to acquire and and best of all cheap! Woodchips do have a few drawbacks but if you are aware of those you…

This morning I while out in the garden I found a couple cucumbers ready to be picked,and mutant squash! Apparently we had a Siamese squash growing on the vine. Each side of this vegetable anomaly appears like it could have been it’s own fruit.They are almost exactly the same length and size but completely connected on one side.Here is the…

The weather this past weekend was perfect for outdoor gardening activities! Unfortunately we are still a good six weeks away from safe outdoor planting and many of the tasks on my long term spring agenda need to wait until the frosts are done, but there is always something that can be done! Garden preparation! By far the biggest job my…

Some plants are determined. Something in their genetic make-up decided long ago that nothing would get them down and nothing ever does. Take this river birch (Betula nigra) for instance. I received it from the Arbor Day Foundation but this isn’t one of the 10 “free” trees I received with my donation. I actually purchased this one. It was one…

Last January I came up with 9 garden projects that I wanted to accomplish. As is my tradition over the last several years it’s time to review and see what I actually achieved! The block areas are from my 2010 project list and the bullets are what was accomplished. 1) First and foremost I need to finish the greenhouse. I’m…

I found this plant on a limestone outcropping near the Yellow Corydalis and the False Garlic. It appears to be a type of succulent. The stems and larger leaves have a red tint around the edges while the smaller leaves are more narrow and green. I suspect it is a wild stonecrop of some sort but I don’t know for…

Emily Rose who gardens and blogs in the Chattanooga area has a very picturesque setting for her fall colors!  What could be better than fall colors reflected in a pond?  Oaks, maples, and other trees all offer up a piece of East Tennessee fall color.  Stop by and check out Emily’s fall color pictures at her blog!

Perhaps one of the easiest methods of plant propagation is through bulbils. Bulbils are simply baby plants produced along aerial stem of a plant. Lilies are well known for producing bulbils and you can take advantage of this natural plant ability to create more lilies for your garden. Not all lilies produce bulbils so be observant of your garden to…