With the holiday season upon us, you might find yourself in need of the perfect gift for your favorite gardening friend. Or, these might be good ideas when someone asks YOU what you want for Christmas. I’ve put together a small list that may be helpful in your shopping endeavors. I own and use each of the items on this list and would buy again in a second. (1) The original GrowBox planter – I have 7 or 8 of these and…
shredding the leaves like yeah
November 9, 2018Note: this post is not sponsored or affiliated. I bought this shredder and love it so much I can’t help but share all the good things about it. I am upping my compost game. Yes! With my brand new Black & Decker leaf blower/shredder. I first mentioned my new toy on the blog back at the beginning of October, when I provided some ways to make garden cleanup fun. Well, now that we have some leaves on the ground, I busted that…
fall gardens are beautiful, even after the leaves are gone
November 5, 2018Sure, the fall landscape can be IS a real show stopper. Once those leaves drop, however, the garden may not be as vibrant or seem as interesting as it once was. Don’t let that stop you from enjoying it, though. In many ways, the late fall garden is even more interesting. You can really see the structure of those trees we all love so much. We still have leaves on our trees, but they are dwindling by the day. This…
november garden activities
November 2, 2018Wow! Is it November already?? Are you prepared for the coming winter? Here is what I will be working on in the garden this month. Depending on your location, here are some other things you might consider at this time of year: save seed for next year clean and drain pond gardens (unless you have fish or other wildlife that depends on the pond) clean greenhouse glass (if you are one of the luckies who has a greenhouse!) thoroughly clean…
how to: fall garlic planting
October 29, 2018It’s time to get the garlic in the ground for next year’s harvest. Come along with me and I will show you how I do it. It starts with having a high quality supply of garlic bulbs to plant. I order mine online from a reputable seed company, such as Baker Creek or Johnny’s Selected Seeds. You can often grow garlic using bulbs purchased at the grocery store; however, be aware that sometimes these bulbs have been treated to prevent…
first frost – yup, it’s here!
October 22, 2018Has your first frost happened yet? Ours did, just this past week. For the first time in recent years, I was – at least I think I was – prepared. Houseplants moved back inside, check. Any tender plants staying outside were covered, check. Any lingering veggies harvested, check. I moved several houseplants inside a short while ago. Here is the Majesty Palm that I just got this year. It has been gracing our side porch all summer and now it…
last harvest from the veggie garden
October 12, 2018Greetings! As I am working to clean up the garden for fall, I thought it would be fun (and a bright, colorful lookback) to look at some photos of the most recent pickings from the veggie garden. Sadly, I pulled the last veggies this week, if you don’t count some leafy greens that are still in the ground. Happy Gardening to You!…
october garden activities
October 8, 2018Hi all! We are well into October and I meant to post this sooner…here is what I am working on in my Zone 6 garden this month. Some of these tasks are carryovers from last month. Some other things that one might consider doing at this time of year: Save excess seed for next year. (I’m still not seed-saving…yes, yes, I know. I will get there.) Make sure to cover tender plants when frosts are forecast. Use blankets, sheets or…
make garden cleanup fun!
October 1, 2018Around this time last year, the man and I were on vacation. This year, no such luck! I am on garden cleanup duty. As much as I love(!) making my garden bigger each year, the hard truth is: the bigger the garden, the more fall cleanup there will be. If this is something you don’t necessarily enjoy (like me), I’ll be sharing some ideas later in the post that might make this task more enjoyable. As for my own garden, there…
how to: divide peony plants
September 21, 2018We have some peonies around the place – my very favorite flower. If you missed my post on exactly how crazy I am over peonies, check it out. Today’s post is all about dividing peonies. When we moved here I was very happy to see that there were already some peonies planted. I’ve intended to divide the ones here in order to move some closer to the house almost every year since we moved here six years ago. Knowing that…
