Ah, the month of Spring’s arrival! Here is what we are working on this month in our garden…it’s gonna be busy! What are you up to in your garden this month?…
i’m digging! grow lights
March 1, 2019This week I’m digging this grow light setup that arrived a couple days ago. The man and I assembled it tonight – easy peasy. I’ve never used grow lights before and I’m excited to level up my gardening game. This model is from Gardener’s Supply Company and is a modular system. This means that you can start with the base unit (which is what the above photo is) and add on later. The units stack onto each other. I’ve seen…
thoughtful thursday: gardening as exercise
February 28, 2019I’m sure you’ve heard, as I have many times, that gardening can be a great form of exercise, and maybe you’ve wondered how true that actually is. I’ve done some digging and have some information to share with you. Before we get into that, let me preface by saying that the notion of “gardening is a good form of exercise” really depends on what we’re talking about when we say “gardening” and what our definition of “exercise” is. For some,…
seed starting time is here!!
February 25, 2019It seems like I just put the garden to bed for the winter. And it still IS winter out there, technically. But, since it’s February, that means it is time to get the some of the seeds started indoors if I want them to be ready in time for transplanting. I finally got my containers cleaned and sanitized. I’m pretty sure I will not be using all of these containers this year, but some of them hadn’t been cleaned in…
how to: sanitize seed starting containers
February 11, 2019It is seed starting time! Seems like I just tucked the garden away for winter. Nevertheless, at least in my Zone 6 garden, this is the time to get a few specific things going. Namely, leeks, onions, and peppers. Later in the month, I’ll get the tomato and brussels sprouts going. Before we can get the seeds into the dirt (or to be more specific, sterile seed starting mix), the containers need to be cleaned and sanitized. While it can…
the moon and the garden
February 4, 2019Inspired by a full moon one recent night (hmm… must have been when I was taking my Trixie dog out for a late night potty run), I wondered if the moon had any effect on plants. Some say that it absolutely does. According to “Ask an Astronomer” from the Astronomy Department at Cornell University: “There are two main ideas behind moon gardening practices. First, lunar gardeners believe the moon’s gravitational pull affects the flow of moisture in the soil. Just…
february garden activities
February 1, 2019Still in the thick of winter over here… got down to -4F this week! But, there are *real* garden activities to be done this month! Here is what’s on the plan – note that “under glass” just means in the appropriate conditions indoors or in a greenhouse. Are you surviving the winter?? Or maybe still enjoying summer, for the Southern hemisphere friends?…
gardening for the birds
January 25, 2019Did you know that the way you garden can directly impact the behavior and even the survival of bird populations? I’ve been trying to get some good photos of the birds around here, but the camera is never ready when the birds are! Here are some easy things we gardeners can do to make a difference: make good use of bird feeders. My fave right now is this one from Brome. plant native plants in our gardens and landscape. I…
a little greenhouse
January 21, 2019For a few years now, I’ve done my indoor seed starting using one of the those portable greenhouses. It was given to me by a friend who didn’t use it. I promptly said Yes! when he offered it to me. My friend had gotten it secondhand and a couple of the frame pieces were already broken, but it held up well enough for a while. After a few good years, it finally became too unstable to use. The plastic frame…
native plants
January 18, 2019One of the things I’d like to do in the garden this year is to plant some native plants. Thanks to my favorite gardening podcasts, The joe gardener Show and A Way to Garden, I am becoming increasingly aware of the importance of adding native plants to my garden and landscape. Native plants are important for several reasons: the local wildlife, including insects, have evolved along with these plants and depend on them for food and shelter. native plants are…
