This week I’m digging a new quilt pattern – Bending Tree by Ricky Tims. What better pattern for a gardener?! Ricky is one of my favorite online quilting personas. I’ve had the good fortune of attending one of his quilting talks and he is every bit as engaging in real life as he is on The Quilt Show. I ordered one of his quilt kits and it arrived this week. I tried to capture the rich colors in the pattern…
thoughtful thursday: the ten thousand beings
February 14, 2019The phrase “the ten thousand beings” is new to me. I’ve just recently read it in Tao Te Ching: An Intuitive Interpretation by Robert M. Jankel. If you are interested in the Tao, his book has been just very recently published and I think you will enjoy it. He sent me a copy and I am appreciating yet another way to read and understand this ancient spiritual work. One nice thing that sets Mr. Jankel’s book apart is that he…
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…
i’m digging! this beautiful hawk that came to visit
February 8, 2019This week I am digging what looks to be a red-shouldered hawk that perched on a tree branch just outside my window. Well…not “just” outside, more like 20-30 feet away. I did have just enough time to grab my zoom lens and snap a couple of photos through the window before she flew off. Looks like she is clutching some type of rodent. I noticed that each of her legs has a band. Some searching turned up this website regarding…
thoughtful thursday: the winter sky
February 7, 2019Isn’t winter the best for stargazing? The air seems clearer and the stars sharper and brighter. One of the best things about the winter sky are the great views of the constellation Orion the Hunter. This is one of the best known and loved of the constellations. Orion is one of the few constellations that I already knew before meeting the man, who is much more versed in astronomy than I was, or still am. I’ve learned a great deal…
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?…
thoughtful thursday: a green thumb is a dirty thumb
January 31, 2019That’s a quote from the book The Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch. Actually, the full quote is “It is often said that a green thumb is a dirty thumb.” That is from the book’s introduction. I think the point is that just getting out there and doing the work is what will earn you a green thumb. I couldn’t agree more! Like most activities though, maybe some people have more of a knack for growing plants than others do. Some…
my word for 2019
January 28, 2019Are you a “word of the year” kind of person? I have been following this practice for several years now. Last year, my word was Open. I had a really hard time choosing a word this year and thought maybe I was getting kind of tired of the whole thing. I realized that I DO like the concept of a word of the year, as evidenced by last year’s word really making a difference in my life. So…I buckled down…
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…
