The first of the 2019 seeds catalogs showed up a couple of weeks ago. Excited as I was, I made the decision to wait before opening them up and lusting after all those glorious fruit and veggie plants and seeds. My head is not there yet. I’m still getting my garden settled in for winter. Some of my favorites are Baker Creek, Johnny’s, Pinetree, and High Mowing. If you missed my seed catalog post from earlier this year before garden…
great gifts for the gardener in your life, or for YOU!
November 19, 2018With 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…
book review: a very small farm by william paul winchester
November 16, 2018I recently finished a great little book called “A Very Small Farm” by William Paul Winchester. Originally published in 1996, it is an account of his experience building a life of his choosing, self-sufficient and close to the land. Born in 1957, he imagined and planned the house he would build for himself ever since high school. Learning everything he needed to know from books, along with enlisting some help when needed, he constructed a 24′ x 30′ house for…
thanksgiving plans have changed – what??
November 12, 2018Greetings! Are you getting excited for the Big Feast that is coming? We are gearing up for Thanksgiving in our household, although our plans have changed somewhat. Ever since we got married in 2005, we have hosted an “After-Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving”, more recently known as Friendsgiving. We host our family and friends at our place on the Saturday after the big day. After feasting at one place or another on actual Thanksgiving Day, it’s the whole big dinner all over…
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…
scarecrows are happiest in the fall!
October 15, 2018If you’ve followed along recently, you may have read that mums are out for me this year- if not, you can read it here, but everything else is definitely in! Especially happy scarecrows… No particular reason, just turned out that way. I am also trying a tablescape this year and finding it to be more difficult than it looks in all the pretty Pinterest photos. I kept adding and removing, adding and removing. The different fall themed decor pieces seemed…
