Why Blog?
I resisted starting this blog for a long time. I wasn’t really sure people would read it. I would have to learn a new technology. It would take a lot of time to keep it up-to-date. And after all, there are already a lot of gardening blogs out there!
Although there’s a lot of information out on the web, some is good and some is not so good. Can you tell which is which? And it’s not specifically aimed at gardeners who share the unique combination of soil, weather, and mindset that we possess in our Midwestern zone 5 and 6 gardens.
My students often make comments like “It would be great to see your garden in every season!” and “Can you explain how you do that?” I started to think that people might follow my blog, after all.
It might even be good for me. I’ll be motivated to use my camera more often. I’ll be stimulated into doing things I’ve been putting off, just so I can tell you about it.
Then, at a recent Garden Writers conference, an 86-year old colleague told me she was learning to blog from her grandson. I figured there was no excuse for me. So here it is.
You never know what you might find in the compost pile. . .
I will tell you about what to do in the garden and how to do it. That’s it. I won’t tell you about my fabulous vacation, Uncle Harold’s harrowing experience or the latest antics of my darling daughter. Unless, of course, they happen in the garden.
Happy Gardening!
Hi Sue,
I love your new website. Can I submit a question or two? Here are my questions.
1. Ornamental strawberries have taken over my edible strawberry patch. How can I start over to plant new strawberries? Should I use round up on the old strawberries and erplant in the spring? Could you please tell me a good variety of strawberries to plant?
2. I just bought a huge bird feeder pole for my backyard. I am looking forward to using it but the birds keep kicking out seeds onto the ground and they grow into stuff that is not very pretty. I have tried putting black tarp under rocks to prevent the seeds from growing. Did not work well. Do you think I should try planting something below the bird feeders?
Lynne
Hi Lynne,
Thanks! I’ve been out of town for a few days, hence the late reply . . .
Roundup will kill wild, ornamental and edible strawberries. It’s a bit late to apply it – the chemical must be absorbed and metabolized to kill the plant, roots and all. If the plant is not actively growing, this can’t happen. I am controlling a patch of the weedy, groundcovering wild strawberry by hand pulling the plants – but you have to be dilligent with all of the runners and it does take some time. I’ll do a post soon with variety recommendations . . .
And yes, definitely plant something at the base of your bird feeder. The competition will keep the spilled seeds from germinating, and the few that do germinate can be easily pulled but aren’t such an eyesore when nestled among plant foliage. Growing amongst a bed of rocks just hilights their ugliness!
Thanks for this info. Additional discussions similar to this topic can be found at the World’s Largest Forum.