Most gardeners know that lettuce is one of the cool season crops. This means that lettuce plants perform best in the cooler spring and fall temperatures. When I lived in Northern California and coastal North Carolina, where winter brings frequent frosts but only occasional hard freezes, I was able to grow lettuce and other salad [...]
Since I started to grow unusual edible plants, the hardy purple passion flower or Maypop (Passiflora incarnata) has become one of my favorite vines. Its exotic, stunningly beautiful flowers are set off by the attractive dark green foliage. The small, yellow, edible fruit produced in the fall are another reason to love this vine. The name [...]
Last month, I wrote about moving some of my outdoor container plants indoors, to grow as houseplants for the winter. I also took cuttings of coleus and begonias – and even some basil, before frost hit. Now that we have gotten a few frosts, but before we get a hard freeze, it is time to [...]
It has been so hot and dry in Cincinnati that I’ve been absolutely lethargic for weeks. But there has been a distinct chill to the air this past week that tells us fall is on its way. It is wonderful and energizing and I actually feel like gardening again! The cooler weather means it’s time [...]
There is often a spot in the mixed flower and shrub border that looks a little drab or dreary – because the flowers aren’t blooming yet; because you just cut back something that was going to seed; because you planted a colorful shrub that hasn’t yet reached its full size, so there is empty space [...]
Home grown potatoes have a sweetness and tender texture not found in store-bought potatoes of the same variety. That’s why I like to grow enough for fresh eating. Potato plants require full sun and a light, well-drained soil that is loose for a good 12 inches deep. I’m planting my potatoes this year in a [...]
Yesterday was a marvelously sunny fall day! According to the weather forecast, it was probably one of the last really pretty days we’ll have for a while, so I spent part of it winterizing my garden pots and statuary. Of all the different materials that plant pots are made of, I prefer terra cotta clay. [...]