Our unusually warm winter marches on. We’ve had mild weather most of the winter and almost no snow. Not a single snowman, and I miss the pretty snow blanketing the garden! Without snow, the landscape looks rather dreary. Besides that, how will this affect our gardens and landscapes? Plants that become dormant in winter must have [...]
I was making Italian wedding soup in the crock pot for dinner tonight when I decided to pick some kale from the garden to use (in place of spinach or escarole) in my recipe. Still picking greens from your garden, you ask? Credit the warm winter we’ve been having! And kale is the hardiest of [...]
It’s Garden Bloggers Bloom Day (GBBD) again. Thanks heavens! This is a great reminder for me to post a blog. I’ve been hit-or-miss at posting since I broke my collar bone last spring. It still hasn’t healed completely, and this has really restricted my gardening efforts. Whch has made me loath to blog. Not logical, but true! So the [...]
Conifers are trees and shrubs that bear cones instead of flowers. Conifers add structure to the landscape. And because most are evergreen, they are especially appreciated in a barren winter setting. Think how naked my garden shed would look without the evergreens in this image! The large plant to the left is a blue spruce, Picea [...]
A friend has asked me how to grow herbs indoors during the winter. Since she started using fresh herbs, the dried version just doesn’t cut it any more. She spends a lot of money on the little sprigs that are for sale in the grocery store produce department. She would prefer to save that money [...]
December 15, and what is blooming? Not much. We are having an unusually warm spell (60 degrees!) and continuous drizzle, though I’ve braved the elements to get these few images. And I’m finally learning that the only thing normal about Cincinnati weather is . . . that it is never normal! Above, the intrepid perennial [...]
On Veteran’s Day, I want to thank my dad and all of the Veterans who have worked to keep our country safe. Thanks a lot! Eleven seems to be the magic number today. I’m celebrating 11/11/11 by providing the top 11 gardening chores for November. Here’s what I’ve been working on this past week, and hope to [...]
Last fall, I blogged about overwintering tender plants like geraniums, coleus and begonias by taking cuttings. Since cuttings from these plants break new roots so easily, I just put them in a vase of water and wait for the roots to form. It’s kind of like having a row of flower arrangements in my window! When [...]
Seed starting time is approaching. I’ll be starting my tomato and pepper plants, cabbage family plants and others next week. The one thing that has made the biggest difference to my seed-starting success has been growing the seedlings under supplemental light. I just set up the light stand above, and moved a few plants into [...]
Yesterday, while turning the compost pile, I saw the first bloom of 2011 in my back shade garden. This is Helleborus x ballardiae ‘Cinnamon Snow’ from the Helleborus Gold Collection. I just received the plant last fall, along with ‘Pink Frost’ and ‘Joseph Lemper’ from the same collection. The plants are still young, but blooming [...]