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 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 [...]
I have a secret place in my garden, concealed behind a tall screen of leatherleaf viburnum (Viburnum x rhytidophylloides ‘Alleghany’), red maple (Acer ‘Red Sunset’), and Norway spruce (Picea abies). The space between this screen and the backyard neighbor’s wooden fence is a practical space, hidden from garden visitors view. This is where I pile [...]
The cool night temperatures – in the 40’s this week – mean it’s time to think about bringing tender plants indoors. Like many gardeners, I grow tropical and other tender plants to jazz up the garden. These plants need special treatment to live through the winter. If you grew tropical plants in your garden this [...]
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. [...]
After a week spent on other pursuits, I finally got out into the garden this weekend. Perfect, gorgeous weather! Not too cold, not too hot, sunny and dry – with emphasis on the dry. It’s been a couple of weeks since we’ve had rain in the greater Cincinnati area. The plants that I added or [...]
I spent some time last week mowing my neighbor’s lawns – and plan to do some more this week. It’s not that I don’t have enough to keep me busy in my own landscape. But I don’t have any really big trees in my yard, and they do. All those fallen leaves are a virtual [...]
I love the term “putting the garden to bed” for when you cut back your plants and add a layer of compost or mulch for the winter. I can imagine the little plants lying under their blanket of mulch, waiting to wake up and peek out in the spring! But not everything should be cut [...]
I love getting out in the cool, crisp autumn air after the first few frosts of the season to do some fall cleanup. The garden looks more attractive in winter without the tattered stalks and dead leaves, and removing plant debris helps reduce insect pest and plant disease problems later on. So here is what [...]
I gave a talk on the onion family, the Alliums, last Wednesday at the Civic Garden Center. We discussed onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, chives and garlic chives, with a nod at the ornamental alliums. The enthusiasm among the attendees makes me want to encourage everyone to plant garlic! Garlic is easy to grow, and should [...]