MyBlog

Recipe for Spring: Rhubarb Strawberry Crumble

Wed, 11 May 2011 15:10:05 +0100

I love the Brits for many things; gardening, literature and spot-on wit, not to mention their penchant for sensible shoes. And when it comes to descriptive terms for fruit-based desserts, no one gets close.

Crumble, trifle, grunt, fool, dowdy...

Read more and get the recipe at The Garden Buzz

Garden2Blog: Hanging Out with P. Allen Smith

Mon, 02 May 2011 21:17:00 +0100

It's not often I get to hang out with a celebrity. But first, P. Allen Smith would gently correct me. He considers himself foremost a teacher. Attending the first Garden2Blog event was a huge honor. Along with two dozen other bloggers, we all bonded over beautiful gardens and bad, bad weather. Visit The Garden Buzz for my thoughts and lots of great photos. Ask me a question about P. Allen while you're at it. ...

My Blessed Garden

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:17:07 +0100

I am sooo blessed. My best friends mom sent a whole garden up from SE Ohio to me. She sent Iris's, hostas, daffidils, mints, artemasia, st. johns wort, and much more! I'm so excited about it. It's definitely a lot of hard work. Especially since I'm doing it the old fashioned way because I don't have a tiller. I'm learning so much because she was nice enough to label each one and sent instructions on the best way to plant them.

How to Prepare Your Soil for a Healthy Vegetable Garden

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 21:41:56 +0100

In order to grow a garden filled with delicious vegetables, you must create a healthy environment for them to grow. To reap a harvest of healthy plants you must begin with healthy soil. It is the soil that contributes to a thriving garden. When most homeowners think about soil, they think about the dirt that lies beneath the grass in the backyard. In reality, soil consists of an assortment of natural resources like organic material and rock fragments. It is basically classif ...

I need information ;D

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 01:55:02 +0100

I'm a 12(almost 13) year old. And I want to start a garden.I'm new to Gardening I've done some part time gardening, but not full time.I would like some answers to these questions plz.*$%?Questions?%$*1. on a day it doesn't rain, Do I water my plants with a hose??2. How do I raise Starts?3. On wat side of the house (north, east west or south) do I start the garden?4. bought 2 Geranium (red(alredy bloomed)) plants, a pack of Impatiens seeds, a pack of carrot seeds and a pack of Watermelon seeds. ...

All the Tea in South Carolina...and North America

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:28:13 +0100

I drink so much sweet tea that it's probably flowing in my veins. I know the tea plant is Camellia sinenis, but surprisingly I knew little about the actual growing of tea. Then while in Charleston we took a trip out to the only tea plantation in North America. It was a refreshingly interesting tour. What's the difference between growing of green and black tea? Nothing. It's simpler than that... Join me on a little adventure at The Ga ...

Garden2Blog: P. Allen Smith's Invited Me Over, No Foolin'

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 01:20:51 +0100

Well, me and 20 other garden bloggers.

Now I'll have to figure out what to call him, is it P, or Allen or even Al?

I'm excited to be joining this talented group of garden bloggers at the Garden Home Retreat at Garden2Blog.

Find out more at The Garden Buzz

Window Boxes of Charleston: Doable Anywhere

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:50:01 +0100

While forbidden to photograph the interior gardens of the Glorious Gardens tour in picturesque Charleston, (See the previous post) I went a little nuts noting all the beautiful window boxes.It's perfectly legal to take pictures from the street.

Great ideas abound for plant combinations, most of them doable anywhere. Enjoy this preview of spring at The Garden Buzz.

Sand Gnats and Savannah Porches

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:44:10 +0100

It's sand gnat season and most everyone in Savannah, tourist and local alike, is trying to sneak a discreet scratch on those tiny but demanding bites. I knew there was something wrong with this magical place. Meanwhile we've been busy touring all the stunning homes and gardens soaked in so much history. These fabulous porches looked particularly inviting. Sit a spell and enjoy them at The Garden Buzz. ...

Spring Giveaway: Oxo Pruning Shears (...and a bunny in our basement)

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 22:22:56 +0100

No, I'm not giving away the bunny in our basement, but you will get a kick out of the story.

I am giving away a pair of Oxo Bypass Pruners thanks to the nice people at Oxo.

Check out the details and hear our bunny tale at The Garden Buzz

Spring: Are We There Yet?

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 15:31:51 +0100

It may be meteorological spring, it may even be Target Spring (that's when the patio furniture comes out), but it's still a winter wonderland here. I'm in an abysmal funk of zone-envy.

But I have big dreams for spring gardening. What are you dreaming of? Or are you outside looking at your spring flowers while I shovel snow?

Read about my garden plans at The Garden Buzz!

Succulents: New Trend or Old Friend?

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:50:14 +0100

I get a kick out of these hip and happenin' succulent container plantings. There's no gardening magazine this spring that doesn't feature them in some form or fashion. Instead of striking me as new and exciting, although they are exciting, they just fill me with nostalgia for my SoCal childhood. I guess I've lived long enough to see them come around for the second time. Or was my mother just ahead of her time? I've dedicated this post to my mother who passed away, way too soon, this week 24 year ...

Winter Hardiness: The Benefits of Procrastination in the Garden

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:45:12 +0100

During last year's garden tour I was asked many times about what I would do with the large, potted Japanese maples once winter came. I didn't reply, "Oh, I'll have the best of intentions to bring them in the garage until next spring, but then I'll get busy and leave them out the entire winter subjecting them to sub-zero temperatures.

But that's what I did.

See if they survived at The Garden Buzz

Garden of Weedin'

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 04:41:53 +0100

Well today was a run your bunn's off on errands... grocery store, post office for packages to be mailed off, $1 store.. etc... you name it I was probably there! I spent most of my day out and about getting caught up on everything. Luckily for me, I emailed a woman about an offer for some day lily bulbs. I actually heard back from her in time to get some for free! I love my local free-cycle! YAY They were actually already dug up for me. All I needed to do was just make the effort of g ...

My Garden is About to BUST OUT!

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 22:55:37 +0100

One of my biggest challenges from stone fruit trees in my area is actually getting ENOUGH chill hourse form my fruit to set. Ilive in a little dip at the top of a hill about a half a mile from the ocean in San Diego. I think that “dip” makes it so my garden is protected from most of the harsh salt air and I think my garden gets about 10 degrees colder than others only 200 yards away on either side of me. I didn’t know this when we moved in, but it sure is nice. Most peo ...

Garden of weedin'

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 23:16:49 +0100

Well the rain stopped for a bit. It turned into a beautiful day today. Luckily it's a day I happened to have off. Although it was only about 53 degrees for most of the day at least it was fairly clear with a bit of sunshine to boot. I started in on tackling the mess that the tree trimming people left. I mean they took most of the larger stuff limbs and such with them. However, they left oodles of tiny stuff behind. I have to admit at the time it was not so noticeable. After all green ...

The Garden of Weedin'

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 05:56:37 +0100

Well I didn't get anywhere near the garden. It's been pouring rain all day and well into the evening. I did manage to get out and toss some used coffee grounds from Starbuck's on the compost bin. I'll have to wait to get an opportunity to stir them in. We do need the rain that's for sure. I'm thinking about buying a bale of straw or hay to start some more lasagna layering on my garden beds in the hope that they will be ready to go buy the time my seedlings are ready to transpla ...

Seeds started ~

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 21:44:01 +0100

I am going to start today ~ Lettuce: Bib, Black Seeded Simpson, and Iceburg Tomatos: Red cherry, Roma, Cherokee Purple Rainbow Chard 'Bright Lights' Borage. Spearmint, and Dill These will be started in zip lock baggies from the $1 store. The corners of the baggie are cut for drainage with a snip in the middle for a little extra drainage. These are filled with approximately 4" of potting soil and watered well. Then sow the seeds and placed in the backyard. This has been by far the che ...

dawn is zoned... 4a

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 01:02:55 +0100

now days getting longer - houseplants starting to wake up - so am i...last 2 days transplanted african violet rooted cuttings, rosemary, flowering maple, bromeliads; potted rose scntd geranium cuttings; started (119) onion seeds and took pansy seed flat out of fridge now this is, mind you after months of moping and general disinterest... the usual seasonal patterni have regained intense interest in seed catalogs, and in fact am going to peruse right now...&n ...

Multiple Garden Blogs: Just More to Love?

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:55:38 +0100

Blogs are a lot like children; they're a lot of work, still you find the time and love for all of them. So before I took on yet another, I thought long and hard about my capacity to give enough attention to the others. I don't want any blog-ling rivalry!I'm excited about this new blog at an old friend...Herb Companion Magazine. With so many people new to gardening, my first post is Growing Strategies for ...

African Violets: Do They Just Need an Image Consultant?

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 20:08:05 +0100

The problem with African violets, that is, if there really is a problem, is that they are never mentioned without the word 'grandmother' in the first two paragraphs of any write-up. Google a couple, see what I mean.It's not that we don't love grandmothers. It may not be the best marketing message...Read more about these adorable flowering houseplants at The Garden Buzz

A Bottle Tree Grows in Minnesota

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:27:32 +0100

Recently photos of the snow-daubed bottle tree in my frozen garden drew a big response, so I decided to push back a post on African violets to delve deeper into the story and history of the bottle tree. Here's a picture of mine in warmer and sunnier times. Do you know of this southern tradition that's gaining popularity as garden art?Read all about it at The ...

The Secret Garden: A Recurring Theme

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:57:43 +0100

I must have been the only middle-aged woman in America that didn't belong to a book club. But I'm excited to have joined a "Books in the Garden" book club at our arboretum. We're reading The Secret Garden" as our first selection. Who would know it would have such poignancy for my own garden experience?Read more about my revelations at

Crazy flood at theMulch!

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:18:14 +0100

It's been a crazy holiday season for me and the Mulch! On December 21st, we were surprised by a giant overflowing river that flooded our office up to about 40 inches high! It was unexpected and a real bummer. To top it off, it happened at night so we didn't even know it was happening. At The Mulch we're a small grass roots organization that is spread out all over the place connected by the Internet. In addition to following my dream of creating a place for people to

2011 North American Bee Calendar

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 19:14:37 +0100

Last year I was late with my holiday giveaway, they sank to the bottom of my to-do pile and disappeared until I found them in February. This year I'm on top of things and have 10, count 'em, 10 calendars for lucky readers of The Garden Buzz.This calendar is produced by the Great Sunflower Project and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.It's chock-full ...

New! Forester Artist to Discuss How He Illustrated Field Guide to Gymnosperms

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 22:06:35 +0100

Ask The Artist with Bruce Lyndon Cunningham Join us for a FREE Webinar on December 13

Decorative Bark Provides Many Benefits

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:32:07 +0100

There are a few tricks of the trade that landscapers use decorative bark for, but they no longer have to stay tricks for the professionals. Not only is the bark an aesthetically pleasing accent to a home garden or walkway, but it also has a long list of benefits for its use. In an attempt to make your yard as maintenance free as possible, consider this top covering to do your area a lot of good both to the eyes and the soil underneath.The main place that one may see decorative bark these days an ...

Garden Video: Helianthus "Lemon Queen" - Ya Gotta Love This Plant!

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 20:19:19 +0100

Weird weather. Funny fall. Whatever it is, I appreciate the absence of weather while I'm on the road. In the meantime check out the last video of the season; the third in my Ya Gotta Love This Plant series.Helianthus "Lemon Queen" is a great fall-blooming native plant that deserves a place in your 2011 gardening plans. It brings sunny color to your garden while providing food for the bees.See the video at < ...

Garden Maintenance: General Tree & Shrub Care Information

Sun, 07 Nov 2010 16:38:06 +0100

PRUNING EVERGREENS: Most evergreens can be pruned at any time of year except during severe heat and drought or within a month before the first frost. Ideally the best time to prune evergreens is believed to be in March (late winter or early spring) before new growth starts. This also eliminates any winter burn that can o ...

Already Planning Next Year's Garden? Save This Year's Tubers

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:12:08 +0100

By now many of you have put your gardens to bed, with a gentle but firm good riddance. It's time for a rest. You're ready to curl up with a cuppa something and a good book.I hate to tell you this, but it's time to think about next year's garden.Tubers are the underground food storage units for many of our favorite tropicals and tender perennials. Mother Nature loves to do that "ugly duckling" transformation thing, turning ...

After the Storm: A Lament for My Lost Pines

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:54:18 +0100

I thought I knew the subject of this week's blog post. Mother Nature had other ideas.

A historic storm of massive proportion, described as an inland hurricane, blew into town on Tuesday. By 9pm , three of the majestic white pines that have sheltered and shaded us since moving here were toppled by the harsh and sustained winds.

Read the tribute to my fallen trees at The Garden Buzz.

Mitchy Appleseed goes to Utah!

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:24:32 +0100

d71b2fe018eb4c0aa2e80cfbefb342da Each year my family goes camping in south central Utah on some beautiful cattle land that my grandparents settled on a long time ago. It's a really fun trip with lots of camping adventure. This year we decided to try and plant some fruit trees for future generations to enjoy. We figured the sooner we could get a few fruit trees in the ground, the sooner we'd be enjoying some fantastic fresh fruit. It's one of those projects that is best done as soon as pos ...

Backyard Greenhouse

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:32:26 +0100

i need to build a backyard greenhouse because i dont have room for all my plants inside. any help is appreciated.

Garden Video: Pink Turtlehead "Hot Lips" Ya Gotta Love This Plant!

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:12:04 +0100

I've been working to make three trial garden videos during this gorgeous month-long Indian summer. My goal is to get three of them "in the can" before the garden goes kaput. Hopefully these videos bring added value and interest to my blog; let me know what you think. This second video features Pink Turtlehead "Hot Lips"; a great fall blooming perennial that provides late-season beauty while increasing habitat value.See the video at The National Tropical Botanical Garden. Learn botanical illustration techniques while using graphite pencil, colored pencil, and pen-and-brush with ink. Alice Tangerini is the illustrator at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and Wendy Hollender is an artist, author, and teacher. Workshop fee: $860 (includes ...

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: October 15

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 02:48:16 +0100

October 15 is a busy day...Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, Blog Action Day 2010, and National Grouch Day. However there's nothing to be grouchy about in the garden today. I can think of many other g-words to describe mine like great, glorious, gorgeous and gratifying.
See all the photos at The Garden Buzz

Blog Action Day 2010:WATER

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 02:44:51 +0100

Bloggers all over the world are writing about our most precious resource today. Everyone will have a different angle, that's the beauty about it. I plan to keep it close to the garden. Please enjoy "Five Easy Ways to Conserve Water in Your Garden" at The Garden Buzz.

Fall Flower Arrangements: It Ain't Over 'til It's Over

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 01:03:02 +0100

Funny how I can never predict which blog post will be most popular. Who knew my fall flower arrangement would be such a hit? It's right up there with the "garden movie review" I did on "It's Complicated" with Meryl Streep in the kitchen garden.Now that fall has faded away and summer seems to ha ...

Fall Festival at the Theodore Payne Foundation Nursery

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 05:35:52 +0100

Nature in Relief: Letterpress Graphics October – December 2010 Elinor Nissley is the current Artist-in-Residence at The Theodore Payne Foundation (TPF). An architectural designer and the creative force behind Krank Press, Elinor will spend her residency transforming the organic shapes of California natives into graphic forms. To do this, Elinor is carving printing blocks based on her drawings of plants from the TPF nursery. Elinor pri ...

Online Sketchbook Class in San Diego Sure to Inspire Garden Journals

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 01:17:52 +0100

Jane LaFazio, Plain Jane Studio www.plainjanestudio.com Jane is a mixed media artist and a member of the San Diego Sketchcrawl group. In addition to the sketching classes below, Jane teaches workshops in collage, mixed media, and quilting. A detailed class schedule can be viewed on her blog. Sketching & Watercolor: Journal Style (Online) – This online course ...

The Garden Buzz Has Gone Video: Salvia "Black and Blue", Ya Gotta Love This Plant!

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 20:20:46 +0100

Woo-hoo, it worked. In the two days since I opened the Flip video box I've made the journey from first jiggly shots to finished video. I decided to do the first in a series of "Ya Gotta Love This Plant" videos on one of my favorites...Salvia "Black and Blue". It's a great looking plant as well as a valuable addition to the habitat garden.Check it out at The Garden Buzz.

Pumpkin Palooza: Great Ideas for Pumpkins in the Garden

Sun, 03 Oct 2010 22:21:05 +0100

The great pumpkin shortage is history! According to reliable sources the pumpkin panic of '09 is over. Indeed there seems to be a plethora of pumpkins this year. Good news to gardeners looking to decorate their yardens with one last hurrah of autumn splendor.

Check out the great ideas I found at the Dallas Arboretum where they use 20,000 pumpkins to make their spectacular display.

Read about it at The Garden Buzz.

Buzzing for the Bees

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 20:07:29 +0100

It's not called The Garden Buzz for nothing! The Garden Buzz is always on alert for big and breaking news about bees. You know, the adorable little guys that pollinate everythird bite of food you put in your mouth.

Yeah, without bees, no strawberry shortcake. Without bees, no coconut cream pie. Without bees...check out these three worthy endeavors that are striving to keep the bees busy at The Garden Buzz.

Growing Tomatoes on the Deck: A Delicious Success

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 20:06:33 +0100

I've just wiped the crumbs and juice off the counter from yet another delectable BLT; a sandwich with that perfect crispy/soggy toast to tomato/bacon ratio. While the memory and taste are still fresh in mind, I'll give you the results of my personal tomato field trial carried out on the deck in a self-watering container.
The proof is in the....read more about this delicious endeavor at The Garden Buzz

Fall Flower Arrangements: Autumnal Equinox Bouquet

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 20:01:56 +0100

Funny, but my favorite flower arrangments are not the fresh firsts of spring or the bright crayon colors of summer. I love fall bouquets.It all started when I used to teach herb classes in the fall. I would go around my garden and gather as many herbs as possible to teach my students about the depth and breadth of herbs; parsley and sage for sure, echinacea that's easy, but how about juniper berries and...see the bouquet and read more at The ...

Topsoil - Choosing The Right Topsoil For Your Gardening Needs

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:24:54 +0100

Topsoil is a necessity for plant growth and photosynthesis to occur. While it is true that naturally occurring topsoil erodes quickly, it is possible for man to take components and make a substitute close to the original. Regarding the different type of topsoil, there are three primary ones occurring in nature. Those are sand, loam, and clay. Give each the finger test to determine classification. What this means is that if the substance slides easily between your fingers, it is most likely sand. ...

Not Quite the Corpse Flower, My Stinky Stapelia's Still Pretty Cool

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:06:18 +0100

It's not like it has never bloomed before, but this is the first time I have actually seen this funky flower. Stapelia gigantea usually waits for me to leave town and then blooms for everyone else to see; the dry cleaner delivery guy, the vacation pot-watering guy, and the flies that are specifically attracted to the putrid perfume for pollinating.This succulent plant, sometimes known as starfish cactus or carrion flower started with the spiny nub of a The Garden Buzz

Bulbmania & Botanical Illustration at Kew Botanic Gardens

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:03:48 +0100

New at Classes Near You > England: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew www.kew.org Drop-in Art Workshop at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery. – Monday August 30 – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Create a collaborative piece of art with artist Stuart Simler and fellow artists. This workshop will be taught in conjunction with the exhibition, Bulbmania – F ...

Where on Earth is The Garden Buzz?

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 01:25:51 +0100

I've been on vacation; Griswold-style with my husband and two college-age children. It's still possible at this stage to tolerate a little togetherness and have fun too. Working around everyone's schedule we managed a visit to the greater Seattle area.I thought it best to explain my absence as I'm en route home. You never know who might have your address and want to pilfer a petunia or perhaps a flat-screen TV.Until I can post again, enjoy these photos of landscaping with foliage at t ...

Name That Allium: Plant ID Help, Please!

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:18:01 +0100

Rarely do I lose a game of 'stump the gardener'. If you can identify this allium from the rest of the usual suspects, I'd love to hear from you.

See the photos at The Garden Buzz

Thanks!

Online Botanical Art Classes Get Thumbs Up

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 01:51:22 +0100

Artist and educator, Mark Granlund, has been leading a discussion about online learning and botanical art. A couple of weeks ago, readers were invited to take a poll asking them to state their interest in online classes. Of those polled, 96% said they would take an online class in botanical art. How about you? Would you like to learn how to document the plants growing in your garden?

Invincibelle Spirit Hydrangea: Shabby Chic With a Good Heart

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:47:31 +0100

It was about time for a pink hydrangea with all the star qualities of Annabelle. Always fresh looking and ever dependable, blooming profusely until frost and PINK; that's Invincibelle Spirit.But there's more...With every purchase of an Invincibelle Spirit by Proven Winners, $1 will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. What a great way to pay tribute to survivors and fallen fighters of this pervasive and cruel disease.Read the rest at T ...

Portulaca: Grandma's Moss Rose Goes Green

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:27:25 +0100

Grandma flowers, you know 'em when you see them. My first thought would be those red and white pinwheel petunias. But for many it's the moss rose.Turns out Grandma was one pretty smart lady. She didn't have time for fussy flowers. Today that quality tranl ...

Orchids are Primary Subjects of Artist's Botanical Paintings (plant labels & twist-ties too!)

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:06:48 +0100

When she was a little girl, Pam Kessler's father taught her how to look at plants. These innocent observations sparked an appreciation ...

Artist Documents All Known Species of African Violet

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 06:28:27 +0100

Reinhild Raistrick returned to her native Tanzania to visit the original locations of the wild African violet. With much excitement, she returned to a country that had been home to her family since 1895. In no time at all, she was once again speaking fluent Kiswahili and Kishambaa and was quickly accepted as a “local”. East African ...

Lean on Me: Emergency First Aid for a Favorite Plant

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:51:34 +0100

If you're a regular reader, you know I have a soft spot in my heart for self-sowing plants. With more chutzpah than hubris they are the little plants that could. Take my Thalictrum or Meadow Rue "Lavender Mist".

Imagine my horror when a recent rainstorm snapped his slender stem nearly in half...

Read more at The Garden Buzz

Short Trees, Tall Dog

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Life in the Garden: Where I live, in San Diego, we have a flock of wild parrots (like the one below) that hang around almost all year. They are very cool, very pretty, very loud and very hungry. This time of year (Summer) when there is a lot of fresh, wonderfully ripe fruit, and sunflower seeds in my yard, they feel free to use my trees as an all you can eat buffet. They fly in as a flock of about 6-10 and they sit as high up in our trees as they can and eat, eat, eat. I can't say I blame ...

San Diego Garden Blog

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 22:50:02 +0100

Come on over to www.nadiaknows.com and check out my garden blog! A place to share and grow and be inspired. Water wise gardening... organic gardening...succulents...edible landscaping...day trips... ...

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: July 15 (Part 1)

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:35:27 +0100

I'm both happy and sad to say that the garden tour is over; it was sweaty, life-consuming work but so much fun to share the results. Many of us gardeners on the tour feel think our gardens never looked better and feel like we need to conduct another tour before the weeds come back!Have you ever hosted a tour in your garden? I'll blog later about all the mishaps that came prior to the big day. But for now, enjoy a little of what's blooming at Bugs in the Mulch. According to the powers that be (my beautiful wife and kids) it needs to meet a number of specific criteria.

Bugs in the Mulch

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:26:28 +0100

My name is Mitch, I'm the person who thought up and runs www.theMulch.com. This is my first in a series of blog posts about the trials and tribulations of trying to build a home garden and a gardening website called www.theMulch.com. My hope is I'll be able to relieve a little stress, provide a little insight, get some good ideas, and gain a little clarity for my fogged up brain (garde ...

The Amazing Story of This Rose Started in...a College Dorm Room

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:50:25 +0100

While I'm out in the garden getting ready for the BIG tour this Saturday, enjoy this post from Proven Winners about rose breeder David Zlesak. I wrote a few articles for him in the past years while he was a professor at the University of Minnesota. It's a great story and he's a great plantsman, and just a wonderful guy. The rose "Candy Oh" is beautiful! See the rose and read about it at The Garden Buzz

One (Wo)Man's Mulch is Another (Wo)Man's Treasure

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 20:47:39 +0100

Mulch is on mind right now. Knowing that one middle-aged, menopausal woman can only do so much, I enlisted help in mulching the entire property for the garden tour. This hard-working crew was "all over our yard like spider monkeys", according to my daughter.Approximately five hours later the rain started, a biblical precipitation that proceeded to wash out whole sections of mulch and send it down the walks and lawn like little brown rivers tinged with big green dollar signs...Questions abo ...

How to Document Plants in Your Garden Journal

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:09:17 +0100

In the April 1999 issue of Plant Talk, Rosemary Wise (botanical artist at the University of Oxford) wrote an article about how to draw plants for documentation. In her article, Wise emphasizes how accuracy is important in a botanical drawing and explains how a botanical illustration can offer more information than a photograph. She also provides instruction on how to compose a botanical plate and discusses pen-and-ink drawing techniques in the process.

Organic Fertilizer

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:16:04 +0100

The main advantage of using organic fertilizer is that it improves the overall structure of the soil itself, which leads to healthier plants that grow larger and at a beneficial rate and they also live longer. Soil that has organic fertilizer added to it improves the long-term strength and stability of soil and plants. It remains airy and loose and is capable or retaining moisture and oxygen. These qualities also allow better drainage. Beneficial organisms such as bacteria, fungi or earthw ...

A Sneaky Snapdragon and Other Serendipitous Plants

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 21:06:48 +0100

I didn't even notice the snapdragon until it was almost ready to bloom. There behind the winterberry bush a scattered seed had germinated and flourished -un-tended and unintended. Suddenly tall stalks of delicate pink blooms arose out the informal hedge as if to say, "Ha-ha, look at me, you're not totally in charge of this garden".It's ok, I love the accidental plants. I admire their ambition...Read m ...

TheMulch.com: A Tool For Garden-based Learning

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 13:53:02 +0100

Originally published on April 12, 2010 at ArtPlantae Today. If your school has a schoolyard garden, you need to know about TheMulch.com.TheMulch.com is more than a website with a list of links to other websites. It is an online community of horticulturists, landscape architects, garden writers, radio talk show hosts, garden-related businesses, and gardeners who willingly share years o ...

Mmmm...What Smells So Good?

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 02:49:02 +0100

Fragrance is so subjective. What smells good to one person might gag another. Human perfumes often leave me nauseous, with flashbacks of riding to Grandma's house to be babysat during a parental date night with my mother's Shalimar wafting to the backseat. A whole new level of carsick.

Then there are floral fragrances that make me swoon with their incredible sweetness...

Read more at The Garden Buzz

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: June 15

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 20:52:49 +0100

I'm ok with rainy days and Mondays. They don't get me down, usually. Mondays hold the promise of a new week and rainy days are great for getting things done guilt-free inside the house. But it's been raining, like forever. Buckets and buckets. Cats and dogs, and actually a few frogs.So it's a sloppy, gloppy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. It' ...

Bartzella Peony: Funny Name, Beautiful Flower, Great Plant

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Its bodacious blooms called to me from across the greenhouse at the garden center. The promise of a new peony; an intersectional or hybrid of herbaceous and tree peony, pulled me in with its siren song of possibilities, like a moth to a flame. It wasn't cheap, yet it was close to Mother's Day. So Happy Mother's Day to me! That was a little over a year ago and Bartzella is blooming big. But what's with that name? Read more about this rare beauty at T ...

Cilantro: Persnickety and Delicious

Wed, 26 May 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Sometimes the best meals are made with ingredients scrounged from a fridge you thought had no food in it. Some ground bison a little bit past its sell-by date seasoned with lots of cumin, the last shreds of sharp cheese, green onions that overwintered out back, hothouse cherry tomatoes, salsa and a dab of sour cream on raggedy corn tortillas made a stellar taco. Then the piece de resistance---tender green sprigs of fresh cilantro. Cilantro can be difficult, check out some strategies f ...

I'm back online!

Sun, 16 May 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Just wanted to drop a line here that after almost a year, I'm finally back online. I don't know how regular I'm going to be here, but will try and post something, somewhere!

I took pictures of my little triangle garden and the tree fern spot. The fern has gotten so big! Anyway, good to see this is still a thriving community!

Garden Tip of the Week: Dealing with Delicate Flowers, Including Me

Fri, 14 May 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Even seasoned weather students might not be aware of a climactic condition known as "roon temperature". No, that's not a typo, not "room", but Roon as in my husband's nickname for me and my personal preference for perfect weather.Roon temperature occurs when there is gentle sunshine and perhaps a light breeze with temperatures between 74-78 degrees. Yes, that small window of weather when your body feels the same comfortable temperature as the lovely warm air. My husband, a hardy Midwesterner th ...

Conifers: I've Got a New Plant Crush

Tue, 11 May 2010 01:00:00 +0100

It was bound to happen some time. Like that boy in 8th grade algebra class who was always sitting there, then suddenly became cute. That's how it is with these conifers. OMG, how could I have missed them? It could have been the moving that made me mistake them for evergreen screen savers in the busy background of my life. Frequent moving will do that to you, it keeps you a little off-balance, a little disoriented. Then again the learning curve for living up north was steeper t ...

For Mother's Day: Remembering a Visionary Gardener

Sat, 08 May 2010 01:00:00 +0100

I get a kick out of seeing all the new landscape ideas in Garden Design magazine; rain gardens, the succulent trend, dry stream beds and such. I guess they don't know my mom was doing all that 40 years ago. Sometimes you need the perspective of time to appreciate your parents. But I think I always knew my mother was ahead of her time. No matter how she tried she couldn't fit the conventions of the day. At some point she decided to follow her own creative spirit and the heck with the r ...

Garden Tip of the Week: Friends Don't Let Friends Use Red Mulch

Fri, 07 May 2010 01:00:00 +0100

I'm reminded of the dress code at my children's former high school. It said in kind of a cute way that hair should only be the colors that naturally occur in humans. I think a similar rule should apply when applying mulch to your garden. Have you ever seen bright, blazing orange-y red mulch in a forest setting? Do they think it circumvents that tired, too many seasons, gray-brown mulch issue? What exactly are they thinking? And then I'm reminded of a time in the 60's during my Southern Ca ...

National Pet Week May 2-8: Pets in the Garden

Mon, 03 May 2010 01:00:00 +0100

The hole was perfectly dug, just right for a gallon-size perennial. Next to the hole was a neat little pile of soil; dark brown and finely ground, like chocolate cake crumbs. Only I didn't dig it. Ah, the downside of gardening with a dog. Yet I wouldn't have it any other way. I go on and on about wildlife in the garden and how a garden is not complete without it. Birdsong and bee-buzz are the true heart of a garden. But domesticated animals lend charm and companionship that untamed creatures ca ...

Sneak Preview of P. Allen Smith's New iPhone App!

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 01:00:00 +0100

During the gardening season, a muddy trail marks the route to my laptop. I'm constantly looking up planting times, cultural requirements, growth habits, and varieties, in addition to seeking out photos of plants at mature size and design ideas. The natural next step is an iPhone app. Combine that with the booming new interest in veggie gardens and you get the Grow and Go Together app from P. Allen Smith and Bonnie Plants. I had the chance for a sneak peek. Read more at

Garden Tip of the Week: Oopsy Daisy

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 01:00:00 +0100

I'm a sucker for those Sound of Music-style alpine meadows with drifts of daisies that shimmer and sway among the wild grasses. So when we went exploring the Gunflint Trail above Grand Marais and found ourselves surrounded with swaths of oxeye daisies, I swooned. And then in an uncharacteristically romantic move, my husband dug up a clump for me to take back home. Oops. In fact, you might say oopsy daisy. Read more at The Garden Buzz ...

Arbor Day April 30th

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 01:00:00 +0100

It seems that different states can't agree to a universal Arbor Day, but more than likely the day exists in your individual state or country, at some point in this month.... Plant a tree!Although we think of this as a rainy month, it can fool us. Keep transplanted flowers well watered during dry spells.Be sure to take a little time to check the plants in containers and those under the eaves of the house and under tall evergreens to see that they are getting enough w ...

Herbs: Food Growing for Commitment-Phobes

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Vegetable growing is the hot ticket in the horticultural world right now. The quest for locally grown produce meeting with the economic downturn has sent folks back to the land. Yet anyone who's heard of that book about the $64 tomato knows that growing your own sometimes comes with a price. Better to just grow for the delicious taste and fresh air opportunities. Growing herbs is a great solution for those not quite ready to commit. Read more at The Gard ...

Garden Tip of the Week: Stylin' Those Grasses for Spring

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 01:00:00 +0100

To often I tend to wax poetic about plants, and get lost in the dreamy world of describing nature, instead of teaching you something. With that, let me introduce my first Garden Tip of the Week. I promise I'll try to post the tips on Fridays right before you head into the yard on weekends. Do you have one of those forked hand tools called a hand cultivator? I know it's for weeding or scratching the ground, but I think it's too wimpy for what I want. However I found a great new use for it this w ...

Spring Bulbs: Playing in the Minors

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Here in the Twin Cities, everyone is all twitterpated over the Twins' new playing field. I'm happy for them, but baseball seems so slow, you can probably watch the stadium's real grass grow. The local channels did find time in the middle of all the breathless baseball coverage to plug a story about what's blooming at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Interim Director Mary Meyers mentioned the minor bulbs in flower along with daffodils and tulips. These so-called minor bulbs can have a major i ...

Florida Souvenir: Rosemary Worth Remembering

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Make fun of my road trips all you want. Call it quaint, call it simple, but I can't see the stuff I want to see from 30,000 ft. It may be cliche, but I enjoy the journey. After visiting all the grandparents, my daughter and I detoured to "The Forgotten Coast" of Florida. Highway 98 takes you back in time to what some like to call the real Florida. Heading toward the old oyster town of Apalachicola we were awestruck by the piney woods and squatty palms, the roadsides lines with rain lilies ...

Exciting News from The Garden Buzz!

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Sorting through all the mountains of mail left over from spring break, I found something exciting. Amid all the coupons and catalogs was a letter from the Garden Writers Association telling me I have received a Silver Award of Achievement from the 2010 GWA Media Awards program. Woo-hoo! The award is in the category of writing for electronic media. This award makes The Garden Buzz a candidate for the GWA Gold Awards for Best Talent given at the annual symposium in September. Kind of ...

No Spring Break for the Monarch Butterfly

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0100

The Garden Buzz is on spring break. Nothing wild or crazy. My daughter and I are heading to Florida, where we thought we'd check on the grandparents, who coincidentally, live near the beach. Too bad the monarch butterfly can't catch a break. According to Chip Taylor of the University of Kansas Monarch Watch program, severe storms have struck the monarch's overwintering area in Mexico and 50% of the butterfly population is decimated. Already facing ...

8 Great Shrubs for Your Butterfly Garden

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0100

I never went to proper journalism school like my daughter, where they teach you how to make catchy headlines among other things. I just throw stuff out there and see what sticks. Apparently people love lists. and numbered lists even better. It appeals to our lazy side; we appreciate it when someone else ferrets out information and distills it down to the essence for our consumption. In a previous post I talked about the importance of trees to butterfly survival. Shrubs can be a big part of the ...

Making Maple Syrup: Field Trip to the Sugar Bush

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0100

The sap's running! The call came yesterday. My husband's former boss, the consummate woodsman, canoeist, hunter and sportsman, now retired, would be boiling syrup the next day. So we headed north to the woods... The sugar bush refers to a stand of maples, usually sugar maples or black maples, tapped to make the syrup we all love on our pancakes, unless you've got a thing for Mrs. Butterworth. Today's post is more show than tell... See this fascinating process at The Garden Buzz ...

Lucky Shamrocks: Oxalis regnelli

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Right now you can pick up these little green gems at garden centers, gift shops and the grocery store, then pop them in a pot and celebrate St Pat's. They're the closest thing to four-leaf clovers. When I think of oxalis (what an ugly name for such a charming plant), I recall the smaller, yellow blooming kind considered a weed in California, otherwise known as wood sorrel. I remember it growing in orange groves when I was a child and being told it was bad. I found it endearing. I also foun ...

Blooming New for 2010 from Proven Winners

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0100

The great thing about gardens is that no two are alike; they are as individual as the gardeners that tend them. Well, unless it is one of those fraidy-cat front-yards playing it safe with green grass, one tree and three foundation shrubs. But then maybe I shouldn't say that, those people might be busy finding the cure for cancer or feeding orphans, and not have time to worry about something frivolous like flowers. For the rest of us...Proven Winners is in the process of introducing new plants f ...

Painting the Garden

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Â It's the ever-changing nature of nature that makes it so precious. It's human nature to want to capture it and keep it, to hold tight to its beauty and wonder. We attempt this with various methods. A photograph can show us the color and texture of nature as light falls upon it. A pantry of jewel-tone jars glows with garden bounty, like summer in a bottle. Pressed plants preserve the shape and form of leaf and bloom in a flat plane. Dried herbs contain the tasty heat of a sunny day. Per ...

Swallowtail Butterflies are different:

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0100

We've been raising a lot of Monarch Butterflies, and just a few Swallowtails. Usually after a Monarch goes into chrysalis it takes about two weeks before it emerges. I kept reading that a Swallowtail butterfly can hibernate in chrysalis until the conditions are right for it to emerge. Let me tell you, that is true. We're in Southern California, the last of our Swallowtail caterpillars went into chrysalis around the end of December. I keep watching them (we have a caterpillar c ...

Tiarella: A Wee Bit O' The Green Poking Out Of The Snow

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Ah! Spring in Minnesota; rotting black snow, playing pothole slalom, and the smell of hot asphalt in the air. It's a little early this year. I'm betting on one more blizzard, about April. Meanwhile those of you in more southerly latitudes are posting and tweeting: The crocuses are blooming! The robins are singing! Yeah, yeah, yeah. Me? I'm excited because a smidgen of green just appeared by my door, just in time for St. Patrick's Day. Read more about this great perennial at

The Oscar-Worthy Garden in It's Complicated: I'd like to thank Meryl...

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 01:00:00 +0100

It was Christmas time, not the time when one's attention turns to garden blogs. On a lark, I thought to write about the kitchen garden in the new movie, It's Complicated, starring Meryl Streep. Who would have thought it would become the most popular post on my little seedling of a garden blog? I can't help but wonder how many readers found The Garden Buzz by simply seeking information about the pr ...

Forcing Branches to Bloom: A Little Gentle Persuasion

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:00:00 +0100

There's nothing like a few sprigs of apple blossoms or forsythia flowers to chase away the last of the winter blues. It's easy to do and does wonders for the spirits. I had been eying the crabapple in our cul-de-sac. I just hadn't figured out how to scale the ice-crusted snow wall coming between us without breaking something. Like me. I'll confess I purchased these pre-forced peach branches in the grocery store. I ran in for a jar of mayo and they called to me from clear across the deli. That's ...

What Does Snowboarding Have in Common with the Burpee Garden Catalog?

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Absolutely nothing. But I was looking at them simultaneously yesterday and I thought you'd appreciate the contrast. These mogul-hopping, mop-haired daredevils were braving the brutal arctic winds while these juicy, red tomatoes and gaudy, striped petunias were leaping off the page at me. I wasn't watching the Olympics in my living room, but sitting below a "mountain" in Minnesota leafing through a catalog I found in the car while my husband was kicking the tires on a rust-riddled "88 Beeme ...

Am I Wrong About Amsonia: Great Native Plant or Perennial Flop?

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:00:00 +0100

The other day a popular garden blogger was lamenting how she couldn't grow amsonia in her garden, mentioning that it was to be the 2011 Perennial Plant of the Year. All I could remember was how liberated I felt the day I took a shovel to all the amsonia in the garden I had just acquired with our new house. I jumped on the comment box and asked, "Am I the only one who hates amsonia?" Apparently so. I complained about amsonia's flowers in that creepy shade of blue and how the foliage was so ...

Passalong Plants

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Secretive deals involving "plant material" often end up badly. And gardeners don't want to go to jail, even if they do have a really good horticulture therapy program. The courts show us no mercy, maybe it's our propensity for digging. Heck, when I asked to be excused from jury duty because it was spring, they were not sympathetic or understanding. In fact, I could feel the clerk's eyes rolling, over the phone. But there's a better way to exchange plants. Passlong plants are traded over the ba ...

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day: February 15, 2010

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 01:00:00 +0100

I'm only growing snow, but I decided to participate in my first Garden Blogger's Bloom Day. On the 15th of every month, garden bloggers all over the world post pictures of what's blooming in their gardens. It seem like the neighborly thing to do, especially now that I feel like a full-fledged garden blogger. And there's the alliteration thing, and you might have noticed that I'm all over that. I had to go indoors to find a flower. Not normally fond of houseplants, I have allowed a few ivies and ...

Something Old, Something New for Valentine's Day: Bleeding Hearts

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:00:00 +0100

I hate to disappoint anyone. At first I was going to title this post with some of the quaintly descriptive names of Dicentra spectabilis, otherwise known by the tragically romantic monker "Old-Fashioned Bleeding Hearts". And then I remembered the unsavory search words I found in my referrals when I blogged about appreciating and harvesting rose hips. It seems there are some people who like Big Hips but aren't seeking out garde ...

Garden Trends: Seeing Double

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Oh no, Mama's having one of her spells. All this dizziness has me thinking about double flowers. Are they really double the flower power and are they always a good thing? Read more at www.thegardenbuzz.com

My Birthday Butterfly Castle

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:00:00 +0100

For the last few years we've been wanting to watch our caterpillars emerge from the chrysalis and turn into butterflies. The problem is they are really good at hiding! So although the milkweed we planted (Asclepias) was attracting monarch butterflies to lay their eggs, and therefore turn into caterpillars, we rarely were able to find the chrysalis to watch the transformation. We saw Mitch's blog here on the Mulch about building an enclosure and thought we'd give it a try. So my wonderful husband ...

Field Trip to the Tropics

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:00:00 +0100

I can surmise by the tell-tale glow of the timer lights that the neighbors have all taken off for warmer climes. In need of a little heat and humidity myself, I thought I'd take a little trip. From the photos you probably thought Hawaii. No, I decided on St. Paul. Visit www.thegardenbuzz.com and tour the Victorian-style Como Park Conservatory with me...it's warm inside.

2010 Perennial Plant of the Year: Baptisia australis...The True Beauty of False Indigo (and how it r

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Read about this gorgeous plant that's so deserving of this new award at www.thegardenbuzz.com

Making Local Eating a Little Easier

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Just days after the announcement of Apple's iPad, it's easy to think that all the new ideas are hi-tech, complex and out of reach. And then an idea comes along that is sweet and simple, and based on sharing. A smart lady with the appropriate last name of Farmer, has started a website called The Farmer's Garden, a place where gardeners and farmers can register to buy, sell and trade produce with other local growers and consumers. In addition, indivduals and non-profits, like food pantries can rei ...

Alpine Strawberries: The Perfect Fruit for Small Garden Spaces

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0100

I was singing the praises of Alpine strawberries across the table at the Master Gardener luncheon, when I thought I might as well shout across the blog about them too. I think alpine strawberries are about as near to perfect as a plant can be. Gardeners looking to expand their edible landscapes and new kitchen gardeners should have this red berry on their radar. Even my dog loves them! Read more at www.thegardenbuzz.com

National Pie Day (Pear Tree Pie Recipe)

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0100

What has pollination got to do with pies? It's not that far from the pie pan to the garden or vice versa...read more at www.thegardenbuzz.com

North American Native Bee Calendar

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0100

I have three of these to give away still. Hey, there's still 11 months to go and they have a tons of useful info and lots of great photos. See www.thegardenbuzz.com for more details.

Tall Perennials: Go Big for the Birds

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0100

I usually consider the junco a harbinger of doom when he first arrives in late fall. The junco is a winter bird, a sign there's no turning back. But when winter settles in, my attitude softens. Read the rest at www.thegardenbuzz.com

Do Garden Bloggers Get Sick Days?

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Garden Catalogs: Getting Behind the Birds, and Now the Bees

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Hopefully by now you've amassed a pile of well-thumbed garden catalogs, already marked with sticky tabs and yellow highlighter. I'm still hoping for some more quality time with my catalogs and some hot chocolate. Others of you are just glued to the computer screen dazzled by the bright colors and... read the rest at www.thegardenbuzz.com

Pickin' Wildflowers

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0100

I say, baby, what you say we go pickin' wildflowers got a spot way back in the woods we'll sneak away for a couple of hours you and me baby, pickin' wildflowers hey baby, mother nature is waiting and love's blooming like a cherry tree let's buzz around, maybe do some pollinating yeah, dive in like honey bees ----Keith Anderson Goodness, now I'll have to explain how I heard these song lyrics. But heck, how many times do you hear song lyrics about pollinating? ....read more at ...

Next Year is Here! Garden Planning Begins...

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0100

The snow plows have created a sea wall of sorts in my front yard; the snow has been piled and pushed to form a barrier between my house and the street. Packed so tightly, it glows blue in the crevices just like those icebergs in the Arctic. It's hard to imagine the garden again. This week I clicked through photos from last year to remind myself that it wasn't just a dream. I recently agreed to showing my garden on our Master Gardener Learning Gardens Tour...I've got a lot of work ...

Plant a Terrarium...It's Like a Blast from the Past, Man!

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Along with daisy stickers, peasant blouses and macrame, terrariums invoke a certain nostalgia for aging flower children like myself...read more about it at www.thegardenbuzz.com

www.nadiaknows.com nasturtium blog

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0100

www.nadiaknows.com I planted Nasturtium Seeds in December and they are now starting to bloom. Check out the beautiful orange color of these "Spitfire Nasturtium" from Renee's Seeds. They are growing fast!

January in San Diego is turning out to be a great gardening month!

For the Love of Gardening

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0100

A lot of folks will be hitting the gym this week, bursting with new resolve and brand new workout gear. But I'm already there. Determined to beat them to it, I started a new health regime in October. I could have waited until January, but it seemed cliche, not to mention crowded...

Read more about the lengths I'll go to keep gardening at www.thegardenbuzz.com

Nothing Happening in the Garden Right Now? Think Again.

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0100

If you're like me, you are always alert for something nature-wise going on outside the window in winter. The snow just sits there, not melting, not moving. The occasional chickadee flits by the feeder, a squirrel scampers up the cottonwood. But besides this, it appears that the world is standing still. And it would seem a watched landscape never thaws. Yet there are manner of biological processes occurring under our noses. Not the fancy stuff of summer; the bright flowers and...read more at

'It's Complicated': A Movie Garden Review

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 01:00:00 +0100

The six of us sat around the table eating post-Christmas pasta discussing the movie we had just seen; who we wanted to end up with Meryl's character, what we thought she should do with her life, and then my husband reminded us back to reality, "It's a movie". Yeah it's a movie, but when you plop down in that plush seat, there's an agreement; you will suspend disbelief for two hours or so, long enough at least to be told a story. And if it's good, the disbelief doesn't end at the door. But nobod ...

The Gift of Gardening

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Depserate for gift suggestions? I've got one that might work. You don't have to go out in the cold. There are no malls involved. You don't have to get dressed up. It appeals to procrastinators (they are the ones reading gift suggestions articles on December 21) because it can be put off for at least several months. Instead of a shiny trowel, thorn-proof gloves or a fetching straw hat...read more and see photos at www.thegardenbuzz.com ...

A Few Good Things About Cold Weather...

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Don't worry my list is not long. Coming originally from California, I never learned about many midwestern skills and traditions; like driving in snow, removing your shoes when visiting, and that hot dish is a dinner entree, not a plate straight from the sani-temp cycle of the dishwasher. I remember being mildly astonished on one of those first Thanksgivings in Illinois when my in-laws put the drinks outside when the fridge got full. It simply never occurred to me that the great outdoors was a d ...

Bermuda Grass - Lawn Keeper's Friend, Gardener's Foe

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Bermuda Grass - Lawn Keeper's Friend, Gardener's Foe Author: John Conway Popular in warm areas, fast growing bermuda grass can give a homeowner a bit too much of a good thing. Other than its aggressive growing, however, it is a great asset to the yard. Bermuda grass is particularly good in high traffic area. Common bermuda grass puts out unattractive seed heads, so it must be kept mowed to stay nice-lo ...

These Are a Few of My Favorite Tools

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:00:00 +0100

It's that time of year when gift suggestions for gardeners abound... There are just a few tools that gardeners really need, and a few they think they want. Then there are the other ones that wind up taking space in the back of the shed. A shovel, a trowel, gloves, Felco pruners and a couple of those deep drywall buckets and I'm good to go. Oh, and a dangerous-looking tool called a dibble that I'll discuss at length in a later post. However there is one non-traditional tool I find indispe ...

Pumpkin Panic Soup

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Duh, I know Halloween is past and it's almost Christmas, but there's a crisis. In case you haven't heard, a pumpkin shortage has struck. And if everyone buys two cans of Libby's every time the go grocery shopping, like me, it is only bound to get worse. Is this how hoarding starts? Read more and get the recipe at http://www.thegardenbuzz.com

Big Hips

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0100

With Thanksgiving just behind us it seems like the perfect time to talk about big hips. But I'm not talking about the turkey, potatoes and pie kind of hips. I love roses with big hips... Read more... at The Garden Buzz.

Berry Grateful Birds

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Somewhere along the line my gardening goals evolved from feeding myself to feeding the wildlife that frequent my garden. Then I took it a step further; attempting to attract even more fauna to feast upon my flora...read more at http://www.thegardenbuzz.com

Garden Talk with Johnny Cash

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Read the rest at http://www.thegardenbuzz.com

Last Herb Standing

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0100

I know, I've already talked about micro-climates. But I can't say enough about them. When they work, they really work. By now the herbs should have packed it up with the rest of the plants. At least here in Minnesota. All you Texans and Californians with your rosemary hedges and lavender-lined walkways will just have to sit on your hands while I prattle on...read more at http://www.thegardenbuzz.com

Oh Dear, Oh Deer

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0100

I lve in a crittery sort of place. Coyotes cross my path quite regularly. Wild turkeys forage under oaks along our road. beavers build and re-build dams in the inlet. Last week I witnessed a pair of bald eagles fishing for their dinner while I ate mine. It's no big deal to see deer.

But right now it's.......read the rest at http://www.thegardenbuzz.com

No-vember

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0100

A little autumn poetry at htpp://www.thegardenbuzz.com

If A Garden Blog Falls in the Forest, Does Anybody Read It?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0100

View my latest post at http://www.thegardenbuzz.com

Stop by my blog and tell me how I'm doing!

So Long, Smith and Hawken

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0100

View my latest post at http:www.thegardenbuzz.

We Could All Use Some of That 'Barbara Walters Lighting'...Even Our Plants

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0100

You've all seen her on those specials where she makes celebrities sob while sitting under that soft-focus peachy-pink twinkly light. We gardeners can't lug around a camera crew to make us look good every moment. But we can choose and place our plants to take advantage of the autumn sun's flattering light...

If You Go Down to theWoods Today...

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +0100

A Halloween Greeting from my enchanted/haunted (?) woods!

Ghoulish Blue Pumpkins and Creepy Black Spots

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +0100

View my latest post at http://www.thegardenbuzz.com and see the haunted vegetation; cyanotic pumpkins and lesioned leaves, ooh scary!

The Garden Buzz

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +0100

View my latest post, Apple Scrumping Midwestern Style at http://www.thegardenbuzz.com and tell me about your favorite apple. Does it hold a candle to the heavenly Honeycrisp?

Learning as I grow

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +0100

I have a gardening blog: www.nadiaknows.com

I am having fun learning as I grow!

I like to photo blog and video blog, along with writing.

I hope to learn more each day, join networks for gardening and eat more food from what I plant in my own garden.

3 Easy Steps to Decor Your Garden

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Leucophyllums, why do we never see your blooms?

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Here are several examples of "pruning" of the leucophyllum or Sage bush in Phoenix. If you pay attention as you drive around it is amazing how many different shapes and sizes these things are formed into. ItÃ¢â¬â¢s like a completely abstract acid trip version of those clipped hedges you see in England or at Disneyland. The sad thing is that Sage bush has an amazing profusion of wonderful flowers that many people donÃ¢â¬â¢t ever see due to the blooms constantly being sheared o ...

Halloween Flowers: Three Spooky Halloween Floral Gift Ideas

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Christina Nielson has had a life-long passion for flowers. When she is not playing in the garden, she works in the marketing department at Jackman's Fresh Flowers; an award winning online flower delivery company specializing in fresh halloween flower delivery . Feel free to call us ...

Aloe longistyla

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Aloe longistyla Cute and tiny but with a stout flower in late winter.

Dancing Saguaro

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0100

The ever amazing Saguaro - Carnegiea gigantea, growing in every direction almost looking like itÃ¢â¬â¢s dancing.

Euphorbia resinifera - Moroccan Ground Spurge

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Euphorbia resinifera Ã¢â¬â Moroccan Ground Spurge Size: small mound of 4-angled stems 3"x3"Flowers: small yellow along margins of stemsSite: full to part sun, well drained soilsUses: specimen plant rock gardenFoliage: lime green, short dark spines, white latex sapNative: N. Africa Euphorbia resinifera ...
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<h1>Pine Straw Stories</h1>
<p>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0100</p>
<p>Come visit and see what, why, who and where The Mulch is being linked. Looking forward to great dialogues on ground cover!</p>
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Euphorbia resinifera ...
</article>
<article>
<h1>Pine Straw Stories</h1>
<p>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0100</p>
<p>Come visit and see what, why, who and where The Mulch is being linked. Looking forward to great dialogues on ground cover!</p>
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http://www.envirocolor.com/Blog-landscape--maintenance-solutions/

Thanks for reading

Three Awesome Grandparent's Day Flowers and Gift Ideas

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Grandparent's Day is a day that we commemorate the important role that Grandparent's play in our lives. National Grandparents Day is a secular holiday, celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day in the United States and Canada, and on the first Sunday in October throughout the United Kingdom. Grandparent's Day was proclaimed an official holiday in the United States in 1978, when Congress passed legislation stating the days purpose "to honor grandparents, to give grandpare ...

My garden

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Sept 5, 2009My GardenI now am the proud owner of a digital camera and am so happy that I can get the help I need for plant and bug identification as well as share my joy of my garden with others. I try to keep my yard as organic as I can, but I do spray Windex on my Japanese Beatles when I see them as I find it kills them. I fight a continues battle with ants and have tried every organic and home made recipe known. Ants 10 Me 0. I never seem to kill them as much as irrita ...

Check out our Blog - The View From Our Potting Bench

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Thank you for visiting our profile on theMulch.com.

The official blog for the US/Canadian office of Thompson & Morgan can be found here .

Caesalpinia mexicana- Mexican Bird of Paradise

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Caesalpinia mexicana- Mexican Bird of Paradise Size: 10' tall x 8' wideFlowers: Spring to Fall. Yellow spikesFoliage: semi-evergreen fine texture greenLocation: Full Sun

Thoughts on Sending Flowers and Dating Etiquette

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Listen Up Guys - Remember Candy Grams? Now for the most part there is little to learn from the dating habits of high school malesÃ¢â¬Â¦ but this is a special case. As I continue my journey through single-womanhood, I feel as if my appreciation for the little things seems to be dwindling. I mean donÃ¢â¬â¢t get me wrong, I love getting flowers and stuff like that, but by this stage in my life, IÃ¢â¬â¢ve sort of come to expect it. In fact, I even have a third date rule. If a guy do ...

How to Choose the Best Flowers for the Occasion

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 01:00:00 +0100

With this summer being cooler than usual, especially here in the north, we have seen a slight change in the gift-giving patterns of our clients. At the height of summer, we usually find that a lot of our clients send out tropical themed bouquets such as the Fiesta Gerbera Vase and Summertime Splash. However, the cooler temperatures seem to be pushing people away from the bright and the colorful, and pulling them towards more pastoral arrangements such as the Twilight Garden Basket and Happily Ev ...

Worm Farm Update

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 01:00:00 +0100

The worms are really multiplying! I thought that this heat that we have had recently might inhibit them, but they are doing a great job of working their way through all of the vegie scraps and I would guesstimate that they have quadrupled in number in the 2 months that I've had them.

Ten Best Flowers To Send To People You Dislike

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:00:00 +0100

As an award winning online florist specializing in international flower delivery, we understand the important role that flowers play in relationships with those you love. The timeless beauty of fresh flowers has long been associated with love and affection. Every day, we help people send flowers online to their loved ones all around the world. Most times, it's to commemorate special occasions such as weddings and birthdays. Other times, it's to acknowledge unfortunate cir ...

Trading spaces and finding new places.

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Every year I watch my spring garden opening. I identify all the crowded areas and the empty holes of plants that did not survive the winter deep freeze. Having spent the winter months studying my mail order catalogs for new plants and ideas; I am convinced that there is no more room for any new plants. I hold off buying anything that is absolutely not necessary. I sometimes (rarely) even forego the offer of plant division from friends and relatives. Then the miracle of summer hits. The gardens ...

Gardening on the iPhone

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Do you have an iPhone or iPod touch?

Want to garden on it?

check out the application: Eden Garden Designer

it's the best gardening application on the iPhone - a gardening application made by gardeners for other gardeners

hope you enjoy it - there are some really cool features coming so download it now and you'll get free updates

Worm Farming

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Being in the beauty business lends itself to making long term friendships with my clients. We have lots to talk about as I spend time with them month after month, year after year. Especially those that garden. We trade seeds and stories, design ideas and fresh veggies and fruit. But the end all garden gift was the worm farm that I got from one of my clients this past holiday season! She had her husband make it especially for me. Today was the ...

Rain, Dead Potatos, and More

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Well, it seems my potatos, bombarded by hail and heavy rain, have finally passed away. This is what they looked like BEFORE the weather destroyed them. Actually - the leaves were coming out of the trash can. But the tomatos and Peppers still have a chance to pull out of it even though they look a bit battered and worse for wear. Sadly all the hail and heavy rain hav ...

Grapes and honey

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:00:00 +0100

We put up posts for our grape vines to plant next year, have to prepare the site before I bring the plants in. I want to make sure I have a sturdy trellis, cross bars, and maybe a canopy. Like walking through a tunnel of grapes that go on and on.... I will start with six, I read that I can taking cuttings to produce more vines if I need them. I finally found the grape that seems most desirable to me, the Niagara grape. It is a white grape that is great for table grapes and for ...

How to Earn Money Effectively from Yardworkerz

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Yardworkerz provide adults/teenagers the fortune to produce money and generate services to those who demand for. They can receive and site assistance in your area that will be conformable to work on any sort of jobs at your solace and at an affordable terms. No more turning out jobs for months due to lack of experience or time. http://www.yardworkerz.com/

www.gardencityseeds.net/ website. We found the step by step directions and thought we'd try it out. The people at Garden City Seeds were nice enough to let us publish the instructions - you can find the whole article

Still here for now

Thu, 14 May 2009 08:10:11 +0100

It's not as dire as before, but there is still a sword hanging over my head. As for my garden, it's still busting out. The tomatoes are about three feet tall and putting out flowers which is about half and half falling off and producing itty bitty tiny tomatoes. The Alpine strawberries are producing like crazy, and everything is incredibly healthy. I attribute that mostly to the regular feeding of Gro-Power and Ada Perry's. Man that makes a difference! The Kenilworth Ivy is still sc ...

This Weekend - Lettuce

Mon, 11 May 2009 01:00:00 +0100

This weekend was so beautiful here in Silver Spring. I didn't work on my own garden but I helped my aunt pull her lettuce. She has so much and it tasted so good. I co0worker of mine brought canatloupe and squash plants that were already growing. My aunt and I planted those into my garden. I cant wait to see when they grow. Its tough in this area because the weather is so unpredictable. Anyhoo. cross fingers the weather will stay nice

Not so good news

Thu, 07 May 2009 01:00:00 +0100

I haven't been on here as much because of issues in my home life. Due to income and rent differences I can no longer afford to live where I am and since I am now behind last months rent and don't have enough money to pay this months, I am being evicted as of this weekend. I won't have computer access except at work and, since we're so busy, that won't be very often. (Not like I was on here much anyway). I don't have any prospects for a new place since I won't have any money until t ...

Echinopsis in Bloom!

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Echinopsis sp.

But than: Are these women South African?

Find out here.

Cactus-napped! The Story of Mr. Pokey

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:00:00 +0100

First - you should know that Mr. Pokey was an Opuntia polyacantha (that's Prickly Pear Cactus for those who don't know). My husband brought Mr. Pokey home 2 years ago from a test site he was working at in Eastern Colorado. I put Mr. Pokey into a fairly dry part of my yard where nothing else would grow. He took off and I was thrilled something would grow in that space. Ever since then - Mr. Pokey and I had a wonderful relationship. The following events are true. Thursday 4/16/09 Yeste ...

2009 Garden Progress

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 01:00:00 +0100

I know! I Know! I'm late. I still have to get the garlic and onions in the ground. That is going to happen this weekend come heck or high water! I'll probably have a late harvest - but I'm not worried. The first snow is usually late october anyway. Of course this is the reason I'm so late on my garden... That's right folks -- it ...

April 20, 2009- Warm weather starts

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 01:00:00 +0100

I planted in my warm weather crops yesterday. I used flats and egg cartons. I planted tomatillos, tomatoes, eggplant, okra, bell peppers and birdhouse gourds. These will be planted in containers on the back porch. Now they are on the credenza by the Aerogrow garden so that they can share its light.

Pelecyphora asseliformis

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Pelecyphora asseliformis

Soekershof; A whimsical privately owned botanical garden in South Africa

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:00:00 +0100

We (me and my wife Yvonne) can tell a long tale about Soekershof. But we prefer to direct you to the diverse web- and blogsites. First of all the general website where you can also download our electronic brochure. The general blogsite with the latest developments in and around Soekershof. Soekershof is also the home of

Spring Update and slight rant

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Now, this is going to be a slight rant and at the same time some comic relief and a rather long entry since I haven't been on in a while. In the past few weeks we've had an explosion of spring here in San Diego. People are coming out in droves to get their gardens pretty again. There's garden walks coming up and people need to make their yards presentable. Where in all this does it mean that they leave their brains at home? Wait.. this is the general retail nursery public.. I got a c ...

Oranges Poranges, who says?

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:00:00 +0100

I don't know about you but we have more Oranges in our backyard than we know what to do with. The neighbors, the teachers, and our friends, have all had their share. The kids' lunches have been packed with Oranges slices for weeks now ("Mom?(sigh) can I have an apple today?"). And our fruit bowl has turned into more of a complimentary color in our kitchen than a ...

Spring 2009

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 01:00:00 +0100

So it's been awhile...and my, how things change. Although we knew San Diego was having water issues, it's now time to REALLY make some changes. First, the "Woodland Path" that I put in last Spring...has been very difficult, because, although it's a small area, it is mostly in the shade in spring,and then in the middle of summer, three hours of blazing hot sun midday (temps around 100) just got the best of the green leafy shade plants that did so well up to that point. The ...

Echinocereus triglochidiatus - Claret Cup Hedgehog Cactus

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Echinocereus triglochidiatus - Claret Cup Hedgehog Cactus

Pink Fairy Duster - Calliandra eriophylla

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Calliandra eriophylla - Pink Fairy Duster Size: 3-4Ã¢â¬Â² tall and wideFlowers: Light pink to rosy pink puff-ball-like abundant flowers late winter through spring and with summer rainsSite: Full Sun, withstands reflected heat and sun, well drained soils, root hardy to 0*FUses: naturalistic planting, informal hedges, erosion control, hummingbird & butterfly gardensFoliage: small bipinnately compound leaves green to green-gray, can be winter and summer deciduousNative: washes and g ...

Saguaro - Carnegiea gigantea

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Carnegiea gigantea - Saguaro Size: columnar up to 50' ;branching after 50 yearsFlowers: open day and night, with bell-shaped in late spring, edible fruit followSite: Full sun, well drained soilsUses: Specimen or focal pointFoliage: numerous areoles, spines in dense clusters gray to blackish, tissue grayish greenNative: areas of Sonoran desert in AZ, S. CA just west of the Colorado River and into Sonora

Ediesgardens

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Spring in the southern Willamette valley of Oregon is party plant time - the rhodies and azaleas burst forth in brilliant, gawdy color. They are truly the party dresses of the plant world. I'm a 'little black dress' kind of gal. You know, those understated, grow anywhere plants that go from formal to casual, depending on the accessories (annuals & perennials) you plant with them. While the party dresses come and go (and fussily demand just the right amount of moisture, sun/shade, and soil ...

Castilleja exserta - Purple Owl's Clover

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Castilleja exserta - Purple Owl's Clover Size: 4-18" tall annualFlowers: Pink-purple blooms Deb - MaySite: Full sun, well drained soilUses: Mixed with other perennials, seasonal colorFoliage: Thread-like lobesNative: Open areas CA to S. AZ, NW Mexico

- shady but gets afternoon sun (Sunset zone 24, USDA zone 10)

Melocactus curvispinus

We've got rain!

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Much needed rainstorm blew through here on the weekend. Tough on us as outdoor retailers, some had to come in late and others had to leave early. Didn't have to water though! It never fails though, a beautiful shipment of azaleas comes in and it just so happens to rain the same week. Ruins the flowers unfortunately. I have three tomato plants from an unknown plant from the soil pile. The tallest ones are in a six inch container, the other three are in the ground where I grew the one l ...

Disappointment in the Camellias

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:00:00 +0100

We got some gorgeous fifteen gallon Nuccio's Gem camellias and when they arrived they were popping buds. Two weeks ago they all bloomed almost at once. On Friday..sadly, all of them had petal blight and I had to practically strip them naked of flowers. There are four bushes and one of them is tucked between all the other bushes so I couldn't get at it, but it needs to be stripped too. I'm doing flower patrol two or three times a day around the area to get all the petals and flowers ...

Shear Ignorance

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:00:00 +0100

These poor, poor trees were the victims of an over zealous person with a hedge trimmer. Their happiness with power tools have forever scarred these once proud trees. The sheer ignorance of what these trees should look like and would be healthiest for them is astounding. However the bushwackers have ensured that they have more work to do if they are not fired first. Sheered plants require constant maintenance to retain their look. However the guys werenÃ¢â¬â¢t too clever on the last ones th ...

you paid for this??

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:00:00 +0100

It is astounding that someone pays to have their shrubs hacked on a routine basis and doesnÃ¢â¬â¢t complain when one of them is carved into a truck. This maintenance company should have their electric sheerer taken away if they think this is remotely acceptable look for a plant that isnÃ¢â¬â¢t inside an amusement park.

Hardy Plant Society/Mid-Atlantic Group (HPS/MAG) . This exchange, while having the traditional seeds found at many exchanges, features diverse and unusual selections of cultivars and woody plants ...

Photo Contest

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Hi everyone, Last July I went to the NY botanic garden for the first time. As I was wondering around i couldn't help but notice the formality of the individuall gardens. all the paths were hardscaped with regular looking pavers and the beds were layedout in a regular geometric pattern. As I turned a conner around a large hyrangea bush the entire mood of the garden changed a soft curvingpine needle path led you up a small incline to a small fish pnd fed by a creek with an astilbe growing on ...

Wow!Â You liked it!

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Wow! I won the photo contest! Thanks to everyone that voted for my photo! Maybe this is the start of a good thing for next year. I have been working on collecting photos for using in photo cards or maybe a calendar or book. I'm continually fascinated by the shapes and colors of plants and nature that I see. I've taken hundreds of photos and out of those hundreds only keep half of them. Half of those I'll whittle down and possibly alter to get a 'good' picture that ...

What is the best garden gift?

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

I bet almost all of you here would have thought about this question at-least once in the past 30 days. What is the best garden gift? What to gift my gardener friends? I have been scratching my head since the past 30 days trying to figure that out. I am looking for a gift that can really stand out. You do have a lot of sites selling gifts for gardeners but they are look like the same old gift items. I am looking for stuff that is uniqu ...

Rant in the Garden

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Just a real quick rant here. At the nursery we generally try to accomodate most requests, but we have private grumbles that are very hard to keep quiet about the 'landscape architects' or designers that only look in the books or online and give their clients unrealistic plant suggestions both size and type of plants. Also with people that get a plan drawn up or list done in May or June and come in November to try and fulfill it when we don't have marigolds, roses or other early season plan ...

My blog address

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

You can find my blog at

http://luxbotaniverse.blogspot.com/

New Plants

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Well, Here is my gardening Blog. I am looking forward to learning more about what and how and when to plant my vegetables as well as fruits. I have a bell pepper plant that does not grow as much as my neighbors but I like that size of how much her's grows. I have multiple Anaheim pepper plants which seem to be looking good but I don't know when a good time to pick them is. I have a Basil plant that is growing like a weed but I wish I knew how to care for it. I will look further in ...

Jalepeno Poppers Supreme!

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

A few years ago while camping in Paguitch Utah our family found a great little restaurant named the Cowboy Smokehouse (i think that's the name). One of the appetizers they served were called Smoked Jalapeno Poppers, this was one of my favorite things ever, so now I make them at home from my own beautiful jalapenos from my garden. Everyone loves them so much I thought I'd share the recipe with you. Ingredients: 1 lb of slice ...

Louies Hidden Garden

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

I was asked lately if I knew of any really great gardens that may be cool enough to be included in a magazine article. I immediately thought of this funky garden in Ocean Beach California. It's right down by the pier and it's in a little house in an amazing spot hidden behind a two story restaurant. I'd only learned about it because of my daughters girl scout troup, who'd been privileged to be given a tour. I stopped by to peek in and take a few photos, while my garden was looking ragged and a l ...

Change of seasons in San Diego

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 01:00:00 +0100

We have our first rainstorm of the season this morning. Good thunder head that dropped a good amount of water. Washed my car off at least! I returned from my two days off to discover that someone had taken the last zebra tomato off my plant. Grrrrr... I knew I should have picked it on Tuesday and just let it ripen off the vine. That just irks me, and there's no telling who took it though I have some ideas. I planted right next to it another tomato seedling that was grow ...

Gardenmentor Joins theMulch

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 01:00:00 +0100

I received a nice invitation this morning to join theMulch, so I did so just a bit ago to check it out. I haven't made it through much of the site yet as it seems to run pretty slow. I hope that clears up so I can invest more time checking it out. The tools, categories and so forth seem pretty cool. I'm curious to dive in and see how they really work. I just can't afford to wait 30+ seconds for each page to load. For now, I've added the overall blog RSS to my Yahoo! reader and will keep an eye ...

Photos of my African Violet

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 01:00:00 +0100

This is a 'before' picture. I picked it from the rest because it was so dainty looking. Violet pinkish petals with a purple picotee edging. At least...that was before something happened.... This is 'after'...whatever happened: Green Manure There are many plants than can help to reinvigorate the garden soil. Green Manure generally give back more nutrients to the soil than they take away. They have deeper roots than most plants and can draw nutrients from deep in the soil. The deeper root system also aerates the soil! The plants can be composted or turned directly into the soil, as they decompose they return nutrients to the soil.Good Green Manure Crop ...

Herbal Wine

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Herbal Alchemy Making an Herbal Wine is EASY!Yeast, Sugar, and Water are the main ingredients in turning an herb into wine. Yeast consumes the sugar and water to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide, the herbs provide micronutrients and give the wine it's flavor.Some things you will need: large glass container with a lid sieve or cheese cloth large enamel or stainless steel pot small sterile jar or sterilized glass a s ...

Succulents Sale hwy 94 and Steele Cnyn rd 08/09 to 08/10

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

succulent sale in Jamul, August 9 and 10th 2008 Saturday and Sunday

Hwy 94 and Steele Canyon Road First left past 7-11 on Via las Faldas.

The Bee Hat

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Gotta Have It I look forward to the few hours everyday that I get to spend outside in my garden. There is something incredible about working in the dirt, caring for my plants, and then harvesting the delicious produce. My favorite time to work outside is early in the morning or in the evening when the sun's intense rays aren't burning my skin. Unfortunately, the bugs love to come out at this time too. I tried everything from bug lights to insect repelant, but nothing seemed to ...

The Dirt... From My Garden to Yours

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

A Series of Gardening Product Reviews (Gotta Have It or I Can Live Without It) In my years of gardening experience, I've come across some pretty wonderful gardening gadgets that have saved time, energy, and back pain later on, but I've also come across far too many gadgets that made me double over in laughter. This first series of blog posts are going to review some of the products I've seen over the years - the ones I've gotta have and then some that I can definitely live without ...

Latest endeavor

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0100

I have taken some inspiration from the photo contest and started to make note cards from my flower photographs. Some I've enhanced through Photoshop, others are left with their natural beauty. I have over two hundred photographs to print on cards and have only done eight. I'm selling them for $2 individually but will have groups or 'series' of four or six that have a similar theme. I have the first two for sale at my Etsy shop at: www.theknotspot.etsy.com.&n ...

Life in a Harlem Garden

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Ok so we have the builders removing a large section of the back wall on the house. As the gardener in the house you can imagine this has left me having conniptions. Aside from the need to lift plants that were in the area, brick dust and mortar shrapnel have added to the problem as I now have an alkaline bed where once rhodos and azaleas grew. Having let up a silent scream to heaven I can now smile about the process. All of the transplants have thankfully taken nicely in their temporary ...

Another Step Toward Recovery

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Last year about this time I wrote a blog titled "I got greedy again" about an apple tree in which I didn't thin the fruit because I was greedy. I thought writing the blog may have been a step toward recovery, but alas I was wrong. Actually I thought I was doing better this year...I SWEAR I THINNED MY FRUIT TREES, somehow it wasn't enough.

Would you like a cold drink?

Wed, 28 May 2008 01:00:00 +0100

I have to admit it, I am a garden structure-slash-chatchki junkie. I am constantly on the hunt for all that cute little "stuff" you can stash in the garden for the visual element of surprise and a touch of whimsy. I collect pictures and magazine articles that talk about these outdoor "rooms" in the garden. I read stuff that talks about bringing the indoors out and the outdoors in. (honestly, that part all sounds a bit confusing to me). Mostly, I a ...

Tomatos, More Tomatos, and Other Stuff

Fri, 23 May 2008 01:00:00 +0100

I thought I had lost the tomatos. It was touch and go for about a week there where the leaves were turning brown and I'd have to clip off dying stems. I think the nursery had them outside and the frost got to them. The Roma Tomato plant was the worst one and I haven't been able to get it to flower just yet. Still working on babying that one. On the flip side - the Big Boy Tomatos are flowering and I've been hand pollinating. With any luck, I should see the beginnings of the fr ...

New Chronicles

Mon, 19 May 2008 23:45:55 +0100

Man! I've been trying to get this chapter done for days! Most of the following was written on Friday and saved.

I am going to be journaling various observations and things I'm doing at work. Everythi

My Tiny Little Garden

Fri, 16 May 2008 19:54:28 +0100

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Spring Cleaning Your Ponds

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:49:56 +0100

This is the time to clean your ponds and get them ready for summer. I highly recommend that you get this task out of the way early. We always clean our clients ponds between April 1st and May 30th while t

What's Growing in the Garden?

Tue, 06 May 2008 15:01:26 +0100

Well, the warm weather coaxed me to the nursery over the weekend. I came home with 6 lovely strawberry plants, 2 tomato plants, and a jalapeno pepper plant. The peppers are inside for now. The tomatos and strawberries are outside, s

The 2008 Vegetable Garden

Sat, 03 May 2008 11:35:55 +0100

I've had varying degrees of luck with vegetable gardens over the years. Some years I have more veggies than we can eat (perfect for sharing with family and friends). Others - I am lucky to get a tiny harvest for all my hard work

California Native and California Friendly Plants

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 15:50:31 +0100

My California native and California friendly plants are blooming like crazy. My water bill is quite a bit less now. My neighbors are commenting on how beautiful the flowers look. Some of my neighbors are replacing more of their gra

Sophomore Jinx?

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 09:36:03 +0100

For those of you who haven't been following my life as closely as you should, here's a synopsis of my gardening history: I planted my tiny front yard for the first time last year and basically wrote it off as a valuable

ORGANIC GARDENING made easy

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:48:36 +0100

Welcome to my first Blog on The Mulch website. What a great website you have created here. I just want to thank you! I am a filmmaker and knew no

The Woodland Path...

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:34:44 +0100

Woodland path...I have thought of it for years, and today I finished (is it ever really finished?) the shady side yard that sat dormant since we bought this house 8 years ago. A mix of hydrangea, bleeding heart, scheffelera, m

Lavandula vera

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 07:54:13 +0100

I bought a packet of Walmart brand seeds that was called "Lavandula vera". I looked it up on botanical.com and here is the link for Lavandula vera.
"EN

Lucky and Charmed!

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:17:51 +0100

Here's a cute little poem I came across that made me smile. This St. Patrick's Day, sit in your garden and take some time to think about all the little things you have and that you have accomplished. You will see just

I get to play!

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:44:10 +0100

In someone else's yard. Vegetables and some flowers, still in the planning stages right now. I have moved and there's nothing for me to garden with where I'm at. A good customer friend offered to let me play in his yard

Now what, or even better so what?

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:47:12 +0100

So now where are we and what do we do with the gathered information. You may have even asked yourself, "So What?" I did. So to find out both the 'so what' and the 'now what', lets look at our garden informa

Getting The Dirt on Your Dirt

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:14:05 +0100

Now we have looked at a basic layout, the available sun, the length and angles of shadows during the year and the basic climate issues. So what's left is getting the dirt on our dirt.

I grew up with avocado orchards and de

Planting Leaf Lettuce

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:20:18 +0100

About Lettuce

We can grow lettuce year round here in Los Angeles, but if you're starting to get spring fever, in your climate, one of the first things you'll probably be able to plant is lettuce.&nb

Zones, Microclimates and Chill Hours

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 09:35:20 +0100

The next piece of the puzzel needed to make a garden plan is to know the climate and even the specific microclimate that you live in.

The Basic Climate Zone

...And the winners are....

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:58:41 +0100

In honor of last night's Academy Awards, I have decided to have a little Oscar party of my own and issue some recognition to my "Best Performers" in the garden this year! The envelope please....and the winners are:

Re: Camellia meeting

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:49:13 +0100

Bonus! I won a camellia!

It's always fun listening to Tom Nuccio talk. He brought dozens of camellias to show and raffle as well. Beautiful, gorgeous, cute, sweet all of the range you'd expect from a premier grower.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:02:58 +0100

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Beatles said it best - All you need is love! But I thought this band wasn't too bad either :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWK

Yardscapes

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 08:19:28 +0100

Yardscaping is a spinoff of landscaping, but with a fun twist. The idea is to make yards fun and inviting. When someone pulls into your yard you want them to have the feeling that your yard is warm and invitin

Tom Nuccio at Camellia meeting

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 12:30:54 +0100

I am going to this months Camellia society meeting to see what's new and up with camellias this year and with Nuccio's. And on that topic, we're hoping to get some cuttings started with the Flower Girl camellia at

Now that's a SUPER Bowl!

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:45:00 +0100
As the parent volunteer for my son's first grade garden plot, I just have to brag, uh-hum share, with you their excitement, enthusiasm and genuine pride of their first harvest. The radish. They started by cleaning up thier plot, fe

The avalanche has started, too late for the pebbles to vote.

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 09:22:01 +0100

I wanted to start my own gardening community but it never took off so I'm glad I found this one. It's kind of dangerous and sometimes futile though. I don't have a garden of my own but have worked in a

Making a Yard Plan and Getting the Sun Angle.

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 12:14:05 +0100

"Before you can create a garden plan," Mother explained, "you need to know three things besides a general idea of what it might include:

(1) The yard plan, a reasonably accura

What's Hair Without a Plan?

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 01:41:55 +0100
Â Every garden has something in common with all living things... Life. My gardens didn't. Friends gave me plants. They died. Tragic and melancholy lives spent wilting, drooping, dropping and final succumbing. p> I lived in Holland for 23 years and everyone had flowers and compost piles outside, flowers in pots inside and cut flowers on the table. Their front windows were always open with the curtains forming an artistic frame for their flowers. Heck, at any given moment bulbs spri ...

From Antarctica to Vista

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 17:26:26 +0100

Somewhere, or perhaps more appropriately, sometime in 2001 my mother, then 89, decided that we, Lynne and I, ought to go with her on her last great adventure. Never one to be outdone, she decided that she would take u

Turn my brown thumb green...

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:57:48 +0100

Welcome to "Turn my brown thumb green!" This blog is about a garden, a mother and a son whose brown thumb turned green. Mom is 92, was a manager of Westinghouse in 1936, a nurse in the South Pacific during WWII and a

Container Gardening Tips for New Gardeners

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 17:45:20 +0100

Container gardens can create a natural sanctuary in a busy city street, along rooftops or on balconies. You can easily accentuate the welcoming look of a deck or patio with colorful pots of annuals, or fill

Take a Bough

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 12:03:00 +0100

Another holiday season has come and gone, leaving behind a trail of frost covered windows, gift cards and memories.

We were always a "real" tree family. Every year dad would load us into the Volks

Why Use Worm Castings? Because They Work!

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 08:41:38 +0100
I put worms castings in everything I plant. When I plant my veggies, I put some in the hole before planting. My tomatoes always had better flavor than any one else's, so I was told by my friends. If my houseplants needed repotting

So. Cal. Snowflakes

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:59:43 +0100

After two years of not providing us with any decent plums, my husband decided to cut out our tree to make space for our anticipated low chill Cherry. Well, being in the holiday decorating spirit,

Butterfly Project for the Whole Family!

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 08:00:00 +0100

My family and I had a great experience this summer, something I would suggest for anyone with kids, or just gardening friends. I'd heard about attracking Monarch butterflies by planting milkweed (Asclepias spp.). The idea (I was

A tree ripened Persimmon is better than a sharp stick in the eye!

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:58:46 +0100

Our Fuyu Persimmon tree has had its first crop this season. We are still trying to learn when is the best time to pick them for that tasty tree ripened flavor, and after some trial and error, we t

Green Christmas Trees

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 16:02:59 +0100
Cut Christmas Trees are dead and dry by Christmas. These trees can be expensive. They can also be a fire hazard.

Consider purchasing a Christmas Tree that is alive and growing in a pot. Living Christmas Trees smell wonderful

Scott's Classic Lawn Mower

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 09:48:32 +0100

My lawn mower is a Scott's Classic Lawn Mower. I now have it on the highest setting. My grass is a mixture of several grasses and some clover.

I do not use the grass catcher.

When you hire a gardener, they us

After the fires

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:11:27 +0100

The dogs have given up on me going inside and are dozing in the shade: Willow near the front door and Mason near the baby pine. The only sounds are overhead: the birds, the leaves rustling in the breeze and

Oh Shucks!

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 18:06:34 +0100

Are you looking for something fun and innovative for your holiday fall festival table that uses something from the garden? You know how everyone is going off on this whole idea of bringing the out

Manual Lawn Mowers

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 21:05:50 +0100

Manual mowers are quiet and do not require gasoline or electricity. Mowing your lawn with a quiet lawn mower is very relaxing.

Â

Fall Foliage

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 17:12:41 +0100

I drove to Syracuse this past weekend for my mom's birthday.

It's a trip I make six or seven times a year. 142.7 monotonous miles of New York State Thruway, another 1.2 miles of winding suburban streets and

Go FIGure!

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:35:25 +0100

One of my favorite fruit trees in the garden has to be the fig! We grow the Mission - those tasty purple beauties with sweet crunchy pink centers. When I was younger, my grandmother would tell me

Rest in Peace, Silver Mound

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 15:58:40 +0100

Whenever the topic of my newfound interest in gardening has come up, I'm always quick to work the fact that I've only had two plants die on me into the conversation. Well, as with most of my jokes this is now woefully out of

Relocation

Sat, 06 Oct 2007 14:18:55 +0100

The move is official and the gears have begun to turn. We're changing our residence from Huntington Beach to San Diego (Kensington).

Unfortunately, many/most of the specimens in HB won't work in the

Cottage Garden Country The Beginning

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:14:12 +0100

Six years ago, following an annual physical, and a biopsy, my Doctor informed me that I had breast cancer. The ensuing year involved surgery, chemo-therapy and radiation-therapy. It

The Lyrical Garden

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 21:05:59 +0100

Music is an important part of my life, and though I have my share of guilty pop pleasures, I'm most drawn to artists that have a clever way with words. Perhaps it's because I'm so inarticulate myself, or maybe

Hooray! Someone took a flower from my garden!

Sun, 16 Sep 2007 10:47:18 +0100

This morning I passed another marker on the long road to being a gardener, another step on the journey, another brick in the wall, another one bites the dust. Choose whichever cliche you prefer; they all work.

Y

Go Green By Planting California Natives

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:44:32 +0100

Do you want an ocean friendly garden that saves you time and money? Introduce some California natives into your garden. Planting natives is a way to replace some of the natur

I Love Gallant!

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 08:50:27 +0100

I'm probably the only person on Earth who has given nicknames to the windows in my office: Goofus and Gallant. They look identical to the casual observer, but I've come to realize they're as different as..

Starting Down the Garden Path

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 09:01:35 +0100

My dad was an avid gardener. A huge section of our backyard was, to my dismay, given over to his vegetable garden, taking valuable space away from important things like kickball and games of tag. Each year dad planted corn, tomatoes

How to Organize a Plant Exchange in Your Neighborhood

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 01:24:32 +0100

As any gardener will tell you, gardening can be an expensive hobby.

There's soil aid, peat moss and manure to purchase, mulch, and all thos hoses and gardening tools - and that doesn't even include the plants and shrub

Ugly Plants, Cool Birds

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:04:46 +0100

When we moved into our present house about eight years ago I negotiated a section of the backyard which would be "mine". By "mine" I meant a culinary garden where everything would have some edible quality and th

What's growing on in YOUR garden?

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 08:37:21 +0100
Just some summer time fun in the vegetable garden! " alt="" width="82" height="75" />

Beat the Heat

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 12:29:09 +0100
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