Did you Get Lost in the Garden?

Here is what blooms in my Tennessee garden in May 2010. There’s always a lot to see this time of year and I’m sure I’ve missed some things but here we go! Red AchilleaPatio Garden – Garden Shed in the background Achillea, Phlox pilosa, and Catmint CombinationDeck Garden – The irises here are done but the foliage still remains. Nepeta…

On Saturday we went up to visit the in-laws for Easter. The day was cool but sunny with a little wind and with the right amount of layering was quite pleasant. It was one of those spring days that almost, just almost felt like spring. It still had the cool sentiments of our Tennessee winters. After visiting for a little…

…meal in my garden this year. Blood meal is one of those organic additives that contribute to the quality of your soil. It has a very important nutrient: Nitrogen. Nitrogen is responsible for growing the green leafy growth on your plants. Since blood meal is made form the dried blood of livestock it is an organic product and releases the…

The fall color may be winding down across the northern hemisphere but I still haven’t showed you what autumn foliage we’ve seen around here in Southern Middle Tennessee. I hope you will forgive my lateness at my own entry for the Fall Color Project.  I’ve taken tons of pictures of our fall colors and have selected a few that are…

I do a lot of cuttings and have experimented with quite a few mediums but over the years I’ve found that sand is one of the best options out there for a rooting medium. Sand is readily available, sterile, and versatile, making it an excellent choice for successful propagation. In this post I’ll tell you about the advantages of using…

Whenever you start to design an Edible Landscape/Garden it helps to have some inspiration to use as a guide.  You may have a ton of ideas in your head, but – trust me on this – sometimes those ideas don’t always work!  It’s never a bad idea to have some backup ideas or to just research those ideas to see…

Fall color is on its way! Or colour as the case may be! Those Canadians have to do things different don’t they? 😉 However you spell it the fall foliage is well on its way to peaking. Here in Tennessee I would estimate that peak color is about a week or so away but we don’t have to wait to…

Spring and Fall are my favorite seasons in the garden. Fall because I love the changing leaves, the cool crisp air, and the feeling of closure that comes with shutting down the garden. Spring is my other favorite because of the rebirth. All the spring flowers and foliage are emerging and everything is brand new again. It’s a really fun…

Birch tree cutting from a cutting taken in summer Have you ever wanted to try propagating birch trees from cuttings? The river birch is definitely worth propagating for your garden for many reasons. First of all birch trees can be rooted! While I’ve tried propagating several kinds trees unsuccessfully (like maples ~ seeds: no problem ~ cuttings: not so good…

An ecologically safe and easy to use weed killer is simply water! Just boil it in your teapot and water the troublesome weed with some scalding hot water. It is non-selective so anything it touches it could kill. It’s effective against most weeds but they may need a second treatment. Be sure to target the root and stem area. Just…

If you like things hot (or if you are in the south its just going to be hot) why not try some of these fiery colored plants in your garden! The colors of red, orange, and yellow can truly set the garden ablaze visually! The plants I’m talking about are also very easy to grow and just need a little…

I just wanted to say a quick thank you to Gloria Ballard, the garden columnist at The Tennessean newspaper for including me in her latest article! It has some great information on Fall Planting of Vegetable Crops. Please stop over and read her article online at The Tennessean: Second Season Springs to Life in the Garden or visit Gloria’s personal…

Every weekend is a busy weekend in the garden. At least until the July heat comes sometime in June. No I didn’t misspeak, it gets very hot in Tennessee around the mid to late parts June, but that’s getting way ahead since spring has barely gotten here. For now though the temperatures on a sunny day are fantastic! Warm but…

It’s no secret that we like sedums around here. In fact we even have one garden area completely devoted to housing the sedums. It rests between a sidewalk and the driveway where the summer sun unmercifully beats down upon anyone unlucky enough to be planted there. It just so happens that succulents like sedums are perfect for these problem spots!…

Yep, the title says it all. I really have lettuce growing among the weeds in one of my garden beds. I planted it in the fall and despite a few nights of subzero temperatures and several cumulative inches of snow over the course of winter it’s still there! The lettuce is small, barely even 3 inches wide but it’s there!…

What a weekend!  You don’t get weather like we had very often.  The thermometer hit the 70’s for the first time in a long while and we took advantage of it.  We spent very little time indoors, how could we?  After being cooped up in the house since fall any outside opportunity had to be taken. So what did we…

Pictures Taken: November 10, 2008. Red Maple ‘October Glory’ (Acer rubrum)

One of the most despised “weeds” in the lawn is the dandelion.  All sorts of chemical companies offer ways to get rid of them and get your “perfect” lawn.  It’s too bad that we seek to eliminate this little flower because they have so many healthy benefits!  What is a Dandelion good for?  I’m glad you asked! The Benefits of…