Did you Get Lost in the Garden?

I’ve written several times before about raised beds.  I’m a fan, a huge fan of raised beds. With a raised bed you can control the soil, control the moisture, and garden virtually anywhere.  It makes sense that raised beds are a great option for every homeowner (here’s why: 8 Benefits to Gardening in Raised Beds).  The question though that new…

Before every Christmas season begins I am asked by various family members “What do you you want for Christmas?” Of course sometimes it’s phrased more like “Get me your Christmas list by X Date!” Does this happen to you too?  As an avid gardener and blogger I thought it might be fun to think of the books I would like…

If you are like me you’ve been scanning the forecast trying to plan out every possible moment you can be outside in the garden! Around here Saturday is supposed to be pretty nice with scattered clouds and no rain coming in until late. And I can’t forget to mention the big 70 that has appeared in the temperature predictions! Since…

While the girls were at their grandparent’s house today I was able to get quite a bit done in the yard. Here’s the list of accomplishments in no particular order: Picked a handful of beans (this morning.) Mowed the yard with the riding mower, the trim mower and trimmed with the weedeater. Mowed a new pathway into our slope area…

One of the tasks I accomplished last week on the greenhouse garden shed was to complete most of the siding on the backside. It was a complicated task due to many little cuts and some creative problem solving that was involved. One of the issues was with the “secret door.” I wanted the backdoor where my mower will enter the…

One of the most valuable resources you can have as a gardener is compost. I can tell you from experience that you can never have enough compost to meet all of your needs. Compost is essential for good soil building. As materials break down into smaller components through composting they turn into usable elements that plants can use for growth….

This weekend I partially accomplished one of the major garden chores of the fall The Fall Vegetable Garden Cleanup! There’s a second section of the vegetable garden that needs cleaned up still but I really wanted to leave the tomatoes alone for now so that maybe, just maybe they could ripen up a few more before the end of the…

Heuchera, also called Coral Bells, are by far one of my favorite plants for shade gardens. Not only are they beautiful plants but in my garden (where deer and rabbits roam) have been very pest free. They don’t require much water to maintain once they are established and will pretty much take care of themselves. The only real maintenance that…

Since fall is approaching at breakneck speed it’s worth taking time to mention one of the most important aspects of fall – the leaves!  Or more specifically what to do with them! First here’s what not to do with your fall leaves: Don’t burn them – the most wasteful thing you can do.  Don’t bag them and put them by the…

A few weeks ago I dropped a fairly large sweet potato in an old plastic peanut butter jar filled with water to make some sweet potato slips. Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite vegetables. To me having a simple baked sweet potato at dinner time almost seems wrong, it tastes like I am eating dessert for dinner! But of…

Here is another sneak peek at the Arbor Project for the Better Homes and Gardens 48 Hour Blog Challenge. Today’s look is just one of the elements in my planting scheme.  I’ve had a fondness for Scotch Moss (Sagina subulata) for a while but never really had a place for it, until now! I managed to divide the four clumps…

Today was one of those days where you just don’t seem to be able to get much done! The weather was unseasonably warm (in the 70’s) and was just great day to be outside with the exception of the high wind. Because of the billowing gusts we didn’t go outside until my youngest daughter (3 months now) went to sleep….

Today’s peek into my greenhouse project is just one little picture, but it’s a view from the inside out. The biggest windows have been installed but, as you will see in the picture, need a thorough cleaning and painting. The misty haze on the panes is due to too much time spent outdoors under the effects of the weather.  Dirt…

We all know that Christmas is on it’s way and the gift buying season has commenced! Fortunately gardeners are easy to please with presents! Just find them something they can use in the garden and they will be thrilled! Below are some easy gift ideas for gardeners that you can use to give those with green thumbs something for Christmas!…

Today I’m going to tell you of a special technique for growing Echinacea or coneflowers from seed. You may have heard of this technique before and perhaps you’ve even tried it. Whether you have or haven’t this technique is worth trying I call it: forgetting you planted the seeds.Here’s how forgetting you planted the seeds works step by step. The gardener…

Since I’ve been doing posts on trees this past week for Arbor Day (April 25th) I thought I would take a second to talk about one threat to your trees, tent caterpillars (Malacosoma americanum). They are quite common in Tennessee and many other areas of the country. Watch out for these little caterpillars on your hardwood trees. Once they form…

When building raised beds I usually screw deck screws through each of the boards to attach the corners of my raised beds but using brackets to hold raised beds together does work better. With the screw in method I find after a while that the corners begin to rot, the screws begin to loosen, and the corner doesn’t hold together….

The holidays are an extremely busy time of the year. We go from Halloween with spooky decorations, to Thanksgiving with autumn harvest styles, then to finally to Christmas. For those who enjoy decorating (and have the storage space for all that stuff) it can be a great deal of fun, but for others who may enjoy the holidays much more…