The common list of fall clean-up chores has terrorized me over the years. Right on the heels of trying to preserve the glut of late summer produce, comes the rush of attempting to collect the last of what is fresh before the first hard frost. And all the while, not only are weeds growing, but […]
Hardscaping for Water Faucet Access in the Garden
By mid summer, access to outdoor water faucets tends to be blocked by plant growth. Both annuals and perennials that seem like they would never grow or bloom in the spring hide faucets from sight and undesirably deflect sprinkler spray. At least that is what frequently happens in my garden. This fall, I undertook one […]
15 Reasons Why Gardeners Should Love Their Lawns
Lawns have been the brunt of social snubbing for years. It seems ironic that such a humble, hardworking plant should suffer the scorn of gardeners. The stigma of admitting you love your lawn in the presence of fellow gardeners is akin to letting it slip out that you like to dance in a room full […]
How Not to Use a Tarp for Fall Garden Clean Up
Last fall, my landscape architect son taught me some ways to stream line fall clean up. They were good ideas and I have used many of them with good results. However, if you do something enough, you branch out and experiment, and thus learn just what the limitations to a certain approach are. […]
Learning About Chlorosis for the Average Gardener – A Book Review
This week I wrote about chlorosis for the D&B Supply blog. Chlorosis has been a frustrating problem for me since I began gardening here in Idaho over 25 years ago. I have tried taking action based on the common gardening advice that I’ve heard at local nurseries, but have never been satisfied. So, this time, […]