Garden decent, most things returning. However, bloom envy stalks through me. Every turn is photo-worthy… tulips, crabapples… Right now, the lilacs are in full bloom. But I don’t have a big, fragrant and terribly wonderful lilac. Yet, I must have blooms for my vases. So I have no choice. Tonight, I’m marauding lilac blooms. No lilac is safe, either. Be [...]
There are things in nature that appear worse than they are, just as in life. And gardening is a haughty manipulation of nature where we only win part of the time. That being said, I thought I’d offer some comfort to help you begin this gardening season on a positive note. Buckle up – here are the top five things [...]
Every year I like to review what worked well for me and what didn’t. This season was unprecedented regarding heat and precipitation so if something performs well, I’m unusually impressed. It’s times like these when true colors shine through. My first award of valiance goes to my clump Serviceberry. After five years in my landscape, it received no additional water. [...]
As if a newly planted tree might suddenly up and runaway, homeowners have this ceaseless urge to anchor it to the earth. Where do they think the tree will go? I don’t know, but I’ve seen all sorts of creative ways to tie down helpless trees. Ropes, rubber hoses, even shepherd’s hooks; there are some mighty imaginative tree lovers out [...]
From the dinner plate to the doctor’s office, fungus is a part of everyday life. And the garden is no exception. As a gardener, I have terrific respect for fungi. Its versatility is boundless. Many species are of great benefit to the gardener’s efforts, even providing nourishment. Yet others positively ruin the looks of the garden, literally overnight. Talk about [...]
By far one of the most adaptable summer flowering shrubs is the Rose of Sharon – glossy foliage, beautiful bloom, easy care and quick to fill a space. It’s an Indiana summer staple. And I had to have one. Throughout the years, time and again, I would go to purchase one for my garden and get stumped on color selection. [...]
Gardening can be a challenge regardless of your living situation. Farmers battle droughts, suburbanites combat rocky soils and apartment dwellers are space challenged. It can be frustrating, indeed but I have two words for you . . . grow up! Literally – I’m talking about growing vines! Living in an old house in town, I’m space challenged. Definitely the highlight [...]
Each morning for the past month I’ve watched cardinals, robins and catbirds devouring my serviceberry fruit, less than 10 feet from my seat on the porch. It’s been my favorite part of the day. Not only that, but I’ve also noted the hummingbirds back at my fuchsia, catmint and agastache. What fun! And there are several bird species that gather [...]
“Arachnophobia” is more than just a creepy movie; it’s a real condition involving real fears. And I certainly cannot fathom what it would be like to have such deep-rooted fear. It would cause hysterics upon sight of a spider. But then again, phobias are irrational fears and that’s pretty extreme. What makes perfect sense, of course, are those people without [...]
I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to figure it out, but I’m not afraid to say so … I’ve decided good gardening happens by accident. It stinks when you look at other people’s gardens in admiration and think you’d love to have that, but it looks like a chore! Nobody wants to voluntarily create more chores for [...]
