letters from the wilderness
I’ve been making do with a potting area in 2 spots in the basement. However, my knees didn’t appreciate all the kneeling on the floor. When we cleaned up the basement, we moved these shelves into this spot by the water heater. It seems to be the perfect spot which we can’t use for much... Continue Reading →
This weekend I spent time digging and digging. The rain garden is one area I tackled which I'll work on again this week. This area has been eroded by the downhill flow of water and the 2 pipes attached to the rain gutters. You can see the pipe ends (black) marked by a rock in... Continue Reading →
After spending a day at a gardening symposium over a week ago, I've been digging deeper into low-carbon gardening, sustainable gardening, etc. In a nutshell, it's everything I've done for years because I was focused on frugal, organic gardening. It's nice to know I was helping the planet just by being a good steward. Anyhoo,... Continue Reading →
One thing I had in abundance in my Pennsylvania garden was beneficial insects. Ladybugs, praying mantises, spiders, dragonflies, bees, earthworms, you name it, we had it in our 1/4 acre yard. When I first started gardening, I didn't plant to attract bugs. But, as I learned more about organic gardening, I started planting to get... Continue Reading →
This newer bed sits at the top of our long thyme bed. In it are roses, blueberry bushes, and 5 grape vines. I noticed this spring that the wood chips were making their way into the thyme bed. Normally it would not be an issue however the wood chips looked messy as a result. I... Continue Reading →
A few weeks ago, I attended the Extension Master Gardeners of the Central Rappahannok Area Living in the Garden Symposium in Falmouth, VA. Given that Falmouth is about 3 hours from where I live, it was an all-day experience. Since this post is photo-centric, I'll keep the writing short. We heard 3 speakers, one of... Continue Reading →
Recently I decided to try growing my own amaryllis from seed. Thanks to advice from a friend, I pollinated the amaryllis I bought at Home Depot after Christmas for half price. Then I waited and watched. I saw these bulbs begin to swell on 4 plants. If the bulbs continued to increase in size beyond... Continue Reading →
This past winter, I decided to try winter sowing. I have lots of beds to fill, and I also wanted to get back into vegetable gardening in our new home. Putting plants in can be an expensive proposition. I wanted to get the most bang for my buck by doing traditional indoor sowing and winter... Continue Reading →
In the morning before the kids get up for school, my hubby and I hang out in the living room drinking our coffee. He watches Northern Exposure while I surf Pinterest looking for ways to protect my plants from marauding deer or improve heavy clay soil. In one of my searches, I ran across ways... Continue Reading →
Last fall, we had extensive tree work done on our property and kept the woodchips for our flower beds. The same company returned 2 weeks ago with more free woodchips which I've been spreading around the yard. I took advantage of the windfall to start a rain garden. But first, a brief tour of my... Continue Reading →
2 dogs and a house 