I find no difficulty keeping reasonable fit during the garden season. There are always beds to be edged, weeds to be pulled, plants to be pruned, rocks to be moved, vegetable gardens to be turned over not to mention all the new plants that need to be hauled from the garden center, moved around in… Read more »

I am not very good at taking care of indoor houseplants. While I have a pretty good green thumb for outdoor gardening, my indoor garden skills are practically non-existent. Even keeping Christmas poinsettias is a major feat for me. However this year I think I have finally figured out what I have been doing wrong… Read more »

Weeds are public enemy number one to most gardeners. Fighting persistent weeds without the use of chemical pesticides can be quite a challenge. One of the first steps is to know your weed. A great resource guide is produced by the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The Weed Identification Field Guide (listed about half… Read more »

Winter protection is not something I typically need in our garden. I focus largely on planting cold hardy trees and shrubs and anything that is pushing the limit I place in a protected spot. However this year we had to cut the foundation yews along our house completely down to the ground due to the… Read more »

Garden soil needs to be replenished with organic matter each year in order to maintain its fertility. In spring, we add compost made from the prior years garden and kitchen waste as well as composted horse manure from a friend. In fall we add leaves. Unfortunately for us most of our trees are not yet… Read more »

Saw this cool picture on mashable today. If only gardening was that easy!

The weather has cooled considerably, in fact we had our first frost this morning. The day was lovely for working so I spent the day putting fall fertilizer on the lawn and reseeding bare spots. I also spread seed heavily in areas that have dense clover. While I don’t mind some clover, too much is… Read more »

After a week of not too bad weather, the prediction called for another 5 to 7 days of rain again in our area. Between the cold temperatures and rain, we are, unfortunately, very behind this year in planting out the vegetable garden. Given the prediction for more wet weather I decided I needed to get… Read more »

Wearing my winter coat and ear muffs, I managed to start my spring pruning today. I have a lot of shrubs that I prune back hard for better foliage, brighter stem colour or both. One of those is Cornus mas ‘Aurea’. Aurea has bright golden foliage that looks striking against deep red stems. I also… Read more »

The weather this past week has been nothing short of spectacular. Temperatures 5C above normal, sunny and very little wind. Perfect for spending time outdoors doing some garden cleanup and finishing those last minute chores. We even picked the last of our carrots and beets from the vegetable garden today. To cut back your garden… Read more »