Tomato plants, particularly the indeterminates, are tough in small spaces. They want to swallow up every inch of the garden and that's hard to reconcile when every inch matters. And quite honestly, I hate staking and fussing over things. If you follow this blog, you probably know I like plants that produce with little effort on my part aside from starting the seed. Oh, and the occasional water and fertilizer applications. But beyond that, they're on their own. There are those gardeners who are meticulous with their tomato care and that's great. I'm just not that gardener. And yet, things seem to work out well most years. Before last year, I grew mostly indeterminate tomatoes because I like plants that produce constantly over a longer period of time. Unlike determinates that grow less ...
Adopting an Organic Approach to Lawn Care
Thanks to Gnome for partnering with me on this post. All words and opinions are my own. I've had a change of heart. For the first time in 20 years, my husband will fertilize the backyard lawn this spring. You should have seen his face. It was as though I'd announced "Pizza and beer will be served every day for the rest of our marriage!" We take frequent walks and every time we pass a home with what he considers a prime example of turf perfection, he slows his pace and always asks in a slightly exasperated way "What does this guy use?" because of course, it has to be a man that would exhibit such fastidious lawn prowess who's obviously privy to some closely held knowledge that has yet to be shared with my husband. I'm convinced it's a guy thing since I've never heard any woman, myself ...
Why Rugosa Rose Is A Lazy Gardener’s Dream
I was doing a live chat on Instagram a few months ago with my friend Erin, you know her as The Impatient Gardener, and we briefly touched on roses. Our conversation turned to them when I asked her about a plant she was over. She thought for a moment and replied "roses." Too much work, too needy, too demanding. I get it. All valid points. Erin lives in Wisconsin, a stones throw from lake Michigan. Winters are harsh, the season short. We didn't really dig into her response but immediately after she said it, I resisted the urge to argue the case for the rugosa rose. My rugosas are the Rosie the Riveters of the rose world, full of beauty, brawn and multi-season interest. After all, rugose means rugged or rough, which relates to the overall appearance of their thick toothy leaves, but ...
January Is A Great Month To Plan A New Garden
The Christmas decorations are packed away and I finally have space in my brain to think about something not holiday related. Why Heather, whatever could that be? No surprise here. Gardening is always front and center. In addition to the veg garden that got a glow-up at the end of 2022, I'm also focusing on the garden around our patio. My husband built it for me over a decade ago and I've filled it randomly over the years, without ever making a real plan. How hard could it be to plant a narrow border? Well, as you can see from the photo above, I have my work cut out for me. I've been a let's-throw-it-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks sort of gardener. Which isn't always a good thing. There's something to be said for a plan, no matter how big or small and I feel like this small space ...
Choosing the Right Sunflowers for Your Garden
Happy New Year, garden tribe! It's early January which means I'm buried in seed catalogs and slightly overwhelmed. I want so much! Not because I need it but because I have this thing for plants. Animal shelters have the same effect. If I had the land, and the money, I'd bring everyone home with me. All kidding aside, winter is a time of reflection as well as one of hope for all that's possible in the garden. And as I thought about my garden and how very mediocre it was in 2022, one thing struck me. I really love sunflowers. Perhaps the saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" really is true. There wasn't a single sunflower in my garden last year, the first time in over a decade, and I certainly don't want to repeat that in 2023. Of course there were rudbeckia, coneflowers and ...
Glow-Up Part 3: Installing a Crisp Border with Edge Right
Thanks to Edge Right for partnering with me on this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I feel like I've been in the home stretch of my veggie garden glow-up for several weeks and the fact of the matter is, it's actually been a few months. Budget plays into everything I do, and sometimes things don't happen as quickly as I'd like. Certain kids need new athletic equipment or there's a last minute school fee we overlooked. So I stay flexible, knowing eventually I'll get to it and all will work out. And if it doesn't, well we call that a character building moment. I've had many. I hate to say what I do is affordable because affordability is relative. So I guess the working word is "plan." Which takes several forms when it comes to a glow-up, indoors or out. Planning in advance ...
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