(Via Gardening Question of the Day (from the Old Farmer's Almanac))

Posted by admin to Uncategorized on 2007-12-12, 20:00:00

Will asters survive the winter in northern Kentucky? What measures should I take to ensure this? (answer).

From The Old Farmer's Almanac.

(Via An Iowa Garden)

Posted by admin to Uncategorized on 2007-12-12, 12:05:00

My Mother-in-law, a lady of copious charm and wit for whom the expression 'sharp as a tack' was invented, occasionally misplaces something, and when she can't find it she then worries that she might be slipping a bit. She was over here a few days ago in her perennial but futile quest to beat me playing Rummy-Kub, and launched into a story about how she had misplaced a stack of old check registers and had looked everywhere for them, to no avail... it upset her because she was worried it might be a sign of early memory loss. I was diplomatic but I pointed out that with all the stuff she has saved in boxes and drawers, that I probably wouldn't be able to find my own rear end in her house.
In order to make her feel better, I then told her how I once lost a chicken... then found it. A few years ago we had a beloved 16 year old cat who for no reason that we or the vet could ascertain, just totally stopped eating. One day I was cutting up one of those broasted whole chickens you get from the deli, when Toaster the cat came shambling out into the kitchen and started meowing. On a whim I tore her off a little piece of chicken, which she gobbled down and meowed for more. That was the one thing she'd eat, so each week I'd go to the store and buy a whole broasted chicken for her, tearing off a little for her each day. One day I went to get the chicken out of the refrigerator, and it wasn't there. I looked all through the refrigerator... nothing. I knew there wasn't much meat left on it, so thought I might have absent-mindedly thrown it away, so I went through all the trash... nothing. I went through the cupboards, the house, the refrigerator again, the freezer... nothing.
Well, this is the point at which you start wondering about alien encounters or broasted chicken burglars. I finally just bought another chicken. A few days later I went to heat up a piece of left-over pizza in the microwave (for breakfast, I seem to recall). There was the chicken, sitting in the microwave. I now remembered that our other two cats were snooping about in the kitchen, so I'd shut the chicken in the microwave until I had a chance to wash my hands to put it back in the refrigerator.
I've always been for the most part a glass-half-full kind of guy (whining about the weather being an exception... too hot, too dry, too cold). Therefore losing track of a chicken for three days didn't bother me. I was just grateful we hadn't gone on vacation for a week or so right then.

(Via An Iowa Garden)

Posted by admin to Uncategorized on 2007-12-12, 12:05:00

My Mother-in-law, a lady of copious charm and wit for whom the expression 'sharp as a tack' was invented, occasionally misplaces something, and when she can't find it she then worries that she might be slipping a bit. She was over here a few days ago in her perennial but futile quest to beat me playing Rummy-Kub, and launched into a story about how she had misplaced a stack of old check registers and had looked everywhere for them, to no avail... it upset her because she was worried it might be a sign of early memory loss. I was diplomatic but I pointed out that with all the stuff she has saved in boxes and drawers, that I probably wouldn't be able to find my own rear end in her house.
In order to make her feel better, I then told her how I once lost a chicken... then found it. A few years ago we had a beloved 16 year old cat who for no reason that we or the vet could ascertain, just totally stopped eating. One day I was cutting up one of those broasted whole chickens you get from the deli, when Toaster the cat came shambling out into the kitchen and started meowing. On a whim I tore her off a little piece of chicken, which she gobbled down and meowed for more. That was the one thing she'd eat, so each week I'd go to the store and buy a whole broasted chicken for her, tearing off a little for her each day. One day I went to get the chicken out of the refrigerator, and it wasn't there. I looked all through the refrigerator... nothing. I knew there wasn't much meat left on it, so thought I might have absent-mindedly thrown it away, so I went through all the trash... nothing. I went through the cupboards, the house, the refrigerator again, the freezer... nothing.
Well, this is the point at which you start wondering about alien encounters or broasted chicken burglars. I finally just bought another chicken. A few days later I went to heat up a piece of left-over pizza in the microwave (for breakfast, I seem to recall). There was the chicken, sitting in the microwave. I now remembered that our other two cats were snooping about in the kitchen, so I'd shut the chicken in the microwave until I had a chance to wash my hands to put it back in the refrigerator.
I've always been for the most part a glass-half-full kind of guy (whining about the weather being an exception... too hot, too dry, too cold). Therefore losing track of a chicken for three days didn't bother me. I was just grateful we hadn't gone on vacation for a week or so right then.

(Via Home and Family: Gardening Articles from EzineArticles.com)

Posted by admin to Uncategorized on 2007-12-12, 11:49:00

When you inquire about the process of getting a raised bed garden, you will wonder if you should build it or buy it. Both are great, but it can also be a tough choice. It is important to know all the pros and cons that go along with both building and buying.

(Via Girl Gone Gardening)

Posted by admin to Winter, herbs, houseplants, photos, seeds, weather on 2007-12-12, 11:24:00

Today I planted some Calceolaria seeds. The instructions say to surface sow but not in light and to keep moist. The seeds are tiny, even when they are pelleted. Saved Hellebore seeds. Earlier this year I was upset when the excessive rain took its toll on my hellebore plant by drowning and killing it but I did manage to get some seeds from it. What I didn't know and I found out by doing an

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to garden, insects on 2007-12-12, 11:23:00

A description of my two photos of insects...
From today a lone lady bird that was sleeping on the Buddleja bush before I moved her to get a photograph. I normally measure the approach of spring with the visible ladybirds. She played dead for a while then walked around indignantly after being moved during her catnap on the branch.

I dont know what this beetle was called.He was small with a metallic blue coat, just like his automobile named counterpart. He got carried to the table to be photographed. I disturbed him as I renovated the garden last week.
One mouse, two different beetles, and a few garden birds. One Black cat that walked along the back fence. Thats what I have seen so far in the new garden.

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to bulbs, geraniums, ghosts, viburnum on 2007-12-12, 10:16:00

Beautiful delicate white Viburnum flowers that smell faintly fragrant...

The Viburnum blue berrys with the golden stripes...

The pink Geraniums that were flowering before the big clean up.

I wandered what evidence of previous gardeners i would find. There was little buried treasure only broken pieces of pottery . Not even whole pots just solitary fragments.
The most noticiable thing in the garden is the Viburnum shrub which is about seven foot high and six feet wide. It has the pink star shaped flower buds, with the scented white flowers. After it has flowered it makes the blue berrys.The whole shrub/tree is covered in them.I potted up two viburnum baby plants that had young red willowy stems.
The Geranium was wild spilling onto the stone slabs. It was wildly overgrown and woody.The roots were like a bowl of spaghetti! Masses and masses of solid root.
I trimmed the lateral and bottom of the viburnum. If I want to hang washing It will need trimming backfurther along the front. I wont untill spring trim it back now.
There are three patches of Geraniums, one in a pot, and two sections in the soil. They will flower again with the cuttings I moved.
The only other things I found were an unknown bulb, large amounts by the right hand fence.I left a few, and collected a tub full.I am letting them dry out untill I can identify what it is! It is shaped like a skinny turnip with small bottom and long thin top part, all white coloured.
Two severely leggy heathers sagged onto the patio.They had about a foot of dead wood beneath the green parts. They went into my compost boxes!
There was a bird house with its roof missing, and full of damp.It disintegrated when I tried removing it from the post.
I found several plant labels, some were so old they were unreadable. On the computer desk now is the label for Calluna Vulgaris Tricolorifolia, a creeping heather.
I know for sure that the soil can support Heathers, Viburnum, Geraniums, and the unknown bulbs.
The treasure was the soil, dark alkaline soil that had not been dug for years. Black gold almost, but two sides of the garden have been cultivated once upon a time.
I wander if the ghost gardener liked the cleared garden, free of brambles and weeds, with the raised beds uncovered, and the original fence nailed back upright. The patio swept clean of collected debris so they are light coloured.
Its been cold and as I have done as much of the garden as I can at the moment I can be reflective, about ghosts and gardens.

(Via Plant Care)

Posted by admin to Bromeliads, Indoor Color, Plants - General on 2007-12-12, 09:37:33

The calendar tells me it’s only about 2 weeks until Christmas. Now we’ve got our tree up and decorated the "traditional" way. Lights, garland, etc. (...)

(Via Home and Family: Gardening Articles from EzineArticles.com)

Posted by admin to Uncategorized on 2007-12-12, 09:32:50

A description and examples of what you need to attract butterflies to your garden. There are dozens of myths and beliefs surrounding the lives of butterflies.

(Via Home and Family: Gardening Articles from EzineArticles.com)

Posted by admin to Uncategorized on 2007-12-12, 08:54:41

Decorative grasses and grass-like plants are so versatile in their potential to solve design problems, that they are suitable to most garden styles, and especially to dry climate gardens. The use of grasses and grass-like plants in garden design is well established throughout the world. As they can solve a variety of design issues they are to be found in many different types of garden. While not specific then to dry climate gardens, ornamental grasses nonetheless provide the dry climate gardener with a number of exciting design options. These can be summed up as follows.