Gardening

"When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant."
~Author Unknown


June 28, 2011

After an overdue, warm summer rain, this is what my garden had to say...

Cherry tomatoes are happy and plumping nicely...

My all-time favorite, hydrangea shrubs, were smiling too!

June 5, 2011

Hostas

June 2, 2011

I feel I've done nothing but complain about the constant rain we've been having here in Upstate New York, but some of the positive things that have come out of it are big, gorgeous blooms on our trees and shrubs, and green, healthy lawns. 

This Rhododendron tree is on the side of our house, a bit shielded from the wind. It has grown to about 8 feet tall, and is loaded with large, pink flowers. The bees are happy too (even though he flew away just as I took the picture!)

May 15, 2011

Container Gardening

If you have the yard room and the time for a garden, I envy you!  I've toyed with the idea of building a raised bed for garden planting, but then consider the fact that we have tons of rabbits, squirrels, skunks and racoons in our neighborhood. In the past, the squirrels chewed up my corn and sunflowers, and the bunnies enjoyed three large heads of broccoli just about ready to be picked. So instead of throwing in the towel, I've resorted to container gardening. I don't have weeding to worry about, and can manage waterings and pruning with ease. The pots sit right on my deck next to the grill, and the critters don't bother them one bit.

This week I started a cherry tomato plant~

and a deep dish of mint for summer potato salads~

May 14, 2011

"You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt."  (author unknown)

It is with greatest confidence that I can finally say, "Winter is gone and spring is here to stay!" I know many northeastern residents will recommend waiting until after Memorial Day to do your plantings, but I'm taking the risk and doing it now. After a wonderful, relaxing 3 hour excersion at the nursery center, this is what I came home with:

White and pink Cosmos...

Hanging basket of purple and white Lobelia...

A flat of creamy white, vanilla marigolds (sounds like food, right?)...

and a beautfiul shrub called Doublefile Viburnum...

"More to come!"

"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides." ~W.E. Johns, The Passing Show

April 8, 2011

A favorite shrub I have in my backyard garden is a hydrangea bush. It's absolutely enormous, and is located against the corner fencing of our yard, where it seems to be happiest. The flower heads are multi-colored; some blue, some pink, and I'm not sure how that's happened, but it looks amazing. Here are some pictures from last year ~ spring can't get here quick enough...