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  • Being Green in the Wildlife Garden May 17, 2013
    As I do every morning, I was walking around the property enjoying nature at its best.  I took my normal route past the Rusty Lyonia, Pawpaws and Dwarf Oaks, among others and headed down the bank of the pond into the section that dries up during Florida dry season.  I checked two small temporary pools […]
    Loret T. Setters
  • Silver Dune Lupines of California’s Central Coast May 16, 2013
    An Amtrak train announces its arrival at Grand Avenue Station.  The familiar whistle tells us it is 7:10 am.  At the same time, I can hear the waves of the Pacific Ocean crashing in. I take a walk on the Boardwalk.. it is early… fog is drifting in from the Ocean in large sweeps.  Silver […]
    Kathy Vilim
  • Progress in My Wildlife Garden May 15, 2013
    You may remember that at the end of last summer I worked with my nephew Lucas to rip out my entire wildlife garden because too many invasive plants had taken over. I had to make some choices about what plants could stay, and which ones had to go. In some cases, the invasive plants were […]
    Carole Sevilla Brown
  • Weird Weather and Winter Weeds May 13, 2013
    “I plowed the peas under,” said one of my farmer friends glumly at the market. “They weren’t doing anything but turning yellow.” The farmers in stalls on either side nodded. One does rabbits commercially, and has a garden rather than a farm, but she added “Lost all the broccoli too.” More nods all around. Unfortunate […]
    Ursula Vernon
  • Pondering New Residents in the Garden May 10, 2013
    Just when I think my home wildlife experiences can’t get any better, THEY DO!!!! What a week it was with the pond.  Four new entries on my wildlife life list.  Okay, aside from my Audubon checklist booklet, I don’t have a formal list that I write on. I pretty much keep track via my blog […]
    Loret T. Setters
  • Tried and True Native Perennials for Sun – SE Edition May 9, 2013
    The southeastern region of the US is blessed with some exceptional growing conditions, and the native plants that have always made it their home are rich in diversity. With a region that encompasses mountain tops and coastal plains, a variety of plants exists to satisfy every condition you could have in a garden. Yet we […]
    Ellen Honeycutt
  • What to Know About Attracting Native Bees May 8, 2013
    I’ve been doing a lot of research about attracting native bees to get ready for my appearance at BeesWeek at the Albuquerque Film and Media Experience week-long festival in New Mexico this June 3 – 9. There’s a lot to learn! So I wanted to gather together some of the best resources to help you […]
    Carole Sevilla Brown
  • American Fringe Tree Chionanthus Virginicus Flowering Tree for Urban Gardens May 7, 2013
    American Fringe Tree Chionanthus virginicus has long been a favorite of mine for small space and urban gardens. It is a stunner in bloom – not much compares, and the summer and fall foliage is attractive enough to be worth incorporating it into a formal landscape design. I am happy to have seen this native […]
    Karyl Seppala
  • The Tatting of the Lacewing May 3, 2013
    Observation in the garden comes easily to me.  I meditate each day as I walk around the property, camera in pocket, noting any subtle nuances from other times that I’ve walked the same path.  You’d be surprised that just a hint of a different color on something can attract my attention, no matter how small. […]
    Loret T. Setters

#GardenChat

The Comfrey Experiment

A plant’s ability to grow, increase and sustain itself became of secondary

and almost minimal interest.

~Bill Munson

As I said in my last post, it’s a natural part of my summer garden routine to rip up clumps of comfrey and absent-mindedly toss it into the compost pile… [...]

How to Grow: Comfrey

A weed is but an unloved flower.

~Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Comfrey: invasive perennial or super-garden plant? Maybe a bit of both… though I definitely lean towards the latter. Comfrey is a perennial herb (or to some a “useful weed”) and a member of [...]

Herbs For Shade

“There’s fennel for you, and columbines;

there’s rue for you;and here’s some for me;

we may call it herb of grace o’Sundays.”

William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Many of the most commonly grown garden herbs thrive in bright sun and very warm soil. Herbs like tarragon and [...]

Use your imagination!

“Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation

and a pinch of creativity.”

It’s not quite January and already several friends and neighbors have asked me what I’ll be planting in the garden. The question comes up every winter and is inevitably followed by “What should I plant?” I don’t mind offering a plant selection for [...]

Weekend Update

Another busy weekend in the indoor garden. A Saturday check of the plants revealed herb roots peeking out of the sage and basil pots, lavender sprouting (The envelope said 21 days for germination, it’s been one week.), and FRAGRANCE! The scent of Thai basil was lingering in the air as I entered and, for a [...]

Seeds for Thought

“Before the seed there comes the thought of bloom.”

E.B. White

With 2010 seed selections becoming available it’s not too soon to begin planning the summer garden. If you’re considering planting a garden for the first time (or know someone who is and need gift ideas), this list of  easy-to grow vegetables will [...]

Veteran's Day

“Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace.”

Amelia Earhart

To all veterans, today and everyday, a very sincere thank you.

It’s another beautiful day here in Rochester, I spent it gardening indoors and out. Another trip to the herb garden brought sage and [...]

Sweet: Part 2

Yesterday’s post was about growing the herb stevia whose intensely sweet leaves are used as a natural sugar substitute. It’s non-caloric and has zero carbohydrates making it ideal for people on restricted diets such as diabetics. Today I thought I’d pass along a few tips for using it and a couple of recipes, too.

Stevia [...]

Sweet!

I have four stevia seedlings growing in a pot on the windowsill. With cold weather looming it’s time to transplant and move them to a warmer spot. The indoor garden is perfect!

Stevia Rebaudiana is an herb. The extra-sweet leaves are used as a natural sugar substitute. It’s native to South America, but I’ve grown it [...]

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.

What a joy to wake up with SUN this morning! Pitch black mornings make it hard to get out of bed. There was a definite chill in the air, 32 degrees and frost to be exact. My day started with a chuckle, courtesy of local channel 10 weatherman Rich Caniglia  as he described catching a [...]