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February 2012
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Library Thing

  • When Birds Recycle February 3, 2012
    I was out and about on Sunday, cleaning up after the dogs and looking for wildlife of interest. January is not always the best time of year to find things, but Florida has experienced a relatively warm winter and spring is in the air so we have our fair share of resident wildlife meandering around.... [Continue Reading] […]
    Loret T. Setters
  • Orange Moon and The Grandmother Tree February 1, 2012
    Exploring the wonders of nature with the children who come to visit my wildlife garden is one of the greatest joys of my life. We turn over rocks to look for the Worm Snake who lives there. We watch the bugs with our hand lenses. We are amazed when the butterfly emerges from its chrysalis.... [Continue Reading] […]
    Carole Sevilla Brown
  • Green Healthy Lawns and Yards without Chemicals January 31, 2012
    In cased you missed it, last week our very own Carole Brown took the wildlife gardening world by storm with her exposure of the National Wildlife Federation/ScottsMiracle-Gro partnership, which quickly escalated into a widespread social media storm of protest by organic gardeners, farmers and environmental writers. On Sunday, amazingly, the NWF’s reversed th […]
    Ellen Sousa
  • Counting Birds in the Garden January 30, 2012
    I could not have guessed how timely this post would turn out to be.  I thought, I’ll get a head start promoting the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC).  After all we want to see more birds in the garden.  But who would have guessed that while I was gazing out my window this past gray... [Continue Reading] […]
    Donna Donabella
  • Feels Like the First Time January 29, 2012
    [Guest post by Jan Bills] “For me the only things of interests are those linked to the heart” ~Audrey Hepburn When I read the email from Carole asking if I would like to write a guest post for her highly regarded, well-respected website, I nearly dropped my teeth! Me, I thought to myself. I am... [Continue Reading] […]
    Guest Author

#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 [...]