Instructions on use. We're coming up on the last few weeks to get beneficial nematodes in before the summer heat. I buy nematodes every year. Sometimes I add them in fall, sometimes in spring. But no matter which season you choose, heat is your enemy. Full list of target insects and the variety of nematodes … Continue reading Don’t Wait To Get Rid Of Soil Borne Insects.
If you are my age (in my 50's), you might remember the music at the bottom of this post. It's music we don't hear anymore. But in the past: I always heard it at grandma's. I remember eating cereal in the morning at grandma's house. The radio would be on, first came the farm report: … Continue reading In The Garden
In the spring trees and bushes send out new growth. If you have grafted plants (a lot of fruit trees are like this. The roots belong to a different plant than the top. The top has the fruit you want.) In the spring: trees send out growth below graft unions. Roots prefer themselves, to what … Continue reading Watch Your Grafted Plants
How big my bananas got last year Last year I decided to try something new. I did not cut the bananas to the ground like I usually do. This has created some new experiences. I cut them lower but not at ground level. These look shorter than they are because there's straw stuffed everywhere. You … Continue reading Naners In The Spring
This is the fourth and final installment of my beginner gardening tutorial. For this class I decided to list some of my favorite books and growing aides. The book list is by no means exhaustive but I have some that have truly helped me form the backbone of my gardening approach. These products have definitely … Continue reading Beginning Gardener: Class 4-Walking You Through What You Need To Know
This is the third part of a four part online course. It’s free and if you would like to know more go to the top of this page and click on the Gardening Basics tab. Or you can get the first and second parts of this course here: Beginning Gardener (part 1) and Beginning Gardener … Continue reading Beginning Gardener: Class 3-Walking You Through What You Need To Know
Learning to garden takes time. It's also helpful to have a seasoned gardener show you how to garden in your area. If you don't have someone on hand: you now have me! I may not live where you do (and it makes a huge difference if you are growing in a different area) but I … Continue reading Beginning Gardener: Class 2-Walking You Through What You Need To Know
Spring is on the way! It's time to brush up on your gardening skills and learn about new gardening ideas. This year I thought I'd get back to basics and start publishing pieces of my gardening advice from my page: Gardening Basics. For the novice gardener: read on and stay tuned! This is pretty much … Continue reading Beginner Gardener: Class 1 Walking You Through What You Need To Know
Sweet potatoes, beet roots (These are chiogga beets. White, yellow or striped beets have a milder flavor than solid red beets), beet greens and spring onions This is my recipe for using up spring veggies before the heat of summer ends their season. I grew all the veggies except the sweet potatoes (which were not … Continue reading Moroccan Sweet Potato Fritters with Ras El Hanout Yogurt Sauce
Winter is a wonderful time to read up on gardening literature. When your garden is fast asleep, it is the perfect time to make preparations for next year. Whether you are new to gardening or an old hand: this is the yearly time for reflection. What has worked for you? What have you struggled with? … Continue reading Winter: Garden Planning
I love using milk jugs! My kids drink a lot of milk and we always have empty gallon milk containers. These are always useful in my garden! I use them to harden off transplants and in this blog entry: to keep tender plants (like tomatoes) outside, where they're warm and have plenty of light, while … Continue reading Quick Mini Greenhouses From Milk Jugs
I have a lot of tropical plants that wouldn't make it if I left them outside during our few freezes. I have all kinds of one year old plants in this single, twenty inch pot. (BTW I got this pot, and many more, in the trash my neighbors put out. Don't pass up free pots! … Continue reading Overwintering Plants Indoors/Year End Wrap Up
Putting the banana bed to sleep for the winter. Leaf stalk falling. This electric pole saw was too small to get into the main trunk. The pole filled with water from the plant as it was sawing and the banana fibers completely clogged up the chain. Tried our new battery powered extension chainsaw and it … Continue reading Bye Bye Bananas.
My grandmother used to make cinnamon pickles out of watermelon rind. It was a dessert she proudly put on our plates. They were delicious and in memory of her, I now make them yearly for my extended family and my kids. Last year I also tried a vanilla pickle which was pretty gross. I'm not … Continue reading Just In Time For Christmas: Modern Cinnamon Pickles And Lemon Candy Pickles!
So now that we're past the #!$@:! Frigging pool noodle lollipops, I have some relaxing projects to round out a candy themed Christmas display. First are the super simple candy cane straws. You can make canes with a bunch of PVC elbows but I think those look way more like a PVC pipe creation rather … Continue reading Candy Cane Straws and Ice Cream Sundae Outdoor Decorations
During the holiday season I reflect on the things I am grateful for. At the top of the list is my family, and more specifically: my two young sons. The following article is my love letter to my boys. I first published this in 2016 and I repost it every year. I still feel exactly … Continue reading A love letter to my boys
This tutorial shows you how to make the best looking pool noodle lollipops out there. Don't mess with the dollar store noodles. I decided to add some Christmas tutorials for my decorations outside. I'm creating a candy background for some characters from the Nutcracker Ballet. My first task was making some candy. I decided on … Continue reading Big Beefy Pool Noodle Lollipop Decorations
There are still wonderful people out there! This is a YouTube channel I follow. The guy drives around his city and finds areas that need attention. He's cleaned up sidewalks for kids, to be able to walk home from the bus safely. He cleans up abandoned properties to bless the community and make it safer. … Continue reading A Man With A Great Heart
We still have a couple of weeks until we freeze for the year. Most of my plants are shutting down. A few completely tropical plants are starting to fruit. I will be repotting some of the smaller plants into a single pot and bringing others indoors as is. My son's lemon tree is about ready … Continue reading Happenings In The November Garden
So, I ordered some fruit bags, from Amazon, for my bananas. They are lined on one side with cotton to trap the ethelene gas (ethelene gas helps make fruit ripen quickly.) The cotton also helps with humidity and shades the fruit from the sun. They have holes in them, so the fruit can breathe. They … Continue reading Protecting The ‘Naners
Crazy Green Thumbs 