More than Latin- tips for reading plant tags

Here’s a secret, the tag that comes with your plant – it’s a juicy tell-all. The piece of flexible plastic that is tucked in soil, or sometimes attached with an elastic band, will give you all the “deets” or the “411”–  what the cool kids call details of the plant. These tags have superpowers that […]

Fall Vegetable Gardens

It’s not too late to plant a garden. Granted, you have to be selective, but get busy this week, and you will soon harvest the rewards of a fall garden. As the days begin to shorten and cool, certain crops will flourish. I have cleared my raised beds of remaining bolted lettuce and a few […]

Mom planted more than vegetables

I always think of my mom when I garden. It was her passion. Her escape. She had the knack. You know what I mean, everything grew big and looked good- just like the catalog said it should. She was a farmer at heart, just like her parents and their parents. Growing vegetables and reaping the […]

A seed library – what a charming idea

“If you have garden and a library, you have everything you need.”  Marcus Tullius Cicero In this age of Zoom and the ease of taking classes while at home, I logged into a gardening presentation featuring multiple topics and speakers. All the sessions were good, but one caught my attention. A seed library! A what?! […]

Purple reigns in this garden

I would like to say it was planned, but really – it was a happy accident. I am well on my way to creating a purple flower bed. Oh, white and silver are mixed in, and of course, green is the backdrop, but purple is the star. It started with my love of allium bulbs. […]

Daffodils bring sunshine to the early spring garden

I love the early blooms of snowdrops and crocuses, but nothing gives me hope that spring is on the way like a swath of daffodils. Those sunny yellow blooms reassure me that yes, spring is coming, and the garden is waking up from the winter and beginning to grow. To enjoy the beauty of daffodils […]

Grab your garden tools, this is a busy week for gardeners

Today we spring forward and gain an extra hour of daylight. Great! It gives us an extra hour to spend in the garden. There is much to do in the garden this week; that extra hour will come in handy. It’s time to plant peas, radishes, spinach, and leeks in the garden. Peas like cool […]

What do I do? I think my plant is giving birth

The text on my phone read, “Dear Gardener in Pearls, I have kept this plant alive since it arrived as a baby. Now it appears to be having babies. Do I do anything? Sincerely, Clueless in the Mitten.” When I stopped laughing, I told Clueless in the Mitten that all babies grow up, and yes, […]

Winter garden – a bird’s eye view

“Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own.” – Charles Dickens It was one of those days. I was cold, out of my favorite tea bags, and quite frankly well on my way to being a grouchy gardener. Then I looked outside. The overnight snow had created a fresh canvas of […]