The musings and adventures of an enthusiastic gardener
When a plant catches my fancy, and I decide to give it a grow, I’m all in. I dive in feet first and don’t look back. Sure, the smart thing to do would be to try growing one variety first and see how it goes, adding more types in subsequent seasons if all goes well. …
“Eww, gross! What is that thing?” I exclaim as I spot what appears to be a bizarre alien creature resting on a leaf in my garden. A strange mix of disgust and fascination well up inside me as I move in for a closer look. It’s big, green, and squishy, but other than that, I …
It’s hard to believe that another month has passed so quickly, but here I am writing the August edition of ‘What’s Growing on in the Garden.’ Just as in July, it has been a busy month, as chores such as weeding, watering, and harvesting continued to occupy most of my time. These peak summer months …
Continue reading "What’s Growing on in the Garden-August Edition"
In last week’s blog post, I discussed creating a pollinator playground garden by planting flowers that support pollinators. This week, I’d like to place a spotlight on one of my favorite plants from this garden, the zinnia. They come in a seemingly endless variety of colors, shapes, and sizes and have won my heart many …
If you have been following this blog and reading my posts, then you know that I am passionate about pollinators. Since learning how vital pollinators are to our planet, I have tried to be more conscientious in my actions to protect them. I started planting more natives in the garden and made plant purchase decisions …
This week, I had the opportunity to judge vegetable and herb entries at the Ulster County Fair. I was excited, as I have fond memories of attending the local fair through the 4-H program when I was a child. Back then (an undisclosed number of years ago), I would often enter several of my craft …
Continue reading "Judging Vegetables at the Ulster County Fair"
Welcome to the newest segment on the blog! Besides Field Trips, Garden Projects, and Plant Spotlights, we now have an additional recurring post topic called ‘What’s Growing on in the Garden?’ In this monthly segment, I will be blogging about what’s happening in my gardens: what’s growing, what’s not, what pests I’m battling, what I’m …
There is something about flowers. For centuries, people have been fascinated with them, gifting them to express our joy, love, sympathy, congratulations, and well-wishes for just about any occasion. They elicit emotion, bring smiles to faces, and beauty to the world. Flowers are one of nature's many miracles. People Have Been Fascinated with Flowers for …
One of my favorite activities in the garden is picking flowers, arranging them, and bringing them indoors to enjoy. Immersed in flowers, gathering the components for my bouquet, I transport into the world of the pollinator. As a result, I can get up close and personal with these amazing creatures as they flit from bloom …
We all go through phases in our life, whether major ones like childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, or minor ones such as not eating vegetables, music preferences, and wearing hot pink nylon shorts (I was a kid, don’t judge me). As a gardener, I also find that I go through phases. For example, I have transitioned …
