The musings and adventures of an enthusiastic grower
I've learned many lessons from the garden over the years, whether it be patience, persistence, or gratitude, but one of the first things the garden taught me was that you must have a sense of humor. As growers, we face many challenges, from pests, disease, weather extremes, wildlife, and sometimes even ourselves. I probably would …
What a busy month June has been! With the school year closing, there were final soccer games, concerts, field trips, recitals, and competitions to attend with our son. I didn't know if I was coming or going half the time! So during this busy month, I tried to squeeze in as much time as possible …
Continue reading "What’s Growing on in the Garden: June 2022"
That's right; it's official, I am taking the leap from garden hobbyist to flower farmer! It is exciting and scary and everything in between, but I'm ready for this new stage in my life. My passion for being around plants has grown drastically over the past few years, and I could no longer ignore the …
Oh, ranunculus, you are ridiculously good-looking with your fluffy blooms comprised of seemingly endless petals akin to the ruffled petticoats of long ago. I may have only started growing you for the first time this season, but I feel we will have a lasting relationship. You may be a bit finicky and challenge me as …
It's hard to believe that May is coming to a close and that we are heading into June. One of the busiest months in the garden, May certainly kept me on my toes! This month had both beautiful and trying moments between planting, watering, harvesting, starting seeds, working on the new garden space, and trying …
Continue reading "What’s Growing on in the Garden: May 2022"
I was familiar with the spring-blooming daffodils, tulips, lilacs, and peonies, but I was recently unaware of another spring flower, the anemone. Coming in an array of colors and sitting atop sturdy stems and lacy foliage, anemones had somehow flown under my radar until last year. It wasn't until I started researching cut flower varieties …
I will be the first to admit that I wasn’t always a fan of tulips. There was a time that I didn’t fully appreciate what they had to offer. Those single, brightly colored blooms that I was familiar with as a kid, the ones that lined driveways in a uniform line like marchers in a …
It's almost May, one of the busiest times of the growing season for those gardeners in my neck of the woods. There are many items on the to-do list, from sowing seeds to caring for seedlings and harvesting early bloomers. Add to this the big job of garden cleanup from weeding, preparing the beds, scrubbing …
Continue reading "What’s Growing on in the Garden: April 2022"
Do you ever splurge, indulging in a luxury that you wouldn't usually buy? As a gardener, have you ever splurged on a plant? Has a specimen been so alluring that you couldn't leave it at the nursery? And have you ever wondered if money was no object, and you had the perfect growing conditions, what …
I can’t believe that it has been two years since I made the life-changing decision to start a little blog called Thistle Be the Day. It all began in April of 2020 when the world was on lockdown during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. I felt the need to connect during those tumultuous early …
THISTLE BE THE DAY 