It’s now safe to transplant the amaryllis you grew during the winter. It will not likely bloom again this year but should do so next year. Now that the soil has warmed (make sure it’s at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit), plant caladium bulbs or caladiums potted and already in leaf. They like it warm and [...]
Troy-Bilt TB30 Neighborhood Mower – product review
Troy-Bilt product review With only a half-acre lawn, it may seem like I’m crazy to want a riding mower, but I’m not. I’m a practical person with logic that could decry the best trial attorney. Good thing I’m not on trial, though. I’d hate to have to show somebody just how good I am! My [...]
Gone with the Hen – update from Tiny Tara
I clearly remember, years ago, standing at the window of a friend’s house noticing that all along her windowsill were treasures–a shell from a trip to the beach, a stamp from an old love letter, and a sweet potato with toothpicks stuck around its midsection so the bottom half could root in water. There were [...]
Pollinators
The Power of Pollinators For most of us, more time is spent admiring pollinators in our gardens, than giving thought to the fact that pollination is required to produce seeds and fruits in up to 80% of the world’s flowering plants.…read more. Six Plants to Attract Hummingbirds Hummingbirds are indeed birds, but gardeners tend [...]
Butterfly plants: nectar and host
Six Nectar Plants to Attract Butterflies Attracting various butterflies to your garden, big or small, multicolored or not, from majestic swallowtails down to the little skippers, begins with having the kinds of plants butterflies need…read more. Six Host Plants to Attract Butterflies To attract butterflies, supply the necessary kinds of food they need. The [...]
Labyrinths – World Labyrinth Day
Reprinted with permission from Carolina Gardener magazine. Labyrinths have always held a fascination for me–whether stones lain on grass in a simple spiral formation, a seven-circuit pattern, or even a more elaborate Chartres design–a labyrinth is an ancient spiritual tool found in all religious traditions in various forms around the world. A labyrinth has only [...]
Bee Balm, Monarda didyma, and the color red
Nature, in all her glory, has devised protections to sway the survival of the fittest. Like a perfect, protective shell shielding an unborn chick, nature is well-made. However, there’s an inconsistency in nature that took me a while to finally figure out: bees loving red bee balm. Intuitively I know in nature bees avoid red [...]
Sun, partial sun/partial shade, shade, dappled sun, full shade
You’re looking at your plant tag to see if it’s a plant you can grow. It tells you your plant wants partial sun. Do you know what means? Do you have the right sun requirements to grow this plant? There are a lot of different definitions of sun levels, and they can be just as [...]
Fertilizers, soil testing, and your soil’s pH
Fertilizers: Basics Many think of fertilizers as plant food when in fact it is food for the soil to be available for the plant. Understanding this will help you as a home gardener better comprehend what and how much added nutrients your garden needs.…read more. Fertilizers: Choices Many think of fertilizers as plant food when [...]
Are critters getting your bulbs?
It’s frustrating, I know. The critters like your bulbs as much as you do. Here are some ideas to keep bulb robbers at bay: Voles: For starters, volves are my nemeses. They are my worse garden enemy. Have you tried spraying your bulbs with Ropel, Deer Off, Plantskydd, or another bad-tasting concoction? Spray a ready-made [...]
Mulching
Yes, it is that time of the year again. Time for the annual rite of gardening. Helen’s Haven gets a new blanket of mulch. It’s actually late for me this year; I normally like to lay my mulch in January or February. But things get in the way of schedules sometimes. This was one of those [...]
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