August 2003

I always say that weeding is 90% of gardening. Right now, things are finally coming on in the garden. Part of the lateness of stuff is because we got things in the ground late--the other part is that so much rain means there isn't much sun to encourage ripening. So right now Rundy's corn, summer [...]

We had fresh corn from my corn patch this Thursday. It was good. The corn plants didn't produce as much corn as they could have because I didn't mulch them as early as I should have. But I'm happy that I got anything. Fresh corn tastes really good. And I can always promise to do [...]

Jason wrote in the comments: "Now that you mention fall coming, it reminds me that I need to dig up and divide alot of bulbs. Do you have some recommendations for when to divide and a good method for keeping track of them?" According to Brent and Becky Heath, the best time to dig up [...]

The goldenrod has been blooming for a while now, and the Joe Pye weed also. And today I saw the first flash of orange-red in a nearby maple, as well as in my 'Autumn Brilliance' Juneberry. There's no mistaking it; fall is right around the corner. Time to re-evaluate the to-do list and whittle it [...]

I am a gardening wuss. I don't like to garden when it's hot, especially if it's hot and humid. I also don't like to garden when it's too wet out (as in a heavy dew), or when it's raining, or when it's too windy, or too cold. Oh, and I don't like to garden when [...]

I bought these Oriental lilies from White Flower Farm in Spring 1997. They were really truly on sale that year--about a dollar a bulb. Unnamed, of course, but who cares? This year, these two lilies are taller than I am. (Okay, when I stand up real straight and tall, I'm 5'2".) I am sure it [...]

The early part of summer is a time of great angst for gardeners. It is the foundation upon which the rest of the gardening season is built. Screw up then, and the garden is screwed up really good. If nothing is planted, nothing will grow. In middle and late summer if you don't weed as [...]

Not this Saturday, but last Friday and Saturday (July 25 and 26)I cleaned up the debris of the fallen willow tree. I was not looking forward to this project because it would be both mind-numbing and labor intensive. Two or so years ago when I was cleaning up from the big maple tree that died [...]

I grew this lily from seed. Really. All by myself. Several years ago, my grandma sent me a letter with some seeds wrapped in wax paper. She had carefully handwritten "Pink Trumpet Lilies" on the piece of tape sealing the little package. She told me another woman in her nature discussion group gave them to [...]