September 2009

Here, but not here

September 25, 2009

I’m living in an alternate reality called the Garden Writers Association Annual Symposium in Raleigh, NC. I get up and get on a bus and am transported to an alien world where the plants are, well, different. I’ve only got my netbook and my photo editing tools are lame, so more when I get home. [...]

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Light First Frost of Autumn 2009

September 19, 2009

I saw frost in shady lawn this a.m., but coleus, cosmos, dahlias all look fine. Just that one spot, I guess.

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Unidentified Invasive Plant

September 16, 2009

If you know invasive plants could you reply to this comment? A reader has commented on an older post about an invasive plant she can’t identify. I don’t recognize it from her description, but maybe you do.

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Garden Bloggers Bloom Day September 2009

September 15, 2009

Annuals Our growing season is so compressed, that most annuals are only now looking their best. My children like to grow zinnias every year, and the bright colors of Renee’s Garden Crayon Color Zinnias really appeal to them. They like both the Cool and the Hot. (As a member of the GWA, I received the [...]

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Black Negligee Actaea and Angelica Gigas

September 8, 2009

I first became acquainted with Angelica gigas in the pages of A Year at North Hill, some fourteen years ago. I’ve wanted to grow it ever since then, but acquiring it proved problematic. The information I found in those pre-internet days said that it did not like to be moved; start it from seed where [...]

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Terra Composter: First Look

September 7, 2009

Recently I was sent the Terra Composter, a composting container made by Algreen, a Canadian company. I was particularly interested in checking out their claim that the composter is “designed to withstand a Canadian winter without cracking,” because they guarantee it for twenty years. I took a lot of pictures with my daughter’s camera as [...]

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First colchicum

September 6, 2009

My first colchicum is up but hasn’t pinked up yet.Most colchicums emerge white and then pink up over the next few days. Did you know I am a colchicum evangelist, spreading the good news of colchicums wherever I go? For some of my earlier messages, check out the archives.

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Troy-Bilt Lithium Battery String Trimmer: A Review

September 1, 2009

Early this past spring, Troy-Bilt sent me a Troy-Bilt 20-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Electric String Trimmer (model TB57) to review. You should know that in the past, two of my grown sons have been employed maintaining the grounds of the local mental health facility. As a result of this employment, they have used a lot of [...]

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