During much of his young life, my son carefully checked every food he put in his mouth. You could also call this a picky meal. But one day he happened to want to eat carrots. Even better, if I bought some colorful organic products from the supermarket, he would say: …
Read More »Monthly Archives: June 2020
Play the autumn treasure memory game
Autumn is a generous season. Winter is dramatic, spring is thrilling, and summer is just a bit striking, but autumn is all about giving. In one minute there are fresh apples and blackberries, in the next pine cones and conkers. If the kids are in the garden or going for …
Read More »Persian shield: an exotic plant species
STROBILANTHES DYERIANUS Persian shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus) is a stunning ornamental plant that comes from the warm and humid nation of Myanmar and grows there as an evergreen perennial. It belongs to the Acanthaceae family, which mainly consists of flowering tropical plants. With its unique iridescent purple leaves, S. dyerianus has …
Read More »Collecting “dry” non-hybrid seeds for sowing and dividing
While the summer crops are still producing, but the plants are getting tired (my first planted tomatoes are shitting and some have died), the heat has done another unnoticed task – ripening seeds of non-hybrid vegetables and flowers to which we can harvest Save for next year’s gardens and share …
Read More »How to protect seedlings
Organic gardeners share a challenge that has many faces – how to protect seedlings to the point where they are strong enough to defend themselves. Because seedlings are so tender and tasty and lie deep in the ground, they are easy to harvest for a wide range of animals, from …
Read More »Use of egg shells in the garden for soil, compost and for pest control
While eggs can be the delight of many home cooks, Egg shells can be the bane of many home composters. I remember my reaction when I dug in to harvest my very first batch of finished compost. I was thrilled that all of my food waste and garden waste had …
Read More »Screen-free Sundays, Maria von Trapp and mud cake kitchens
I’ve worked in PR for many years, but I’m starting to think that I’ve never really left my life as a “spin”. You see, if you read this blog, you can get a distorted feeling for my existence. For example, it may look like I’m a practical mom with one …
Read More »Growing raspberries in containers: get it right
Have you always wanted to grow raspberries but don’t have a permanent place? Or doesn’t your planting area get a lot of sun? Maybe your apartment doesn’t have a garden or garden, but a sunny balcony or terrace? Growing raspberry plants in containers is easy and if you choose the …
Read More »Prune ornamental trees and shrubs
It was brought home to me one afternoon when I looked out of my bedroom window to see if I could find flower buds on mine Magnolia campbellii that bloomed so strongly last year. I didn’t see any newer buds, but I noticed that some of my other plants took …
Read More »A whole lot of Heuchera (and how to grow them)
Heuchera In recent years coral bells (botanical name Heuchera(sometimes called alumroot) have become my favorite plant to add color and texture to the garden. I find ways to add it to almost any flower bed or container I’m working on, and I’m consistently happy with the end result. More importantly, …
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