Newsletter

  Scotland Garden Tour, Hardy Geraniums, Storage Tomatoes and Pruning Blueberries   As the calendar turns to April, the activity ramps up in our zone 5 garden. A late snowstorm last week didn't deter me from starting more seeds indoors and getting plants ready for spring. In this newsletter I'll be talking about hardy geraniums (one of my favorite, low maintenance perennials), some cool varieties of tomatoes that last months after harvest fresh and pruning blueberries. Before we jump into all the gardening how-tos, I want to let...

Trees with Interesting Bark, Hardy Catmint, Get Started with Leeks and African Violets The calendar has turned to February. No matter the groundhog sees with his shadow, we still know in our zone 5 garden that we have months of winter to come. But that doesn't mean we can't be doing gardening activities now. One thing about winter is it lets some plants show off more than they would when the foliage is out. I'm thinking of the bark of some of our trees. Growing trees for their bark color and texture is good to remember, because in cold...

Plants for Problem Places, Seed Catalogs, Growing Asparagus, and Norfolk Island Pine It’s a New Year with all kinds of possibilities. I appreciate you for getting this newsletter and being part of my gardening universe. I have recently changed my email server. If you happen to be getting this newsletter after you had unsubscribed, I apologize. Please just unsubscribe again so I can have a clean list or let me know and I'll unsubscribe you. Thank you. I always get excited come January because for us it's the beginning of a year long process...

Delightful Dianthus, Heirloom Tomatoes, Gardening with Kids and Rubber Trees I know it might be my imagination, but the days seem to be getting noticeably longer already! It is happening! Spring is getting closer so it's time to really start planning your next gardening moves. I have all my seed orders in and soon I'll be starting onions and leeks indoors for a spring planting. Also, this time of year it's good to have a plan for growing some new perennial flowers. One that we like, and have grown for years, is the Dianthus family of...

  Creeping Phlox, Quick Carrots, Let's Eat Dandelions and Pruning Hydrangeas   Spring arrived on schedule in our zone 5 garden, then it decided to go on vacation. So now we get snow showers, chilly nights and flowers that are in suspended animation. It will change and I'm okay with the slow down. Things were moving along quite fast there for awhile. One plant that's showing lots of life is the creeping phlox. This is one of the first perennial flowers to bloom in spring and the colors put on quite a show. I talk about varieties...

    All About Pruning: Webinar, Podcasts, Videos and Stories It's February and time to get in the yard and start pruning. Pruning is one of those chores that intimidates many gardeners. Often gardeners are afraid to prune for fear of killing or hurting their plant. But with a little science know how and some creativity, you can prune easily and effectively keep your plants in bounds, flowering and looking beautiful. In this newsletter I highlight my Pruning Trees and Shrubs Webinar where I talk, in depth, about pruning various...

All About Houseplants: Webinar and Stories January is a great time to up your houseplant game. Greenhouses have new shipments of beautiful houseplants and you have time to repot, evaluate and fix your existing plants. I'm here to help! In this newsletter I highlight my Webinar, All About Houseplants, where I talk in depth about light, watering, fertilizing, humidity and pest control of your plants. I also offer lots of houseplant ideas for your home. Check it out below. I also provided links to articles on my website about houseplants. The...