Share my passion for all things gardening!
The day before the first killing frost in the Spokane area, Bill and I headed up to Manito Park. We wanted to admire the last of the blooming dahlias in the test garden. Boy, am I glad we did because they were absolutely gorgeous! Unfortunately, many of them had a number rather than a cultivar name. That could be because […]
Read more
Powdery mildew is one of those annoying plant problems that all gardeners experience at one time or another. I often see it on my squash plants, phlox, bee balm and zinnias. The top photo is of a severe problem in my pumpkin patch a few years ago. No, that isn’t a rare pumpkin variety that has white leaves! The photo […]
Read more
There’s garden decor, and then there’s garden decor! I attended the garden writers’ conference in Atlanta last month. We were treated to several tours of amazing, private gardens. These tours always provide me with sources of inspiration. Even when their growing conditions aren’t anywhere near the same as mine. All of us can use extra inspiration, right? In this post, […]
Read moreWhen I talk about attracting insects to the garden, this is a common reaction: “Why would I do that?! I don’t want more insects in my garden!” Attracting beneficial insects, as well as pollinators, is exactly what we need to do. That way, we’ll keep damaging insects in check and create a balanced ecosystem within our gardens. When I think of […]
Read more
Who loves butterflies?! I would guess everyone thrills to see them in their garden. While touring our way through Georgia recently, I saw all sorts of beauties and enjoyed photographing them. That is, when they’d hold still long enough! I thought you’d enjoy seeing some of the butterflies of Georgia in this post. This beautiful orange-and-black butterfly (photo to left) is […]
Read more
I’m continuing with tales of our recent two-week trip to Georgia. Wait till you see this beautiful small garden that Bill and I visited. It’s the Savannah Area Council of Garden Clubs Botanical Garden. And yes, that’s a mouthful, but what a gem it was! Garden history This 10-acre garden is the collaborative effort of Savannah-area garden clubs and admission […]
Read more
Way back in May, I reported on my Facebook page how I’d succumbed to temptation. What did I do? I purchased a ‘Big Zac’ tomato plant while working at the Master Gardener plant sale. Even though I already had plenty of tomato plants started from seed, I just couldn’t resist. What’s so special about ‘Big Zac’? Well, when I read that […]
Read more
I wanted to put some closure on my series of videos about getting the maximum amount of tomatoes off your plants. And primary those pesky green tomatoes to ripen. To that end, I’ve filmed my final video on the topic for this year. Here you go: Just in case you missed the previous videos, I’m including them below. That way, you […]
Read more
I know what you’re thinking. Why would anyone want to know how to make catsup. After all, you can just buy a bottle in the grocery store? I used to think that, too. That is, until we made our own just for fun many years ago. Homemade catsup is AMAZING! It’s kind of like a gourmet steak sauce in our […]
Read more
Every year, I grow one or two varieties of paste tomatoes for making sauce, ketchup and salsa. Why paste tomatoes? They typically are meatier types that cook down fairly quickly. That’s because they don’t have as much juice as a regular slicing tomato. For the last several years, ‘Italian Pompeii’ (center of top photo) has been my go-to paste tomato. […]
Read more