Share my passion for all things gardening!
I thought it would be helpful to write a column on some of the problems that can come up. I’m specifically talking about garden pests that can be very challenging. Here is a link to my column in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Identify the pest before choosing the remedy. (or you can read my column lower in this post) […]
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A long time ago, I grew calendulas at our old house. I remember seeing small black beetles on the flowers but never knew what they were. Two years ago, I started growing them again and — sure enough — those beetles are back. After doing some research, I learned they are blister beetles. I needed to come up with some […]
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One of the great things about traveling to other countries and visiting other gardens is that you get wonderful ideas. Then you can put them into practice in your own garden. Today, I want to show you some of the crop protection covers I saw while traveling through England last month. I’m referring to the methods gardeners used to keep […]
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Growing apples is a bit problematic because they are susceptible to some nasty insect and disease problems. Growing apples organically is even more challenging for the exact same reason. And yet, my husband Bill and I have taken on that very challenge in our home orchard. Why? We love the idea of eating apples that were grown without chemicals. To grow […]
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I think I’m going to have to eat crow… or something along those lines! Last June, I wrote about pillbugs in a blog post. In it, I talked about their reputation for munching on the stems of young Cucurbits (melons, cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins). This occurs while they’re at their most tender stage. Pillbugs also have a benign role of helping […]
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The Praying Mantis is an insect with a voracious appetite. Because of this, it’s always a treat to find them in the garden since I know they’ll help me keep insects in check. While my husband, Bill, was trimming back our large lavender patch, he came across all sorts of Praying Mantis egg cases attached to many of the plants. How cool […]
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Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects. Published by the Xerces Society (Timber Press, 2016, 287 pp., $24.95) Don’t you just love learning new things? I know I do. I’ve been wanting to find out more about attracting butterflies to our garden. And I just found an ideal guide for that exact purpose. Gardening for […]
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I know I’ve talked about this before but crop rotation is a big deal! It’s the best tool vegetable gardeners have to cut down on insect and disease problems. And it’s free, too. Crop rotation involves keeping records of where you grew each crop in the previous 3 to 4 years. That way, you can grow them in different locations […]
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 […]
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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 […]
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