Sunflower seeds
Itโs time to pull sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seeds off their dried heads. Toward the end of Fall I harvest the sunflower heads that have not been too attacked by birds or squirrels. They hang in the garage and the greenhouse drying for the next 5 months or so.Now is the time to liberate the seeds […]
Before and after
Sharing a greenhouse foundation with my neighbor means sharing all the unwanted weeds that creep over from her property to mine. So this year with her permission, I decided to cut back the highly invasive porcelain berry vines (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) that have enveloped her portion of the greenhouse. Cutting them back early and covering the […]
Lovely lavender
I have finally found a lavender cultivar (๐ฟ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ‘๐โ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐’) that takes the abuse of our Winters and snow plows. It sits perky and bushy next to a line of daffodils (๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ โ๐พ๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐โ ๐๐๐ โ๐ผ๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐ โ) along the fence that protects one of our gardens from marauding deer, rabbits, woodchucks and other creatures that […]
Spring greens
We are at the time of year when we must be judicious with how many of our greens we harvest. Until May, when the first strong crop comes in, we need to nibble and supplement. That is why I now pull extra greens from wintered over and perennial plants to add some heft and oomph […]
Signs of guerrilla gardening
My horticultural therapy clients atโ @annsplanceinc had a great time last week making plant labels and @seedbombs. These are simple exercises where clients young and old can be engaged. I was able to make the plant labels out of wooden stakes, mason jar lids and customized weatherproof labeling. The seed bombs also needed just three ingredients: […]
New greens
The cold frames did their job this Winter by letting me get a jump on planting this Springs. While all of the exposed beds are frozen more than 3 inches below the level of the soil, the two beds covered with the cold frame are thawed and toasty warm. I lost all the Swiss chard […]
Early greens
A smattering of frost-hardy minerโs lettuce (๐ถ๐๐๐ฆ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐) self-seeded in my cold frame this Winter.โ Rich in vitamin C, its succulent and tasty heart-shaped leafs make a perfect topping to any salad. It is a green best enjoyed in the late Fall or early Spring as it bolts and becomes bitter when warm weather emerges. Itโs […]
Waiting for bugs
Pulling the straw off my carnivorous plant bog, I see that the ground is still as hard as a rock. At least an inch of straw is embedded in the peat moss/perlite mixture. Though it may look like a couple of the pitcher plants (Sarracenia) are ready for a meal, their traps are filled with […]
Seed bombs and signs
I canโt say that I am going to miss the kitting up for my zoom classes. This one, where we are making seed bombs and plant signs is full with 20 clients and has a lot of parts. Seed bombs are part of gorilla gardening where you put wildflower seeds into compost/soil and air dry […]
Spring cleanup
Warming days and drier soil leads me to multiple days of Spring cleanup. The remnants of Winter are raked away to make room for the emerging growth. I always know it is time once the larger daffodil (Narcissus) and tulip (Tulipa) leaves start to penetrate the leaf litter. If I donโt get the Fall leaves […]