This past weekend I had the pleasure of touring several gardens during the annual Foster-Powell Garden Tour. It was a relaxing way to spend a sunny Saturday and find some garden inspiration. Here is a sampling of the gems I observed. There were surprises up in the trees in many gardens. These lanterns would make a garden feel so magical if little tea lights were
Do What You Can
On a recent tour of gardens, the phrase I heard most often was “it’s a work in progress.” To which I replied, “every garden is.” It reminded me of a phrase I heard lately from the principal of my nephew’s elementary school. She asks the kids recite the following: Do what you can with what you have in the time you have to do it
Apricot Blight
Our Puget Gold apricot was planted three or four years ago and has quickly grown into a lovely tree. About a month ago, it appeared like an insect was bothering the tree. The leaves had little pin holes on them. But then I noticed the fruit was looking funny as it ripen on the tree. It turns out our lovely little tree has Coryneum Blight
Product Review: Naturalyards Raised Beds
Recently I was approached by a local company, Naturalyards, about doing a product review. After careful consideration, I agreed to it because they met my criteria: 1) they are a great company, 2) they make a quality product 3) it’s a product we need for our homestead and 4) it’s a product you might actually be interested in. In exchange for receiving their product, I
May in Review
A look back at May shows a lot of life and budding fruit on the homestead. This is a photo-heavy post of the spring sights I have been enjoying: flowers, veggies and Baby Junebug! My favorite spring flowering bulbs, Allium giganteum, came out in full force. The purple petals are fading away leaving what looks like a green pincushion behind. They will dry out and
Favorite Tomato Varieties
There are three general categories of tomatoes: sauce, slicer and cherry. Sauce tomatoes have thicker, meater fruit with less water which makes them ideal for marinara. Slicers are the big beef steak types that you want on sandwiches. And cherries are the little, sweet gems that are great for popping in your mouth while you water the garden. There are hundreds, probably thousands, of tomato
Herb Spiral Update
It was years and years ago that I built an herb spiral in our backyard, but a reader recently asked me for an update on the project. But first, what the heck is an herb spiral? Our original herb spiral design An herb spiral is a popular permaculture project that incorporates micro-climates into the design. You begin by creating a mound of soil and then
Propagating Grapevines
Springtime means pruning and our grapevines were more than overdue for their annual haircut. We love the Glenora and Himrod grapes growing on old bed frames on either ends of our raised beds. But each year they grow so long that they get tangled into the nearby trees and shrubs. Pruning them back keeps their growth under control and also gives me the chance to
Planting Potatoes: The Double Dig Method
St Patrick’s Day is usually my cue that potatoes need to be planted. You can still get your spuds in and have a decent harvest, but it needs to happen soon! Potatoes can be easily grown in something as simple as a bucket full of soil with drainage holes in the bottom. Although they are adaptable to lots of growing methods, the double-dig method has
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