Isn’t it funny how sneaky life lessons will creep in when you least expect them? Those that tend a garden space know that springtime is particularly rich with these little gems. As a transitional time between the more defined “winter” and “summer” seasons, spring is changeable by its very nature, one day rainy and cool and the next bright with sunshine and warmth. And every year is different, too. To expect every spring to be the same is silly, and I’m not sure why it surprises me every year to find it cooler, warmer, or wetter than the year before. It seems every year, I must learn the lessons of…
-
-
Tulips & Glory of the Snow Bulb Update
Things don’t always turn out the way you plan. That’s definitely been true this year. And sometimes that happens in the garden too. Do you remember those bulbs I planted last fall? I talked about them in the Autumn Garden Chores post. The blooms are all finished now, but I can reflect back on what I learned and how I can do things differently next time. Blushing Beauty Tulips Fall Flat Here’s what the Blushing Beauty tulips were supposed to look like–a beautiful delicate pink with a little apricot mixed in and delicate elongated tips… And here’s what they ended up looking like… Boring. Plain yellow. Not at all what…
-
A Hint of Spring & a Dash of Hope
January is a time when I often feel a little bleak. There is no particular reason except the cold rainy weather and the bare trees seem naked and gloomy. As I write this, I am watching a bird cling to the bare branches of a tree blowing furiously in the wind. I mentally cheer it on. “You’ve got this! Keep hanging on!” Maybe I am talking to myself, too. At times when I feel a bit windblown by life, it’s nice to think of things I can look forward to and spend some time appreciating the beauty of simple things. Soon I’ll begin to watch for the green blades of…
-
Confessions of a Houseplant Serial Killer
You can’t go anywhere online right now without seeing beautifully decorated apartments filled with healthy happy houseplants. And I am here for that trend–I love houseplants and usually have between 20-25 houseplants at any one time. But I’ll admit that I have killed 8 houseplants in the last 9 months–and I can’t say it’s a fluke and blame it on quarantine. I’m not entirely sure why houseplants continue to meet their end in my house, but I think it has something to do with my particular form of plant neglect. How to take care of houseplants (Don’t listen to me, obviously) Basically, my houseplant care routine looks something like this:…
-
Autumn Garden Chores
Autumn brings a host of gardening chores–most of them involve cleaning and clearing away of dead plant materials–not the most fun in my opinion. But, it’s worthwhile to get your garden all ready for winter. Of course, your fall garden chores will depend on your climate and your garden, but here’s a few tasks I took care of last weekend that helped me feel more ready for winter… Planting Tulips & Glory of the Snow Bulbs Though I can’t say that I actually enjoy the act of planting bulbs in the fall–digging around in cold wet soil is not my idea of a good time. But the rewards are so…
-
Drying Herbs From the Garden
There is something immensely satisfying about drying your own herbs. Over the last few years, I have focused more on herbs in my garden rather than vegetables because for me, the rewards are so much greater. I have limited space in my raised bed so I’m very choosy about what gets to come back year after year in that space. The beauty of growing herbs is that they can also be planted right alongside my flowers and shrubs and be perfectly happy. Rosemary and lavender thrive in my borders and make up the hedge between the sidewalk and my property. Chives have pretty purple blooms in the spring, golden creeping…
-
September Roses
I am working on my last round of Jane Austen Readalikes, but it was such a nice day today that I had to take a minute and appreciate the roses in my garden. There is something very special about roses in September in Southern Oregon. They will keep blooming on into November, but September is their last big show where they pull out all the stops. The bushes are so laden with blooms that they have a hard time staying upright. Bursting with Blooms Spring always brings such joy and and is pregnant with possibilities. But early fall in Southern Oregon always feels a little sad to me. The days…
-
Lemongrass Herbal Tea from the Garden
Right now I am obsessed with an herbal tea blend that comes straight from my garden. After tasting lemongrass tea with a friend, I decided I needed to plant my own lemongrass plant so that I could make the tea whenever I wanted. I also decided to plant lemon verbena, chamomile, and stevia among the collection of herbs that I plant every year. The lemongrass has been thriving, outgrowing the pot quickly. The lemon verbena had a more rocky start- I learned that they do not like their roots to get too wet. The pot had poor drainage and standing water collected after each watering time. I transplanted the lemon…
-
In the Garden
I love gardening. And plants. And growing things. The amazing moment when seeds sprout or when I can harvest a fresh tomato or appreciate the delicate beauty of a flower – all of these things give me a thrill. But I don’t love all the bugs and dirt. I feel inadequate and hopelessly disorganized when I think of all the things you are supposed to remember to do like fertilizing and pruning at the right times, weeding, amending the soil and getting rid of all the icky bugs (aphids make my skin crawl!) But there are some plants that are worth the effort. The pleasures I get from them make…
