It’s that time again! Rose season…when roses spring forth and add color and scent to the garden. Each year two Jeanne LaJoie miniature climbers, planted in 1999, climb up our deck top and turn the whole deck into a literal rose cave! Never pruned, they sprawl wherever we tie the long canes. Where we can’t tie them, I hold them… Read more →
It’s amazing what you see when you really take time to look. We went a little astray from the garden this time and wandered along a forest path in Steelhead Beach Park along the Russian River in Sonoma County. It’s worth a trip for a nice flat walk and just look what you’ll see if you stop and look around… Read more →
I’ve read about Enchanting Sweet Peas in Sebastopol, Calif. and I’ve even enjoyed the blooms from their wonderful fragrant varieties purchased and grown by my best friend….but, I’ve never actually gone by the once-a-year sale until now. Wow! Glenys Johnson, the owner of Enchanting Sweet Peas, began growing her favorite English Spencer Sweet peas in a vacant lot next to… Read more →
We’ve all heard people complain about too much zucchini! But, I also get questions about why some plants have a ton of flowers and no squash. It’s actually quite simple once you understand the sex life of zucchinis! Look carefully at the following photo and you’ll see two kinds of flowers. The one on the right has a tall, thin… Read more →
Very early every morning I sit in the same spot, coffee and Bible in hand, as I read and contemplate life. I see an ever changing picture through my dining room window as the seasons and weather change the view. This morning I noticed the stark difference between the three plants visible from my study spot on the couch. The… Read more →
Nasturtiums are such a common garden flower I almost didn’t consider adding any to my garden! But, I read somewhere that chickens like to snack on the flowers….and well, you all know how I feel about the girls! That and the fact that they are wonderful to garnish summer tomato dishes and salads made me do a little research to… Read more →
I love it when a someone says, ” You should see my friend’s garden!” I never pass up an opportunity when that happens. So, when my friend Cathy mentioned the roses and peonies in her friend Judy’s garden, I begged to go see it….and I’m so glad I did! Tiny, charming and overflowing with colorful blooms and blossoms, this little… Read more →
Seventeen years ago I purchased two one gallon Mini climbing roses from the Sonoma County Jail plant sale. I planted one on each end of our deck and now, all these years later, with very little care and no pruning, they’ve become breathtakingly beautiful! Jeanne LaJoie is a wonderful mini rose that puts on a real show once a year… Read more →
A few weeks ago, at an Illustrated Faith night, I fell in love with the craft table centerpiece. Tucked neatly into a long, galvanized chicken feeder, were a ton of colorful succulents, making a very striking statement. So…..I came home and copied it….though on a much smaller scale! Want something to go on a farm table, a picnic table or… Read more →
Here in northern California it’s time get started on your spring garden. Today, February 25th, is 7 weeks before our average last frost date of April 15th. So what can you do now to plant and prepare? Clean up weeds and dead leaves left from winter. Top off vegetable beds or raised beds with compost. Plant peas, (like… Read more →