Share my passion for all things gardening!
For today’s garden column, I’ve focused on something that we probably all know, but tend to forget about. That is observing good cultural practices in the garden so our plants thrive. Here’s a link to it in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Follow best practices to keep plants thriving. Or you can read it below (don’t miss this week’s video […]
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My husband, Bill, is a genius! He’s come up with a great method for controlling slugs. I place rings of copper tape around the base of my cabbage family seedlings to keep the slugs away. Here’s the amazing thing. The skin and antennae of slugs reacts electrically with copper. That means you can use it as a deterrent. I’ve been […]
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This morning, I posted this photo on my Facebook page and Instagram feeds. I wanted to post it here in case you don’t follow those accounts. As you can see, my insect hotel has a bit of snow on it. I hope my little solitary bee buddies are tucked in for the winter. I built this insect hotel last April, […]
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Have you heard the term “crop rotation” before? Chances are, you’ve discounted the notion of it because you’re not a farmer. Well, crop rotation applies to humble vegetable gardeners like you and me because it is an easy way to ensure the health and productivity of our gardens. If that caught your attention, you’ll be happy to hear that I’ve […]
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I recently planted one of our favorite members of the cabbage family: broccoli. One of my best friends recommended the variety ‘Early Dividend’, so I decided to see how it grows for us. As I was planted the seedlings, I realized that I should share a few tips with you. Why? Growing cabbage family crops can be tricky due to their […]
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Well, today is an exciting day! I’ve been looking forward to writing about insect hotels for quite a while. Since I’ve been wanting to build another one for our garden, I can check both off the list! (notice photo at left) Before I jump into a discussion of the importance of insect hotels, let me give you a link to […]
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In today’s garden column, I talk about organic gardening. This is something that is very easy to do by using good cultural practices. Here is a link to it in The Spokesman-Review. Investigate different ways to control pests. (or you can read my column lower in this post) By the way, I hope you’re not getting tired of hearing about […]
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Don’t let flies prevent you from enjoying your porch, patio or deck this summer. There is no need to spray poisonous chemicals to control them, however. Our neighbor boards horses and we keep chickens. Between these two sources, there is a potential for a lot of flies. We have been using the Rescue Fly Traps since 1993 with great success. Their early […]
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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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Last fall, I took a course on permaculture. I really wanted to gain a better understanding of what it’s all about. In the final class, we were introduced to Beth Mort, who presented a wonderful lecture. She spoke about how she uses permaculture principles in her own life and to help others design their landscapes. Beth owns Zinnia Designs for that […]
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