After the blizzards and sub-zero temperatures of the last two months, I’m more than ready for spring. I’m also depressed by the endless gray, cold days filled with intermittent snow storms. So, I’m banishing the blues by doing a few winter chores so I can hit the ground running when the first crocus pop.
read moreGet inspired as Doreen G. Howard shares her backyard gardening tips. After all, she has grown more than 300 varieties of heirloom edibles and flowers the past two decades! Enjoy a nice mix of garden chat from news about exciting new vegetables to advice on container gardening to photos of unusual houseplants growing in her home! Doreen welcomes questions from everyone in the gardening community, from the expert to the enthusiast. This is your chance to ask all your puzzling plant care questions and just stay informed about the world of gardening. Check it out and tell us what you think!
Banish the winter blues by preparing for spring
February 9, 2011
My birthday is a week before Valentine’s Day and floral arrangements from either or both my husband and son were a given until I diplomatically cried, “No more cut flowers, please! I want a flowering plant that I can enjoy year-round.”
The instant flowers are cut, they begin their journey towards death. With a flowering plant, especially cold-loving cyclamen or hellebores, the gift is just the beginning.
read moreKnow your dirt: soil types in the garden
January 21, 2011
As you flip through seed catalogs assembling your wish list, think about dirt. It's the most important element for success with fruit, flowers and landscape plants. Find out what type of soil is in your garden. It affects how and what will thrive for you.
read moreClean House with Tropical Plants
January 18, 2011
NASA calls it Sick Building Syndrome. I know it as a stuffy house that needs a good airing, as my Mom put it. By the end of January, if it weren’t for the forest of houseplants in my home, I’d open the windows, despite the snow and freezing daytime temperatures. I did open them before I learned that tropical houseplants clean indoor air of pollution.
read moreAvoid Blight with the Right Tomato
January 7, 2011
In 2009, most tomatoes grown in the eastern half of the country succumbed to late blight (Phytophthora) due to a cool, soggy June.
read moreLettuce Grow!
January 6, 2011
The holidays are history, seed catalogs are piled in a basket next to a comfortable chair by the fire and I’m looking for lettuce to grow indoors.
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