A while ago. OK, a VERY LONG while ago, I wrote about my garden and how it was a mess when I purchased the house a couple of summers ago, and then how a cesspool installation ripped away whatever little dignity the yard had. I told you about how I'd planned and I wrote about disasters along the way. That was in May, and I'm happy to report that I'm no longer embarrassed to post my photos. Here's how it went: Here's what you saw when you entered the backyard. That's Shelby in the forefront... Read Full Story

Gardening 101: More How-Tos Sure, you can douse your plants with chemicals. But your wallet - and the environment - may suffer. And if we're talking about edibles, so might your health. Most plants produce their own chemicals to fend off insects and disease, and if you familiarize yourself with them, you can strategically use them to your advantage. Click photo for a slideshow of insect-repelling plants: Click photo to see the plants Here are 20 plants that deter pests: Basil... Read Full Story

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In 1922, T.S. Eliot, apparently disillusioned by the changing world around him, wrote the poem, "The Waste Land." Its most well-known verse goes like this: "April is the cruellest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain" Who among us hasn't bred lilacs out of dead land? It's always so exciting when the garden wakes up in spring, when life springs forth from "dead land." So how is that cruel? I never really understood... Read Full Story

I'm cleaning out my closet, so to speak, going through folders full of old, unread e-mails and flipping through piles of magazines in an attempt to clean house. Clean desk, actually. Most of it is dreck, not worthy of having been read in the first place. But I'm unearthing a few interesting tidbits as I go. For instance, the June/July issue of Organic Gardening (OK, it's June/July 2007, but the information is still relevant) included a report on water conservation. Here are some statistics... Read Full Story

There's a battle going on in my house. My husband, John, is always hot. I mean sweat-dripping-down-his-face-in-65-degree-weather hot. He blasts the A/C and sleeps in shorts without a blanket. Me? I'm under two layers in my flannel PJs. He's taken to running the air conditioner and two ceiling fans in the living room whenever he's home. If he spends two hours upstairs and I turn off the unit in his absence, he invariably complains when he comes back down. I can wear a sweater, he says. If... Read Full Story

Put your wallet away. You can multiply many plants simply and easily with stem cuttings. I did this recently with my Sedums and Catmints and had great success. Try it. It's not only economical - it's fun. Take cuttings early in the morning or in the evening, when the sun isn't at its strongest. Cloudy days work, too. To increase your success rate, propagate early in the growing season: Click photo for a step-by-step slideshow: Click photo for a step-by-step demonstration Here are... Read Full Story

You know how "they" say that bad news, deaths, etc., travel in threes? (I don't know who "they" are, but stick with me.) I've always had fun with the theory, and I've seen it played out over and over. When two celebrities die, I try to guess who'll be third. I'm never right about who, but usually another person's death is reported within a few days. Why is that? Anyway, I'm having a bad week. My dog was (impulsively, I believe) diagnosed with cancer. I took her in for some routine vaccines a... Read Full Story

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Ewww. Aphids.Here are some common pests that can interfere with happy tomato gardening endeavors, along with the best ways to deal with them. Aphids Wash aphids off with as hard a stream of water as the leaves and stem can handle. If you need to pull out the big guns, order up some lady bugs. They'll keep aphids in check. Colorado potato beetle These are best picked off by hand. Squash beetles, eggs and larvae. Cutworms Keep weeds in check to discourage their presence. Use cardboard... Read Full Story