veebur

Here in Tidewater Virginia we’re having weather that bounces up and down from day to day. One day it’s 65 and the next it barely makes it above freezing. I’ve got daffodils that have started to produce stalks and they won’t be ready to do that in earnest until at least mid March. Sigh. I normally plant my veggies in GardenRack but this year we have to replace the front deck and there’s no other convenient place for it so I’ll be buying my veg from local farmers this season. But the silver... Read Full Story

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark . All opinions are 100% mine. I don’t know about you but with the economy the way it’s been for the past — yikes! — 4 years, I try to save money wherever and whenever I can. Part of my cost containment plan included getting prescriptions at Walgreens through the Express Scripts plan. It was going along fine. And then the cart went into the ditch when Express Scripts dumped Walgreens as part of their provider... Read Full Story

Hi All: I hope you’ve had a great holiday season. Can’t believe that Christmas has come and gone for another year. For most of us the winter is a time to let the garden rest. The weather here has been so up and down that I saw some bulbs starting to pop up. Hmm. We still have a ton of winter to go. I’ve started to think about what new plants I want to try this year. As many of you know, my tomato crop was chewed to the ground by squirrels. I have no earthly idea why but they feasted on... Read Full Story

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Untitled Jersey City Project for SocialSpark . All opinions are 100% mine. As most of you know I’m a fiction writer. To write a good novel, you need to read fiction. I love the mystery genre and read lots of mystery novels as well as mystery films and TV. And the Net is a great place to get some intrigue. I’ve just finished watching Episode 2 of the Untitled Jersey Project and have been hooked in a minute and 59 seconds. The... Read Full Story

Hi All: I love growing herbs but sometimes I have way more than I really need for the two of us. This isn’t a novel idea to be sure but I love using herbs in flower arrangements especially when I’m taking them to a friend. The best herbs to use are ones that are a bit woodier in the stalk like lavender, rosemary, sage and chives. I love chives because they have a wonderful small white flower that adds a delicate touch to any bouquet. Here’s a photo of herbs used with zinnias... Read Full Story

This year I planted four Roma tomato plants in the GardenRack and they grew quite well quickly sending out shoots and flowers. I looked forward to a wonderful harvest this summer and even being able to freeze some for soups and stews this winter. Boy was I wrong. Despite putting a nice layer of bloodmeal around the base of all four plants, the squirrels went on the offensive anyway. Hey, it isn’t like I don’t give them carte blanche at the birdfeeder. These squirrels have it good. They... Read Full Story

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark . All opinions are 100% mine. I love a good deal. No, let me back up. I love a GREAT deal. And Straight Talk has the best deal in town. The thing I don’t love — as ll my readers know — is a super high cell phone bill. Luckily, Straight Talk has  everything you need  to save money this summer. There’s never a contract or early termination fees or credit checks. And you know how your credit score can take... Read Full Story

If you’ve been with me for any length of time, you know I’m an advocate for trying something new in your garden every year. This year I tried a combination of lobelia and calibrachoa in one pot to see how they’d work together. If you’ve never grown calibrachoa, it’s a trailing plant that comes in a multitude of colors. I chose the MiniFamous variety in deep purple and haven’t been disappointed. It has trailed over my pot beautifully and hasn’t stopped blooming even in the extreme heat we’ve... Read Full Story

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark . All opinions are 100% mine. it seems like every time a turnaround I’m getting nickeled and dimed by every service provider out there.  And don’t get me started about cell phones and cell phone contracts!  It seems like the fees just get higher and higher and if you need to terminate a contract early, well, you might as well just given your firstborn male child. I was surfing the Web not long ago and... Read Full Story

Summer — and the garden  issues that come with it — is in full bloom here in Tidewater. The hydrangeas are doing really well this year as are the Roma tomatoes. We’ve had the tomato equivalent of perfection lately: hot days, cool nights and some rain. They won’t be ready till the end of July/beginning of August but we’ll have a bunch of em. With the heat of summer comes insects like Japanese beetles and tomato hornworm. There are some blog posts about both pests and how to deal with them... Read Full Story