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THE FOLLY OF SHORTCUTS IN THE GARDEN

Last weekend I dug a hole that was large enough that I figured any neighbors who might have stopped by would probably slink away assuming I was digging a grave. I’m not kidding. This hole was about 6 feet wide by a good 3 feet deep and almost 3 feet wide. When I was finished moving all that soil out ...

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Plants

How to choose a memorial tree

For many years I resisted the idea of planting a tree or shrub to memorialize a loved one who has passed. I can’t imagine something worse than planting a tree to remember someone and having it falter. It would be like revisiting that loss all over again. And then I planted a tree as a memorial and I changed my ...

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Garden

How to choose a memorial tree

For many years I resisted the idea of planting a tree or shrub to memorialize a loved one who has passed. I can’t imagine something worse than planting a tree to remember someone and having it falter. It would be like revisiting that loss all over again.And then I planted a tree as a memorial and I changed my mind. ...

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Garden

PLANT DEATH HAPPENS; GARDENING GOES ON

Plant death happens. But it sort of stinks when it happens to you. Every spring I check in with all my plants. It doesn’t take but a minute: Dead or alive? Sometimes it takes some time so this is a question asked frequently. Sometimes all that remains is an empty spot in the garden where I could swear a plant ...

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CottageDIY

ORC WEEK 5: MORE TIME, PLEASE!

This is the part of this six-week challenge where I’ve come to the full realization that there will be no major reveal in a week. Not a complete one anyway. This has been a frustrating project in that regard because nothing is seeming to come easily. I would guess this is more typical of most projects people do than when ...

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GardenPlants

HOW TO BUY PLANTS THE DEER WON’T EAT

One the biggest challenges gardeners face, particularly in certain parts of the country including the Midwest, is wildlife damage. It is soul crushing when you go to your formerly beautiful garden to find plants mowed down overnight by deer. The deer in our neighborhood are so bold they basically give you the stink eye if you interrupt their meal. There ...

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Garden

MESSAGE FROM MOTHER NATURE RECEIVED LOUD & CLEAR

I hate to complain about the weather, but this weekend was complete garbage. The end of last week was cold and dank, and things have only gotten worse from there. I spent Saturday frantically working in the garden because I knew there would be no gardening on Sunday with 3 inches of rain predicted to fall and temperatures hovering around ...

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CottageDIY

ORC WEEK 4: EASY + BEAUTIFUL DIY FLOOR

I knew the floor would be the single biggest change in our basement renovation. The old floor was just so terrible that it absolutely could not stay, not to mention we needed a floor to not just change the look of the space, but add warmth, sound dampening and be durable. I can’t tell you how happy I am with ...

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Garden

THE SEED-STARTING TRAIN KEEPS ON CHUGGING

This is the hardest part of growing plants from seed, if you ask me. I started my first seeds at the end of February and I was so into them. I tended them lovingly. I checked on them four times a day. And now, well the relationship has changed. There are still plants to be started and hundreds to be ...

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Garden

PROGRESS ON THE CIRCLE GARDEN

There are so many things happening in the garden at this time of year that it’s nearly impossible to report on it all here. But it is certainly blog-worthy when actual progress is made on a project! Most of the weekend was dedicated to working in the circle garden, to the detriment, of course, of the rest of the garden, ...

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Friday Finds

FRIDAY FINDS

Gosh, it’s a little crazy being post-Easter already! The next big holiday is Memorial Day! Crazy. Anyway, here’s what I’m digging this week. I like seeing interesting floral arrangements. I sort of aspire to have a clue about flower arranging, which I don’t, but I figure practicing will help. But I was confused why the water in one of my ...

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Cottage

ORC WEEK 3: CHA CHA CHANGES

Ah yes, Week 3 of the One Room Challenge. I remember this week from when I did this last year. It is when the panicking properly starts. Because right now it does not feel like I’m even remotely halfway through this basement project. You can catch up on Week 1 and 2, but most of the work is happening on ...

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Plants

How to pot up dahlias for a jump on summer

It should come as no surprise to anyone who reads this blog or follows me on Facebook or Instagram that I have a dahlia addiction. This has been an ongoing problem and my collection seems to keep growing (although I continue to play with different methods of saving tubers from year to year and have yet to hit on one ...

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DIY

How to pot up dahlias for a jump on summer

It should come as no surprise to anyone who reads this blog or follows me on Facebook or Instagram that I have a dahlia addiction. This has been an ongoing problem and my collection seems to keep growing (although I continue to play with different methods of saving tubers from year to year and have yet to hit on one ...

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Cottage

ORC WEEK 2: FLOOR OPTIONS GALORE

Welcome to Week 2 of the One Room Challenge. I’m “playing along” as a guest participant in the blogging event that has people making over a room in six weeks and linking up via Calling it Home. In Week 1 (which I just published a couple days ago) I laid out the room, the issues, the challenges and a very ...

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DIY

HOW TO POT ON TOMATO SEEDLINGS

There comes a time in every seedling’s life when it must move out of its cramped confines into bigger digs that will allow it to keep growing. Given proper heat and light, tomato seedlings grow faster than most other kinds of seeds, so they need almost constant tending from the moment they are planted. I sowed my tomato seeds—two seeds ...

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Letters from the Garden

Garden musings, what I’m digging (literally and figuratively) and some great garden tips are all part of my letters from the garden, sent biweekly straight to your email inbox. Subscribe here.

Letters from the Garden

Garden musings, what I’m digging (literally and figuratively) and some great garden tips are all part of my letters from the garden, sent biweekly straight to your email inbox. Subscribe here.