The dog problem continued and repeated warnings had no positive effect.  We finally got fed up and decided to install the dreaded fence this summer.

The first week of August found us hauling posts and renting a post-hole auger.  It was supposed to be a one-man auger, with wheels and a beam with the "bit" on one end and the engine and hydraulic pump counterbalanced on the other end.  However, in order to get any "purchase" in the soil, my wife had to sit on the beam at the bit end…

 

I bet I know what you were thinking when you read the title of this post - "Why are you talking about fall weather when most of us are still seeing 100+ temperatures?" Well, rightly so, it is a tiny bit premature - but then again it is never too soon to plan as a gardener, is it? In fact, during winter months we gardeners spend most of our time planning for the first sign of…

I am rooting an avocado pit (smallish) in a beaker of water on my windowsill. The top is starting to split and it has sent down a 1 1/2 inch - 2 inch root into the water. At what point should I repot it into a container of soil?

This is my garden  created by me

Just plain and simple as you will see

A few shrubs and flowers and occassional…

I am posting this primarily for consolation.  I had spent 5 years working on the perennial beds in our corner lot of our 85 year old Craftsman in central KY.  We moved to a 17 acre farm.  When the house went under contract 6 months later I offered to take all the plants with me, and the current owners said they wanted to keep them but would call me if they changed their mind.  I only have 1 photo of the beds since I was taking the pic while doing a drive-by but the rest of the beds have…

So hard to sit so still for so long, I almost fell off my perch except that my old knees were locked! I got up this morning and it was 65-70 degrees and noticed that the hummer food was low. I have 4 feeders on the porch so I cleaned them all out and gave them some fresh food. Sugar water spoils real fast in the heat we have been having so make sure to keep fresh food out for these little buggers. After giveing them fresh food it…

Hello,

I understand that "Stink Bugs" have been in the USA for some time and that our gardeners in the south have had them for a while.  However, we have just been introduced to the little, ugly, army-tank-like creatures in the past few years.  Don't know what to do about them eating our fruit trees and invading our homes (in the fall, when it gets cold here).  Any suggestions for reducing plant damage and/or home invasion?  Thanks!

We live in the country with evergreen shelter belts around our house but last year we had a HUGE problem with 10 feet tall snow drifts going over our 4 ft chain link fence.  We have 4 dogs that ended up walking over the drifts and were found wandering the country side.

With fall right around the corner I would like to start planning now what to do to prevent this happening this year.  Just wondering if anyone has some suggestions. If I did this right, I have added a pic of some of the…

the flowers of tomorrow are the seeds of today.

SO  hard to believe that my garden has gone from being so lush to so blah. I have quit complaining though as I realize that so many other states have it worse this year than I do in Ga.  Midwest I have been sending you my prayers for rain. I have done…

                                              Coleus next to Shasta Daisies in the background of Caladiums, Impatients and Dwarf Mexican Petunias







My past few blog posts have been dedicated to the timely topics of heat and drought. I spoke of helping our …

I can hardly wait till i get open my computer each morning to see what each one of you want to share with all of us. It puts so much joy in my heart to think, I have lots of freinds and family that care so much  of we  are doing, growing and sharing out hobbies and pets it makes up for all the hard work we put into it. I will forever be a freind of garden share, and thanks so much for allowing us to share our thoughts, and is so much of our daily routine.

I am an ecclectic and voracious reader! I have books throughout my home, all at different stages of being consumed! Here's a list of what's on my nightstand:

* The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson Vol 1

* Our Life In Gardens

* Journals of Dorothy Wordsworth Vol 2 (1897)

* Mr Loudon's England

* The Queens of Society (1890)

* The Galaxy Vol 7 (1869)

* Wood and Garden-Gertrude Jekyll

So what are you reading? I love to hear what…

On the block where I have owned my home for over 25 yrs., there have been many homes vacant because of foreclosure. 5 on my block alone. One of the homes that remained empty until 3 months ago, was once the home of a lovely couple. They were both in their mid 60's and the husband was in declining health. We struck up a conversation as I laid a brick walkway, that led to a friendship. I was asked to help them re-do their front yard, plant selection/placement. The end result pleased them and…

"Nothing Beets The Farmer's Market!"

I added a new design this morning to my Sublime Sanctuary shop! Click on the link above to visit the shop. This photograph of beets was taken this summer at the Park City Sunday…

Yesterday I had to get my car serviced so while I was waiting I walked over to Lowes for AC filters.  Of course I had  to spend a great deal of time in the nursery, wishing some of this heat would go away and it would rain.  They had racks and racks of what I call "dead and dying" and there were some good bargains.  Everything but the 3-gallon Buddleias were .10 cents.  Oh, and the three inch moss roses and Purslaine were .5 cents.  I bought three butterfly bushes for my big ticket items,…

I've been reading in my library tonight, " The View from Great Dixter", with all the wonderful, personal stories about Christopher Lloyd and his gardens.

 Sitting in my chair, I realize that I have a yearning, a longing,  to travel to Europe and to spend months and months exploring and seeing with my own eyes all the wonderful gardens I read about! I envy the gardeners of the UK and beyond, who seem to have boundless vistas, perfect weather and an abundance of history and historical…