tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66945978854686042002012-02-16T07:29:13.840-05:00This is the diary of a girl and her garden.janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.comBlogger471100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-50893712807982976942010-06-14T22:50:00.002-04:002010-06-14T22:54:07.298-04:00

I've finally done it. I now own See Jane Dig. All future updates of our adventures in gardening on the Lot will be posted there. The past posts here will eventually be shuffled over to the new address. I'm going to take Word Press for a spin and see how I like it.

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-84381615768862229572010-05-31T22:06:00.002-04:002010-05-31T22:53:35.849-04:00

This (very early) morning started with a huge bang as the first set of seasonal thunderstorms rumbled through the area. After comforting one of our four-legged garden helpers, I tried to get some more sleep. No such luck as yet another storm came through. And another. We decided to spend the morning inside and complete all those house chores I like to forget about if I can be outside in the

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-20193947453847559202010-05-30T21:52:00.003-04:002010-05-30T22:20:10.022-04:00

Today I was out of bed at 7am so I could get some pre-heat wave work done in the garden. Progress was made until we had to leave at 10am. When we returned home around noon, the weather was unbearably hot and humid (for Zone 5). Siesta time! Unfortunately, I was shutdown until around 5pm. Laundry has to get done sometime I guess.Nevertheless, here's what was accomplished today:all yellowed spring

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-326723605658216162010-05-29T21:24:00.001-04:002010-05-30T22:21:07.663-04:00

This week I've been creating a list of things to do in the garden. Since there is an extra day because of the holiday weekend, I thought I'd get tons of things I've been neglecting. After all, spring is passing and summer is just beginning. The bleeding heart blooms are starting to fade and the blanket flower has it's buds. There's a subtle changing of the guard happening in the garden right now

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-49713228414413338342010-05-28T21:49:00.005-04:002010-05-28T23:11:38.665-04:00

Last spring when I was planning Loki's flowerbed, I thought it would be nice to have a swash of forget-me-nots in the front corner.This is me at the beginning of June 2009:"What adorable flowers. I'll dump a seed packet of these small annuals in the front corner behind the violas. They are dainty, sweet little blooms that will look nice with the violas and hosta, but also contrast nicely with

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-54176238222656607232010-05-23T21:19:00.003-04:002010-05-29T00:11:16.308-04:00

Today was Pentacost, a holiday in the Christian church marking the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to the apostles. While we were out in the garden, Mom G told me in Germany the peony is referred to as the Pfingstrose or the "Pentecost Rose" since the plants tend to bloom on Pentecost. My first peony bush of three began opening about three days ago and is now full of very pale pink, baby

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-79546543864272615512010-04-06T22:30:00.004-04:002010-04-10T09:18:44.385-04:00

I've been attending a free gardening series held in area during the spring and fall. Yesterday was the first class of the 2010 spring series. It was a presentation on soil by Kathy Rohm. Being a fledgling gardener, I did not know so many things could be said about dirt. The presenter did a fantastic job. Here is some info she shared with us on soil texture and structure.Soil Texture: the size of

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-53861719727473228442010-04-03T20:31:00.004-04:002010-04-10T08:14:54.105-04:00

We've done it! My Better Half and I planted our first round of vegetables in the new, raised beds we built last fall. Putting our trust in Weather.com, we made sure to head outside first thing in the morning to plant. That afternoon, our area was to receive some spring rainshowers.After reading about a few different backyard, veggie gardening techniques, we settled on a mix of Lasagna Gardening

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-45115733968017193372010-04-01T21:35:00.002-04:002010-04-01T22:04:12.966-04:00

One of my gardening friends, Mrs. R, just shared a new app with me she had purchased for her iPhone. It's a gardening app, developed by NanoSoft, called iGarden. It only took a few flips through the features before I coveted it. The App is reviewed here on Doug Green's Garden blog. I think he has some valid points on what could potentially be viewed as shortfalls of the software. However, seeing

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-57561339115121322742010-03-28T21:18:00.002-04:002010-04-01T21:35:30.100-04:00

I checked in the front, South bed today and my daffodils are in bloom. What?! This warm weather is really stirring up the activity on the lot. When I checked my post for my daffodils last year, they had bloomed around the end of April. Are they early this year?...or maybe last year they were late? It's going to be fun comparing my growing notes and garden photos from this year to the previous.The

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-38695789942601684152010-03-21T21:13:00.003-04:002010-03-21T21:51:20.125-04:00

March 20th is the first day of spring. I exclaimed this while my Better Half and I were munching on breakfast yesterday morning. We both looked out the window into our backyard, looked at each other and started to laugh. It was snowing.Last year at the beginning of March, all the snow melted away and temperatures reached into the upper fifties. This year during mid-March, temperatures warmed in

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-7068613813797630922009-12-04T08:55:00.002-05:002009-12-04T08:58:58.156-05:00

Overnight. Bam! It’s here. Another beautiful Michigan winter. It sprinkled a little bit the evening of Thanksgiving so there was a dusting of snow on the cars the following morning. Now it’s time to get serious. Is the garden completely ready? Of course not!

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-48621251408866630622009-09-16T23:37:00.003-04:002009-09-16T23:48:50.142-04:00

As fall draws near, my Better Half has been asking about planting garlic. He loves garlic. I love garlic. Garlic does not love me. However, after sampling some of Mr. L’s homegrown garlic, I am going to make the attempt to grow it.Here in Zone 5, it is recommended to plant garlic six weeks before the ground freezes. Bulbs should be purchased from nurseries or catalogs because store-bought garlic

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-392310039970062742009-09-04T22:03:00.002-04:002009-09-04T22:27:57.754-04:00

With fall setting in and blooming periods winding down, I'm finding myself doing a lot of research on individual plants on our lot. Should I deadhead? Prune? How do I get this plant ready for fall and eventually winter? My most recent research subject is our Moonbeam coreopsis (tickweed or tickseed). This version of coreopsis is a threadleaf ground cover with tons of small, daisy-like blooms.

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-72555355315076645282009-09-04T21:19:00.002-04:002009-09-04T21:54:36.904-04:00

The astilbe (false spirea, false goat's beard) in the gate bed has had spent blooms on it for awhile, so I did a bit of research to see how to deadhead it. Apparently, there is no point in deadheading astilbe other than redirecting the plant's energy into root growth instead of seeds. Unlike a lot of other perennials, the plant will not respond by producing more blooms. Other plants with the same

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-9883360308248303372009-08-18T22:52:00.007-04:002010-03-21T22:39:12.700-04:00

It started when we were at the Farmers’ Market at the end of last summer and I spotted a moonflower (Datura) plant at one of the booths. It had a single, huge, beautiful bloom on it. Miss A had grown Moonflower vines before, which are actually not Datura, but Ipomoea (belonging to the morning glory family). The last time I've seen a moonflower plant/bush was in my grandmother's garden when I was

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-13356110419751101672009-08-12T23:00:00.003-04:002009-08-12T23:24:24.203-04:00

I purchased both white and red snapdragons this year for the white, black and red bed. After dutifully planting them in a sporadic grouping, I was rewarded the next morning by all plants being nibbled down to bare remnants. Blast! I was not a happy, fledgling gardener. After writing the plants off as having to be replaced, I was pleasantly surprised when they bounced back without any aid from me.

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-4391406163350730352009-08-10T21:03:00.004-04:002009-08-10T21:31:41.814-04:00

This is the second season I have a rose campion (Lychnis coronaria) on the lot. It is nestled along the left edge of the backyard bed. This plant came to us from a co-worker’s daughter’s garden early summer of last year. The plant offers a burst of five-petaled magenta flowers on silvery, felted stalks. The rose campion has been blooming since the beginning of June. I do not know how I should

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-51165436797346741172009-07-29T19:11:00.000-04:002010-01-31T22:48:59.642-05:00

My Better Half and I traveled to D.C. to attend a wedding and to visit some friends. The trip was a whole lot of fun. However, in a city oozing American History, one of my favorite stops was the United States Botanic Garden.The gardens were absolutely beautiful, with both interior and exterior exhibits. I couldn't take enough pictures! Here is a very brief overview of the exterior gardens. All of

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-49273041093236472292009-06-27T22:30:00.016-04:002010-02-15T22:28:10.272-05:00

TouringMiss A and I went on a local garden tour this past weekend. In addition to suffering extreme garden envy on several occasions, I snapped tons of photos. These are simple ideas I’d love to incorporate into our lot.I like how this container is nested in a sea of ground cover. What a simple, fun way to add a splash of color and also create height. This seems to be ideal for annuals so the

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-32942923363218342112009-06-17T22:49:00.005-04:002009-06-30T19:13:35.569-04:00

Oi with the bugs! This year I’m having a heck of a time with insects. I am aware I should take care not to harm helpful insects, but whoever chews through the plant leaves and lays eggs in the budding flowers are not considered good guys. Maybe this year I am more aware of them.Anyway, I was admiring the hollyhocks a few days ago. They are about five feet high and ready to tilt their heads up to

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-65051662560277999492009-06-16T20:21:00.003-04:002009-06-27T16:58:38.008-04:00

One thing I’ve found very annoying about gardening is the fact that plants get sick. I know, there is no such thing as easy, non-maintenance gardening. I am also willing to work for beautiful plants. But, it doesn't change the fact I fret and even get grumpy about plants being chomped on or made ill.Both the catnip and the foxglove are showing such signs. I snapped pictures so I can try to puzzle

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-4636033821448441402009-06-09T18:51:00.001-04:002009-06-27T16:13:27.092-04:00

My Better Half and I took a stroll this evening through John Ball Park. I believe volunteers from MSU’s master gardener program care for the landscaped sections of the park. As a result, it’s always a lovely place to visit with it’s very own rose garden.As mentioned before, I do not know much about the care of roses. That’ll have to change because boy, oh boy, are some of those plants pretty. I

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-49315144480276803342009-05-30T23:07:00.002-04:002009-06-26T18:51:30.840-04:00

Yes! Both of the rose bushes on our lot have flower buds. These poor plants have been receiving threats from my better half and Miss A since the day we moved in. They didn't do anything last summer, preferring to concentrate their energy on hamstringing my husband while he mows and snatching pets away from neighbors. Could it be my promises of getting them a real, genuine big-rose-bush trellis to

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-91946058559143610112009-05-18T18:13:00.002-04:002009-07-05T21:28:18.007-04:00

The tenth of this month marked our one year anniversary in our home. The lot has seemed to reset, with the Star of Bethlehem in full bloom in the front bed. I remember marveling at these little star-shaped flowers when hauling furniture to and fro from vehicles on moving day. They were the first flowers to greet us and they've returned en mass to celebrate our anniversary.I’ve also noticed in all

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-49728910679967587522009-05-16T22:58:00.006-04:002009-07-05T21:24:12.406-04:00

Miss A and I went on one heck of a nursery run today. I called ahead and obtained hours of a handful of nurseries in the area. Some were recommended by coworkers and friends while others were discovered at the Home & Garden show I attended earlier in the year. Then it was on to Google Maps and to plot our course. We did the whole run in twelve hours with stops for lunch and dinner. My little car

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-50106736858038253042009-05-09T22:24:00.001-04:002009-07-05T21:19:47.385-04:00

My better half and I took a trip to the Fredrick Meijer Gardens today. It was a bit cool and breezy, but we enjoyed our time strolling about the various outdoor grounds. They have several types of environments present on the property, showcasing the types of plants appropriate for each.There were so many different types of tulips in bloom. I liked the look of the Black Parrot tulips emerging from

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-79237860064302333552009-05-07T22:12:00.009-04:002009-07-05T21:12:15.610-04:00

Spring is so freakin’ exciting! Here’s an update on activity happening on the lot.West House BedThe lily foliage is very full. I’m pretty sure they’ve created a mini Everglades.Southwest House BedThe two surprise purple hyacinth are long gone. The tulips are also reaching the end of their blooming period. Iris blades are almost full grown and the rose bush (which I still haven’t read up on) is

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-45638147585245787542009-04-27T21:14:00.003-04:002009-06-30T20:18:50.258-04:00

I’m doing a bit of a time warp, using the date of my photos to backtrack and log the happenings about the lot. The crocuses have left our lot to be replaced by a whole-lotta tulips. The front bed is going bonkers with red and yellow tulips popping up all over. I’m seeing these tulips all over the neighborhood in the front of homes. Since our house was built in 1927, I’m wondering how old these

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-76176313313338813852009-04-20T21:32:00.016-04:002009-04-20T23:00:56.797-04:00

Wow. I had not realized how much time passed since I last made a post to the blog. I have to get better about making regular updates if I want this to be the handy garden tracker I’d hoped it to be.Here are several more bulbs that popped over the last few weeks. This first is an Azure Grape Hyacinth ordered from Breck’s. I snapped the picture around the 15th of this month. The size of the mulch

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-89423202669570813612009-04-04T20:48:00.006-04:002009-05-28T22:47:19.608-04:00

The main reason I‘m using blogging in combo with gardening is to keep track of what is blooming when, which plants I’m introducing to our lot and what in general is and isn’t working. It’s a bonus to discover other gardeners and read about their garden experiences through their blogs. Being the beginning of April, here is an update on what is going on in the lot’s beds.West House BedThe daylilies

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-73554868352763211392009-04-02T19:11:00.003-04:002009-04-02T19:21:21.157-04:00

My better half and I purchased a beautiful, new hummingbird feeder last weekend. This will be the first time we’ll be making an attempt to entice these fascinating little birds to stick around our lot. I called Mom G for her hummingbird feed recipe. Here it is:• 1 part sugar / 4 parts water• boil water• measure and add sugar• let cool• do not add food coloring, honey (ferments) or artificial

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-54017375201122550522009-03-28T09:02:00.002-04:002009-03-28T09:06:45.458-04:00

I’ve been passed a slip of paper listing some FREE courses on gardening! I will be attending all sessions.Landscaping for the SensesApril 13thGardens for Four SeasonsApril 20Compost 101May 4If you are in the mid-Michigan area, you may want to check these out. Call 616.452.3191 for more information.

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-24737950974598521772009-03-27T21:34:00.018-04:002009-03-27T23:26:02.057-04:00

Pruning Mission AccomplishedLast weekend, Miss A stopped by our lot to help me with some pruning. After doing the research on butterfly bushes, I took a crack at trimming ours by myself. I think it turned out okay. Here are some “before” and “after” shots.However, when it came to pruning the dappled willow and a few other multi-stem shrubs, I called Miss A. She has much more experience under her

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-77723994842614808702009-03-20T21:35:00.011-04:002009-03-21T23:34:42.689-04:00

Even though it was only 30 degrees outside this morning, when I returned home from work I was greeted by the first splash of color on our lot. We have crocuses. Now I know what flowers will be emerging from all the thin, dark green blades with light veins. These guys are in the sidewalk bed with what looks like some tulips. I wonder if there will be some purple as well. I hope these yellow ones

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-33352616824666758012009-03-16T23:22:00.004-04:002009-03-17T00:00:08.120-04:00

When I found our Midnight Rose coral bells (or alum root) plant last year during a nursery trip with Miss A, little did I know I was purchasing a “2007 NEW & EXCLUSIVE! The Newest Coral Bells available!” Wow. I just thought it’s dark leaves with hot pink speckles that changed throughout the season made it a cool looking perennial. Plus, around late spring, it has the prettiest little white

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-74946233713436383322009-03-15T22:33:00.004-04:002009-03-15T22:54:43.667-04:00

After a frosty week, we had beautiful weather this weekend. All of our snow is gone except for a small pile behind the garage. Instead of doing the usual gardening reading/research the last two days, I was outside in the yard. Here are a few things I managed to accomplish.majority of the leaves were cleaned upemptied some planters that should have been emptied last fall. I have three terra cotta 

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-13789827404258988872009-03-07T15:55:00.004-05:002009-03-07T17:06:28.799-05:00

This past Thursday and Friday, the temperature around here spiked into the upper fifties. At the stroke of 5:00, I rushed home and was outside cleaning up the garden. It was wonderful. All of my irises, sedum and ornamental grasses are cut back. Bulbs are poking out of the ground all over our lot. Some of them I haven’t seen before. I’m so excited. It’s like Christmas.Today it’s raining. Tomorrow

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-40443431448779143962009-03-06T23:50:00.003-05:002009-03-07T00:28:06.526-05:00

When I began my attempt-at-gardening adventure, I asked my better half if he would like me to install certain models of plants into our lot. He is a great cook, so he requested some basic herbs he could walk outside and pick when required for his various kitchen masterpieces. Not a problem. Otherwise, he seemed indifferent.That is, until he spotted the foxglove.The foxglove was my introduction to

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-58508146667331487802009-03-06T23:36:00.005-05:002009-03-06T23:48:03.458-05:00

My better half and I are residents of Zone 5. Mrs. M and her family are residents of Zone 11. This is what she gets to do in late February.Beautiful!

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-30376081541523798882009-03-02T23:00:00.002-05:002009-03-02T23:35:25.833-05:00

I’ve been reading a lot lately about forcing bulbs. I’d meant to do it about two months ago because I had some bulbs I was not able to plant before winter pounced on Michigan. Bulb forcing seems like a complex ritual involving a delicate balance of temperature and light... and possibly sacrificing a goat. Right now, it seems to me like almost as much work as starting seeds inside. Yes, call me

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-33392289599104523442009-02-27T23:36:00.005-05:002009-03-06T23:50:39.248-05:00

Ugh. What a week. Mother Nature continuously mocked us. "Oh, you want some spring weather? Well, here’s a 45 degree day. What, what’s that? You have a problem with no sun and torrential downpours? Fine! I’m going to take all that water and freeze it!!! Now it’s 20 degrees again. How do you like crunchy, muddy grass? Ha!” You get the point. Tonight I looked up some info on butterfly bushes. We

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-9730934336792707632009-02-22T16:39:00.005-05:002009-02-22T17:36:43.678-05:00

Today I had some time to sit down with the Month by Month Gardening in Michigan book I mentioned a few posts ago. I studied the February sections (yes I know it’s the 22nd of the month) on bulbs, herbs & vegetables, perennials, roses, shrubs, and ornamental grasses.I found deciduous shrubs can be pruned back after mid-month. The sap is still safely nestled down near the roots of the plant. Hoorah

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-31361505054746966192009-02-21T21:15:00.003-05:002009-02-21T21:22:21.565-05:00

I forgot to post this picture I snapped earlier this week. The plants seemed as excited as I did about the bout of warm weather. Too bad it snowed all day and another 8 inches are predicted to arrive by morning.

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-55118631390763663032009-02-21T19:16:00.004-05:002009-02-21T21:24:42.970-05:00

My favorite color, next to black, is purple. This must be why I find the irises on this lot absolutely beautiful. When we purchased the house, the irises in the front needed to be thinned. Some of the friends who helped us to move in are seasoned gardeners. They spotted the crowded plants in the front bed and relocated some to the backyard. The relocated irises did not bloom that summer, but OH

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-15759551356487812422009-02-19T22:39:00.006-05:002009-02-22T17:32:01.508-05:00

While I’m awaiting spring to arrive, I thought I’d start doing some homework on garden cleanup. I purchased a great book last year, Month by Month Gardening in Michigan. This weekend will allow me more time to browse through it, but I do know it doesn’t go into detail beyond basic plant categories. Therefore, I'm going to look up some individual plants to see how I should be catering to them in a

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694597885468604200.post-77624988347132928502009-02-16T21:51:00.002-05:002009-02-21T21:28:17.186-05:00

Last week we had a thaw in the middle of our frigid, Michigan winter. Temperatures reached a high of 55 degrees. The majority of the snow melted from our little city lot. Of course I had to peek in the various beds around our yard to see if anything was stirring. Sure enough, near our garage, some of the bulbs I’d planted last fall were beginning to send up shoots. It’s the first time I’ve

janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970114848460567528noreply@blogger.com0