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As spring days grow warmer and flowers burst into bloom, botanical gardens and arboretums inspire us with grand ideas for our own yards and garden beds. A half day walk through a garden followed by a visit to a great garden center is a dreamy day trip for anyone who aspires to be a great… Continue reading Day trips from northeast Ohio: botanical gardens, arboretums and garden centers
Everybody wants a bargain. My gardening friends tell their gardening friends where they found the best price on vegetable and flower seeds. Social media gardeners discuss the cheapest place to buy everything from strawberry plants to decorative clay pots. Before the season of gardening frenzy goes into full swing, I’d like to wave a red… Continue reading Real Gardeners Don’t Dig Cheap Dirt: Saving the Garden Center
The garden has always been my domain. When I met my husband, his definition of gardening was to mow the lawn on Saturday. A foundation planting consisted of a few shrubs surrounded by a bed of mulch covered black plastic. Anything that grew between the shrubs, or in his lawn, was a weed to be… Continue reading The Surprise Gardener
I'm not sure when I first heard about the Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer (MGV) program, but it was many years ago. At the time, I was working full time and taking on another project would have been more than I could have handled. But I loved the idea of it. With its… Continue reading Living with Parkinson’s Disease: Becoming an OSU Master Gardener Part 1
I began learning about gardens even before my first day of school. We lived in a typical middle-class neighborhood crowded with houses on small lots. There was a small yard for me to play in. There was also a sunny patch of ground behind our garage. This was where my mother chose to plant her… Continue reading My Gardening Roots
Read notes about my travel plans here. ~This is a 7 day travel agenda that visits some of Pennsylvania's best botanical gardens and arboretums. ~This plan is designed to begin on a Saturday in order to accommodate the open/closed days of some establishments. ~This plan is intended to be traveled between May and September. ~Any… Continue reading A Plan For Touring Pennsylvania Gardens
My friends would tell you that I have a beautiful garden. I also have deer, rabbits, raccoons, field mice, skunks, squirrels, chipmunks, fox, possum, coyotes, mink, feral cats, birds, moles, voles, turkey, and dogs that a thoughtless neighbor turns loose each night before retiring to his bed. I started a garden as soon as I… Continue reading Coexisting with Critters In the Garden
As we grow older and outdoor spaces become more work than we can handle, many gardeners feel the need to downsize. They sell their homes and move into smaller apartments or maybe a condo – some place that won’t require lawn and garden chores. As a result, they save themselves the work, but they lose… Continue reading The Low Maintenance Garden Experiment: Planning a Garden for Senior Living
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