Have you ever had a ‘substitute’ teacher? As most of you know, a substitute teacher doesn’t do things the same way our regular teacher does. A few years ago, I was asked to step in as a ‘substitute’ gardener for my father-in-law’s landscape. Photo: Meticulously pruned desert ruellia (Ruellia peninsularis) My father-in-law had always been a meticulous […]
There are some plants in the landscape that are underused through not fault of their own. This can be for a number of reasons, one of which, is that it isn’t stocked at local nurseries. Customers often walk into their local nursery without any specific plant in mind and choose from what is in stock. […]
I am always on the lookout for new things to make from the garden. Recently I learned how to make specially flavored salts using herbs from my garden. ‘Herb salts’ have become a popular flavoring tool in the culinary community and they are very easy to make. The process of making herb salts starts out […]
Do you like using fresh herbs when you cook? I do. But, I don’t like buying herbs from the store because they can be expensive and often aren’t very fresh looking. Photo: Purple basil and chives I enjoy growing herbs outdoors in my garden, but I also grow herbs indoors on my kitchen windowsill. Whether you […]
I enjoy DIY projects – particularly when they involve things that I have grown in my garden. It seems that a lot of the things that I make from the garden include herbs. I have dried herbs, frozen them into ice cubes and have done homemade herb butter. Using herbs from my garden when I cook […]
Earlier this week, I mentioned I was being interviewed about drought tolerant gardening for several radio stations throughout the country. This morning, I am doing a live interview for the public radio station, KERA in Dallas, Texas. I will be taking viewer questions throughout the program. *You can listen to it here, if […]
Do you live in an area that has been affected by drought? You may be surprised at the answer. Periods of drought aren’t uncommon for those of us who live in the Western United States, but more recently drought has expanded to some other areas that may surprise you. Drought tolerant gardening is rapidly […]
Have you ever seen shrubs that have been planted too closely together? At first glance, it looks like the new plants in the landscape above fit just fine into this area. But, what if I told you that those small shrubs grow 6 feet high and wide at maturity? As they grow, out come the hedge trimmers, […]
This is my last post on unique containers. To date, we have looked at containers on four, two and one wheels, one that fits on your feet as well as some ‘trashy’ ones as well. Today, I’d like to show you two containers that you shouldn’t sit on. Chair planter in Downtown Noblesville, Indiana. I saw these […]
A couple of years ago, I visited a beautiful winery in upstate New York. I must admit that I was more interested in the gardens that surrounded the winery than the wine itself. The gardens were filled with a variety of perennials and even a prickly pear cactus that thrived in despite the frigid winters. […]
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