There is nothing better in the summer than that first strawberry rhubarb pie or crisp. The two plants are ripe at the same time and if you can get the strawberries fresh from the garden and super sweet, there’s nothing better than that tart, sweet pairing.
For years when I was growing up, my parents would move to a new house and inevitably plant an azalea or rhododendron bush. And inevitably, they would be stunted, die or not bloom properly.
My mom attributed this to the wrong quality soil, and I have since learned she was partially right. However, there are other things to consider depending on where you live. These bushes are gorgeous when healthy and in full-bloom. If you take care to plant them in the right soil and mixture of sun and shade, you can reap the benefits for many years.
Companion planting is a method of gardening with a rich history as a proven technique for achieving a thriving garden.
By now, most people are familiar with the smell of the lavender flower. It’s often dried and used in sachets – as well as reproduced by laundry detergent and cleaning product manufacturers – for its clean, fresh pungent scent. Add to this the rising popularity of essential oils and you have a pretty widespread basic knowledge of lavender and some of its properties.
Most people find lavender soothing and calming. Some people use it to get rid of a headache. However, lavender actually has some pretty amazing medical uses, which have been the subject of serious study.
The other day I saw a whole rack of Venus Flytraps – Dionaea muscipula – for sale at Aldi, of all places. I didn’t know anything about these plants other than what I had seen as a kid on a nature show, so it was all kind of fuzzy.
I was under the impression they were an endangered species, or especially rare. It was a huge surprise to see them for sale at the wholesale grocery chain. So, I snapped one up.
Wildflower meadows in Texas
In terms of wildflower plantings, the most beneficial to wildlife and sustainable plants are native perennials and grasses. So, that can be your gold standard of wildflower meadows, if you will. Those flowers and grasses are the species most animals in your area are adapted to.
California poppy wildflower meadow at the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve
If you are an avid gardener, chances are good that you love the outdoors. I’m sure you don’t just love being on your knees with your hands in the dirt. Although that part is great, you probably love the sunshine and feel of the wind on your face; the sights and sounds of all that nature has to offer. The wonderful thing about nature is that it’s available to everyone simply by stepping out your front door.
When we moved into our turn-of-the-century home, it was 20 degrees at the beginning of January, and the snow started to fall the next day. It wasn’t until early May that I started to notice the little overgrown garden planted on the south side of the house.
By mid June that year – we had a late spring – I was excited to find that I’d also inherited a turn-of-the-century little rose garden. There were two overgrown rose bushes that produced one flush each of light pink and burgundy roses, respectively. And man! They smelled amazing.
It’s no secret that water is a precious resource which some in this world don’t have access to. It’s also no secret that the toilets and showers we take for granted in most of the United States use a lot of water.
Have you ever wondered why some organic things aren’t supposed to be composted? Like kitchen scraps, meat, bones, spoiled dairy products, and bread?
It doesn’t seem to make sense. It’s all organic matter, right?