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Gardening tips, experiments, product reviews, and stories from my backyard.

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August 26, 2013

A Visit with a Fellow Gardener

I had such a great time this weekend visiting with a fellow gardener. It is such a joy to see what others do with their gardens and to share their enthusiasm for gardening. And on this particular visit, I came away with a whole trunk full of plant cuttings to root - a wonderful addition to my garden. Visiting someone else's garden is so great for getting ideas and just sharing your love of the outdoors. Structures Structures in this garden … [Read more...]

/ Garden Tours, Projects and Ideas / gardens, projects and ideas

August 23, 2013

Turk’s Cap – Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii

Turks Cap

Turk’s cap is a perennial, deciduous, shrub-like plant native to the Southeastern United States. It produces small (2-3 inch) red flowers that resemble a closed-up hibiscus. In the Malvaceae family, it is also commonly known as wax mallow, Texas mallow, manzanilla, and sleeping hibiscus, among other common names. This plant flowers in the summer and fall (from May to November) and the flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants, Wildlife / backyard habitat, birds, butterflies, flowers, hummingbirds, native plants, plant identification, propagation, wildflowers

August 19, 2013

How to Make Deer Exclosure for Raised Beds

Three young fawns and a doe have discovered my garden just recently. They ate all of the leaves off of the pepper plants, devoured the hostas, stripped the bean plants bare, and ate every single beet top. Now that they’ve found us, I’m sure they will continue to come back. I am starting to think about planting for a fall crop of vegetables, so I have to be creative in planting. Making a Deer Exclosure for Raised Beds The Terrazza Raised … [Read more...]

/ Projects and Ideas, Vegetables, Wildlife / garden pest, gardens, projects and ideas, raised beds, vegetables

August 15, 2013

Zinnias

Pink zinnia

Zinnias are annual plants in the Asteraceae family that offer a wide variety of heights, colors, and types of flowers. Zinnias are very easy to grow and require little maintenance but offer bright, showy flowers. They attract butterflies and make excellent cut flowers. Plant heights range from 6 inches to several feet tall. Zinnias can be grown in zones 1 through 10. They prefer well-drained, fertile soil and should be grown in full sun. How … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants / backyard habitat, butterflies, flowers, plant identification

August 12, 2013

Review of Aluminum Raised Bed Corners

Raised bed gardening in my neck of the woods is a great way to avoid dealing with our sticky clay soil and it's practically the only way to grow root vegetables. I have two large raised beds that I installed last year and am making use of for tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, and cucumbers this year. Gardening in a raised bed solves many issues - soil condition, drainage issues, and height (making it easier to reach). Building a raised bed isn't … [Read more...]

/ Reviews / how-to, raised beds, reviews

August 9, 2013

Butterfly Weed – Asclepias tuberosa

Butterfly weed

Butterfly weed grows throughout most of the United States and parts of Canada. Like its name suggests, it attracts butterflies and it especially beneficial for monarchs whose larvae feed on the leaves of the plant. It also provides a nice splash of bright orange color for your garden. Butterfly weed is drought tolerant and deer resistant. It can grow in dry soils with little trouble and prefers full sun. Although most native butterfly weed is … [Read more...]

/ Butterflies, Flowers & Plants / backyard habitat, butterflies, flowers, native plants, wildflowers

August 7, 2013

Green Bean, Ham, and Potato Soup Recipe

One of my grandmother's recipes for soup is my favorite way to use fresh green beans. It's simple to make and goes really well with homemade cornbread (my Southern twist on it). She lives in Pennsylvania, so I suspect it's an old Pennsylvania-Dutch recipe. Here's what you'll need a ham hock (use only half of it if you're making a smaller batch of soup) 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed 3 cups of beans, snapped 1 onion, chopped salt and … [Read more...]

/ Recipes, Vegetables / recipes, vegetables

August 6, 2013

Hershey Gardens

Located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Hershey Gardens has 23 acres of gardens including a rose garden, herb garden, ornamental grasses, Japanese garden and more. My favorite, of course, was the butterfly house and perennial garden. Garden Art Sprinkled throughout the walkways were wind chimes and other garden art that added to the experience. I took a photo of some of my favorites and those that I thought might be easy to make. Container … [Read more...]

/ Garden Tours / butterflies, flowers, gardens

July 15, 2013

How to Build a Trellis Wall

Trellis wall

A lattice wall can provide additional privacy in your yard as well as create an attractive feature for you to grow flowering vines on. For under $250 (plus some manpower) we built these two 6 foot tall by 8 foot wide lattice wall on the back side of the raised herb garden. I really like the look of square lattice panels, which are hard to find pre-made. Most lattice you find in hardware stores is diagonal. So we set to work making some … [Read more...]

/ Projects and Ideas / how-to, projects and ideas, raised beds

July 1, 2013

Giant Coneflower – Rudbeckia maxima

Giant coneflower

Rudbeckia maxima, otherwise known as the giant coneflower, is in the Asteracea family. The flower resembles a brown-eyed susan, but the petals of the flower hang down and the center is much taller. This plant can grow up to 7 feet tall. Planted in a large group, it makes a nice visual impact. These showy flowers are great for drier spots in your garden. Despite being found in moist soils in its native habitat, it is drought tolerant. I have … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants, Wildlife / backyard habitat, birds, butterflies, flowers, native plants, plant identification, propagation. wildflowers

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About Me

Welcome! My name is Kathy and I live in Georgia Zone 7B. Gardening has always relaxed and rooted me (literally!). It's my happy place. With more than 25 years of gardening, I am far from an expert, but I learn from all my experiments. This blog talks about the plants, backyard critters, and more that have made my garden special. Read More

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