Non-Stop Gardening Tips & Inspiration
I recently met a woman who had her garden certified through the National Wildlife Federation. Hmmm... It got me thinking. I'm a proponent of habitat gardens and using sustainable, organic practices, beneficial insects and all that. … [Read more]
There's always something to do in the garden, whether it's pruning, tidying, planting or sowing. In Northern California’s zone 10, where I live, fall is the perfect time to divide overgrown perennials and grasses. I've been spending part of my fall … [Read more]
This summer I took a couple of photos of yew hedging plants, because "yews," in my opinion, should be used much more frequently as hedges and screens than they are. From the small genus, Taxus, there are about 7 species of yews; but, from those … [Read more]
If you're wondering what to plant with Knockout roses, this 3 - 4 foot high x 3 - 4 foot wide shrub can be planted with just about any ground cover, tree, shrub, vine etc., suitable to the same growing conditions. Because this plant is not only hardy … [Read more]
It wasn't until this year that I decided to give the Knockout rose a try, to see if it would be as wonderful a performer as everything I read about it suggested... So far, I'm happy to report that not only does the cherry red Knockout rose knock … [Read more]
I was thinking of the phrase, "build it and they will come..." It has such a connection to garden building, and ways that you can create, from the start, a healthy garden habitat. If you already have an established garden, there are plenty of ways to … [Read more]
If you love to read books, want to share them and also get to know your neighbors, a new trend coming to a town near you (or your town)-- is Little Free Library! (You can start your own. See below.) So far I've come upon two Little Free Library … [Read more]
Cobblestone - This sharply sloped hillside was carefully engineered with numerous cobblestone retaining walls to hold the soil and hillside behind it. Steep cobble stairs wind along the different terraced levels which contains mostly Mediterranean … [Read more]
Walking around the hills of Berkeley, CA the other day, we came across the Spring Estate. Very cool. What is this? Designed by John Hudson Thomas in 1912, this stately landmark offers expansive views of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate, and … [Read more]
Another battery operated timer that is currently being tested by the Passionate Gardeners is the Orbit single station timer. It was a little cheaper than the Dig/Galcon. It's also a totally different shape which was the original reason for trying … [Read more]