Still, the old adage that April truly will bring showers means I was waiting ever so patiently for the sun to come out. But, I’m anxious to get my hands back in the dirt!
Before the weather went south, I’d already put my herbs, potatoes and onions in the ground. And I’m planning to put in the tomatoes, green beans, peppers, and beets next.
For as long as I can remember, I loved working in my grandmother's garden. Truthfully, there may have been a few times that I didn't LOVE it, but even as a child I learned to enjoy watching things grow and produce fruit and vegetables. Grandma grew a garden to feed her family. Times were hard, and there wasn't always money to run to the grocery store. Even in better times, she continued to garden and can. I remember days spent harvesting vegetables and working in the hot kitchen canning the produce from the garden and then storing it in the "fruit cellar" to enjoy the rest of the year.
Summer flowers seem to cheer everyone up, but what kind will do the best in the hot months? What do you plant if you have lots of shade? When your yard is mostly shade, it becomes a challenge to find attractive plants. I have found that Hostas are the answer. They come in many varieties and sizes. In fact, there is now a mini variety. Bridgewood Gardens has a site on the internet that you can look at the many varieties of hostas including the mini hostas.
Squirrels LOVE my tomatoes! I have grown tomatoes for 30 plus years, and have been fighting over who gets to eat the tomatoes, me, or "the squirrels".
Now, I have tried just about every old-time remedy that I ever heard about. I have surrounded my plants with human hair clippings. I have tied aluminum pans to poles hoping the noise would keep those pesky squirrels away. I have tried hot pepper spray-those squirrels thought I made them salsa! I tried tying bars of soap around my plants. Well, I had clean plants, but it didn't deter the squirrels a bit.
Although October may be a unique month to talk about a gardening website, we wanted to point out the Gardening page of the Better Homes and Gardens website because of the robust information it supplies. This site offers plenty of options for sprucing up your garden in the fall, pruning tips, and planting information for stunning spring blooms. There’s even a link to stencils to create your perfect jack-o-lantern!
Normally, I do the brunt of my yard work in the spring, as soon as the outdoor temperature beckons me to come and play in the dirt. It seems logical, since it corresponds to the earth’s reawakening as well. However, this year seemed lost to me, due largely to family health issues. By summer’s arrival, I had resigned myself to "take a year off" from my usual planting of annuals and new perennials. My new plan was to take it easy for now and just be prepared when May again graced our calendars.
I know….winter just got here. For me, it’s research time. Having a new deck has me excited with thoughts of what plants I can plant around it. I can see it now….glass of ice tea, crochet hooks, yarn, and the glorious scents of my garden!
Winter is not usually the time I think about gardening, but this year will be different. I have found out that this is the perfect time to start planning and getting ready for the gardening season! The seed catalogs are coming in the mail, and there are still some outside chores to be done.
Besides all the planning, shopping, and dreaming, I have read that now is the time to:
