The first year I attended Garden Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, I felt like I’d struck gold. There were so many classes offered by talented, passionate gardeners. It was like all of the books I had read and gardening shows I had watched came alive all in one place for three days. I only wished I… Continue reading Garden Expo
When I was in my early twenties, the feminist in me remained adamant: I didn’t like to cook, and I didn’t care to learn how. Once again, gardening has taught me the value of something other than gardening. Yep, now I like to cook. I love harvesting from my yard and cooking up something nutritious and delicious… Continue reading A Gardener cooks….
1. Sungold indeterminate tomatoes 2. Ornamental millet 3. King Tut grass 4. Dinnerplate dahlias 5. Amaranth 6. Rainbow Swiss chard 7. Lemon basil 8. Cobra garden tool for weeding. It will make you more successful with weeding, digging and planting! 9. Elephant ear to try: King of the Nile, West Indian kale 10. Edible flowers.… Continue reading 12 Essentials for 2012
Whether planting a flat of snapdragons or a new Japenese Maple, I always double-dig. While this is a practice that has been debated in the horticulture world, I have had much success by double-digging–and no failures. Double-digging 101: When digging a hole to plant, dig it twice as big as necessary and then backfill with… Continue reading Double-Digging
Anyone who knows me well knows I am “a worrier,” an “over-protective mom” of three, so it was important to me to be educated and keep my kids and dog safe when I garden. This was my main motivation for creating a green and organic yard and garden, as I learned that most kids absorb… Continue reading Poison….Beware….Caution….
When did you start gardening? The summer of 1959, our first summer in Patricia Park (in Des Moines). That was the 1st time we lived in a home long enough and with a big enough yard to really garden. I was so into gardening then that when my youngest son, who was in kindergarten, was asked… Continue reading Interview with one of my favorite gardeners, my grandma!
What is bright yellow, cheerful, edible and can detoxify your liver? Yes, the little old dandelion. Last spring I watched my then 17-month-old son pick up one of those fuzzy seed pods from the dandelion and blow again and again, having such a joyful ball! Then I watched my daughters make dandelion crowns. Later that… Continue reading In Defense of Dandelions
Organic Gardening Magazine had a terrific article, The Dark Side of Lawns recently that covered all the great reasons why you should refrain from using the various synthetic fertilizers on your lawn. I found the discussion on “weed and feed” practices particularly relevant. The situation gets worse with the widely popular “weed and feed” products… Continue reading Organic lawn management
On the topic of “going green,” I think Paul James, from the HGTV show Gardening by the Yard, said it best on his Spring Freeze episode. Here is a recap: Going green, focus on the lawn. Turf grass is the most consuming resource plant of all. Each year lawns are doused with millions of gallons of… Continue reading Why Organic?
Mel's Green Garden 