With my magical gardening powers, I made crocuses bloom in late fall.Would you like to know how I did it? Would you like some of this magic for your garden? But can you handle this kind of magic? Are you ready for the neighbors to look and wonder? Are you ready for the questions?If you are ready, then read on. To get crocuses to bloom in the fall, plant the fall-blooming crocuses. The ones that many people don't know about.That's it.Plant some Crocus speciosus corms.And you'll have … [Read more...] about Put Your Magical Gardening Powers on Display With Autumn Crocuses
Five Ideas for Garden Blog Posts
If you've ever sat and stared at your computer wondering what to post on your garden blog, or any blog, then this is the post for you!I'm going to give you five ideas that you can use anytime on your own garden blog to make an engaging post.Idea number one is to sow some seeds. Well, not actual seeds, but symbolic seeds. Seeds equal ideas. Share some of your ideas about gardening and see if they germinate with others. For example, you might share what you put into your fall containers to inspire … [Read more...] about Five Ideas for Garden Blog Posts
Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – October 2020
Welcome to Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day for October 2020.Here in my USDA Hardiness Zone 6a garden in central Indiana, we are still in the midst of a late-season dry spell that is in its eighth week.Ever the optimist, I think that surely it is going to rain soon. And we have gotten rain twice, but only one-tenth of an inch each time. So because I think it is going to rain soon, I don't spend much time watering, and the garden is a testament to that.But all is not completely lost in the … [Read more...] about Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – October 2020
Growing Figs Outdoors in Indiana
I just harvested figs I grew myself in Indiana on a fig tree growing outside. You can grow figs too!Whenever I harvest a bowl of figs I am tempted to arrange them in a lovely still life setting, suitable for a Renaissance-style painting. Even though I cannot off the top of my head recall such a painting.Figs just look old-worldly to me. Would you like to know my secrets for growing figs, Ficus carica, in the ground in Indiana, Zone 6a? First, I chose varieties that are known for … [Read more...] about Growing Figs Outdoors in Indiana
Beware of the Big, Woody Vines
The big mass of green growing up through this large tree is a giant bittersweet vine. Fortunately, this large vine on this large tree is not my problem. It is near my neighborhood and I see it on my daily walk. I know it is a bittersweet vine and for most of the summer and early fall, I assumed it was the Asian bittersweet, Celastrus orbiculatus, a big take-charge kind of vine that one should never plant because it is invasive.But there is also a native bittersweet, Celastrus … [Read more...] about Beware of the Big, Woody Vines
Garden Fairies Provide an Early Fall Report
Garden fairies here!We are garden fairies and we have decided that it is time for us to provide another report on what is really going on around this garden.We will start off by telling everyone what Carol is doing which because she is inherently lazy is going to be a rather short report.We could make a longer report out of what she hasn't been doing but should be doing, starting off with watering. Can a plant get a drink of water around here? So dry it is. We have watched as one plant after … [Read more...] about Garden Fairies Provide an Early Fall Report