The old joke—and I mean old—is to be careful what you say in a garden because the corn has ears. But who cares what the corn hears? There's not a kernel of truth in what they might repeat! (Groan) What do you like to hear while tending your garden? Some gardeners like to hear the sounds of nature. Birds singing, crickets chirping, rabbits hopping, etc. Or in my case, the distant, and constant, hum of traffic on an interstate highway. Other gardeners like to listen to books or … [Read more...] about Listening While Gardening
Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day for November 2023
Welcome to Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day for November 2023. Here in my USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6a garden in central Indiana, there are still a few flowers, if you know where to look for them. We'll start with some flowers that are supposed to bloom now, then move on to some blooms that are still hanging around, and wrap up with a few annuals that have been here the whole time. First up are the white crocuses in full bloom, which I previously posted about and identified as "probably" … [Read more...] about Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day for November 2023
A Violet in the Leaves
There are lots of flora and fauna hiding in the fallen leaves this time of year. Some of the fauna are snuggling in for a long winter nap. A few of the flora are just trying to force out one more bloom amidst the fallen leaves to mark the passing of a growing season that is, for all practical purposes, over. And all over the land, some people are getting all up in arms (up in rakes?) if you so much as dare to mulch up some of your leaves. Ah, moderation, where have you gone? … [Read more...] about A Violet in the Leaves
Do My Hips Look Big in This Picture?
The other day, while out in the garden getting ready for winter, I saw all the pretty rose hips on one of my rose shrubs. And my first thought was, "Do my hips look big?" I always think of that question when I see rose hips. And then I laugh. I wonder if roses worry about the size of their hips the way people do? For the record, these hips are on a rose identified for me as 'Ballerina,' and the hips are not as big as they appear in this picture. They are tiny compared to some rose … [Read more...] about Do My Hips Look Big in This Picture?
Quoted!
I was recently quoted in The American Gardener, the magazine of the American Horticultural Society. My quote is in the November/December 2023 issue, in an article by Marianne Willburn titled, "In Defense of Gardening Unplugged." You can read the article if you are a member of AHS, which you should be if you are a gardener of any sort. So how and why did she quote me in the article? Let's circle back to 2020. That summer, I decided I was spending too much time on social media. After a … [Read more...] about Quoted!
Truly, A Mast Year
It's one of those mysteries why some years trees, like oak trees, produce massive amounts of acorns and other years, not so much. Usually, it happens to all the oak trees in a region in the same year. If you do online searches, you'll find that 2021 was considered a mast year. But my scarlet oak, Quercus coccinea, is having a mast year this year. I've never seen so many acorns fall from one tree. The other day, I spent about 15 minutes raking some up because there were just so many … [Read more...] about Truly, A Mast Year
