There are a couple of ways to plant a vegetable garden, the two most common being a traditional tilled plot and raised beds. I grew up with a traditional tilled plot of land vegetable garden, but over time converted to raised beds. Every spring, just as soon as it warmed up enough and the ground was dry enough, Dad would get out the roto-tiller he co-owned with the neighbor and till up the vegetable garden. Then he would use a shovel or hoe to mound up the basic rows where everything would be … [Read more...] about Raised beds or plowed fields

In my other blog, http://ruthcampbellsmith.blogspot.com/, which is about my grandmother's diaries from 1925 - 1927, Grandma noted that her boys played outside a lot and she could hardly get them inside long enough to eat! Kids today don't go outside nearly as much as even we used to. Someone has even coined the term "nature deficit disorder" to describe a condition in which children lose their connection to the great outdoors. Here are my suggestions to get kids out of the house and into the … [Read more...] about Overcoming NDD

I'm sure everyone is just sick with worry about all those pansies and violas that I planted a few weeks ago. Let me assure all that they came through the snow storm in good shape and are doing well, considering the weather these past few days. Pansies can withstand some pretty cold temperatures.There are plant breeding programs to produce new varieties of pansies that can withstand cold temperatures. Many of these are sold in the fall with trade names like "Icicle Pansies". They claim that if … [Read more...] about Pansies and Violas, Part III

With all this snow, I got curious about weather records for Indianapolis and found out the following regarding snowfall: Average Date of First Measurable Snowfall: November 19 - that seems to make sense. Average Date of Last Measurable Snowfall: March 30 - this is later than I would have thought. I really don't remember too many snowy days in March, at least not for while. I wonder if today set a new record?Earliest Date of First Measurable Snowfall: October 18, 1989 - I remember this … [Read more...] about Weather Records

Yes, spring snow! And there isn't really anything you can do to protect early spring flowers from it. Cover them? The snow, if we get as much as predicted, will provide some cover and act as an insulator and provide as much protection as a sheet or blanket. Plus, I think the weight of heavy, wet snow on top of a blanket will crush the poor daffodils and other bulbs that are coming up. Cut them? If you have early daffodils that are starting to show the bloom color in the bud, you could cut … [Read more...] about Spring S-no-w!

Some thanks for comments and suggestions I've received...To San-Tee for suggesting I also try Crimson Giant radishes... I picked up some seeds at Walmart this morning. They will be a nice complement to Cherry Belle radishes.To Kathy for telling me how she got rid of her ivy... actually, she didn't get rid of it. The voles (meadow mice) did. They burrowed underground and cut off the roots. The first time I saw a little meadow mice running through a garden bed, I thought "how cute". Just like a … [Read more...] about Advice and Comments