The root of most problems in a garden can usually be found in the soil of the garden. Good soil, good garden. Poor soil, poor garden. And by garden, of course I mean plants. If you have good soil and treat it well, you'll be amazed at what plants will grow well for you. If you have poor soil and try to grow stuff in it without trying to make it better soil, you might wonder why you can't seem to grow anything. But there is hope! If you have poor soil and work to amend it to … [Read more...] about It’s the Soil!
soil
I’m Excited About Wool Pellets
Yes, that is a rare photo of me, pointing at Intelli-Soil from Wild Valley Farms. Intelli-Soil contains wool pellets, their other great product that had everyone at the Garden Communicators International annual conference buzzing. (Honestly, in the 10 years I've been attending the GardenComm conferences, I've never seen such a reaction to a new product. Everyone was excited about wool pellets.) What are wool pellets? Go to their website and you'll find out. Or here, I'll quote them for … [Read more...] about I’m Excited About Wool Pellets
12-12-12, Our thoughts turn to fertilizer
My beautiful compost in my red wheelbarrow. It is December 12, 2012 and our thoughts turn to fertilizer, as they really should. One year ago, I looked forward to today and decided that we should proclaim it International Fertilizer Day. 12-12-12 And now the day has arrived! If you are a gardener who has read much about gardening through the years, you probably recognize that 12-12-12, "triple 12", was once a common fertilizer recommendation, and in some gardening circles, it still … [Read more...] about 12-12-12, Our thoughts turn to fertilizer
Achieving Happiness in Your Garden: The Seventh Secret
Earlier this summer, my sister called to tell me that they while cleaning out the attic, they found an old box labeled “gardening stuff”. “Would you like to come over and take a peak inside to see if there is anything in there that you want?” She barely had a chance to finish asking me before I jumped into my car and headed to her house, the very house we all had grown up in. “What could be in that box”, I wondered? I thought we had cleared out the attic years ago, before my sister and … [Read more...] about Achieving Happiness in Your Garden: The Seventh Secret
Embrace Your Soil For A Happier Life
One of the secrets to a happier life as a gardener is to embrace your soil.As gardeners, we don’t always get to choose our soil. We end up with whatever soil, dirt if you prefer, that nature and/or a land developer has left us. And in that soil, we try to grow the plants we love.We like to talk about the soil we have, almost as much as the weather.“Oh, the clay I have to deal with.”“You should see the rocks I find when I dig.”“It’s like a swamp it drains so poorly.”“It’s like concrete when it’s … [Read more...] about Embrace Your Soil For A Happier Life
Do You Test Your Soil?
When plants in my garden don't do as well as expected, I like to figure out why. This year, I planted two containers with Argyranthemum frutescens.I bought the plants from the same garden center where they were probably growing side by side. I planted them with the same basic soil mix and though one was in the front garden and one was on the back patio, they were both out in the open so they got equal amounts of sun.When I watered in the front, I watered in the back, so they got the same amount … [Read more...] about Do You Test Your Soil?
