I had spent another morning doing battle with the proliferous wild grape that grew across my rock wall border. I had nothing against grapevines, especially when they bore fruit (which these vines did), and I’d collected bunches to make into jelly. But once they climbed my rock wall, took aim at my lush tree line, […]
Rodgers Flower: A Shady Perennial
“What is that huge plant in your shade garden?” The large, leafy plant with tall spiky flowers (extremely tall — almost my height of 5 feet) really caught my attention. I was visiting a nursery that specialized in perennials, and they had a wide selection of shade garden plants from all over the world. I […]
Homestead Stories: I Love My Birds, But…
几年前,我女儿(非常兴奋地)告诉我,前阳台上悬挂的紫红色房间里有一只哀鸽在筑巢。“不可能,”我宣布。“过来看看,”她坚持说。果然,在我珍爱的紫红色中间,有一只哀鸽,正在收拾东西准备筑巢。I wasn’t too […]
Mullein: An Herbal Remedy, Not A Weed
“Isn’t that a weed?” I asked my friend. I pointed to the pale green, hairy stem rising from the flannel-textured center rosette. “It grows tall, you know. I pulled one last week that was taller than me — at least 7 feet!” “No, it’s called mullein,” my friend replied. It’s actually a heritage plant, brought […]
Homestead Stories: The Kudzu Monster Plant and Other Invasive Species
“那些令人毛骨悚然的人物是什么?”我最小的女儿问。我们开着车,沿着小路去佛罗里达度假。“我想那就是人们所说的葛藤。”我解释道。“他们看起来像怪物。“是的,他们有。”几年前我读到过葛藤,但从未如此近距离地看到过这种植物。这完全是可怕的。[…]
Homestead Stories: The Spider Flower
“You know I don’t really like spiders.” I scowled as my friend led me around her garden. Large or small, spiders really do give me the creeps, and sometimes they bite. Yuck! I do know they have a purpose. Just as long as that purpose does not include me. My friend stopped in front of […]
Homestead Stories: Glass Gem Corn
“Oh my! That is colorful. And it’s really corn?” I was flabbergasted. I loved growing and eating corn on the cob. Usually the standard yellow corn or the peaches-and-cream which is a combination of a deep yellow and a pale yellow. I have eaten, though never grown, white corn, loving its tiny, sweet taste. I […]
Homestead Stories: The Tulip Tree
“Oh my! The flowers on those trees look like tulips.” I was taking a walk with my grandmother along a country road just north of Lake Erie. It was spring and the weather demanded some outside activity. “That’s why people call them tulip trees,” Gran said. “They’re also called poplars. In fact, other than in […]
A Green Rose for St. Patrick’s Day … Why Not?
“What’s wrong with your rosebush?” I asked. We were standing in front of my mother’s profuse garden of rosebushes. She loved her roses and was always adding a new color to the collection. “That’s a new one, isn’t it? Why is the flower all green?” I was convinced there had to be something wrong with […]
Homestead Stories: Strange Names for Beautiful Flowers
I have seen, grown, and written about some pretty unusual flowers – unusual in the fact they have unique names. There was the story I wrote about Jack-in-the-pulpit and the story about the black bat flower, but there are more unusual names for flowers, and some that might seem a little too bizarre. Like the flying duck […]
Homestead Stories: Forcing Indoor Flowering Bulbs
I looked at the display of potted tulips and daffodils in the grocery store and let out a deep sigh. Each flower was perfectly coiffed, the stems standing tall and pristine, the display awash with color. If only they were in my garden. Too early for that. With several feet of snow and ice, it […]
Homestead Stories: The Black Bat Flower
“What is that?” I exclaimed, pointing at the black thing that sat atop a tall stem. “Black thing” was the best way I could describe it, though perhaps some avid gardeners would refer to it as deep purple. Not me! It definitely was black. With two wide flower petals flattened back like wings around what […]
The Hosta Plant
“Oh my! That hosta is huge!” I was standing in my front drive, surveying what I called the circle garden. It was encased in a rock wall that outlined a circle around a gracious, old willow tree. And the hosta was huge. Not just the expanse of the plant itself, but the leaves rivaled those […]
Delphinium Flowers: Beautiful But Poisonous
“What is that tall blue flower? I can see it from my kitchen window.” My neighbor was intrigued by the bursts of growth and color in my ever-expanding garden. “Delphinium,” I said. “It was here when we moved in. Stunning, isn’t it?” “It certainly is.” I thought it was more purple than blue. But the […]
Homestead Stories: The Balloon Flower
“It’s a balloon flower, Mom.” My youngest jumped up and down with glee. “A what?” I asked. I have to admit, I’ve heard some pretty strange names for flowers but balloon flower was a new one to me. “A balloon flower,” my oldest confirmed. “That’s what the flower looks like when it blooms. A balloon.” […]
Homestead Stories: The Outhouse Flower
I have fond memories of the outhouse at the family cottage. Years ago. When I was a youngster. Dad had built it far enough from the cottage that it didn’t project its noxious odors into the place where we ate and slept. Mom planted tall, bushy flowers around the outhouse in an attempt to beautify […]
Marking The Way Naturally – Rustic Garden Edging
它其实是从秘密花园开始的。不,我不是指弗朗西斯·霍奇森·伯内特的小说,虽然它是我的最爱,我一直想拥有自己的秘密花园。也许现在我明白了。我的秘密花园真的是个秘密。至少在最初阶段。And hence its name which it holds to this […]
Weigela: A Flowering Shrub To Rival Your Rhododendrons
Moving to the country had its pros and cons. There were a lot of things to learn, especially in the garden. I tried to take my entire suburbia garden, one plant at a time, but some of my shrubs, sadly, had to be left behind. They were too big and the roots too deep to […]
Bee Balms Or Bee Bums?
“Mom,” my six-year-old called from the front walk where he had been riding his bike back and forth. He had paused in front of my display of red and purple, firework-like flowers and admired them. At an age where he wanted to know everything, it wasn’t unexpected that he would ask about the different flowers […]
Homestead Stories: The Holly And The Ivy
“The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown. Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown.” I hummed the tune happily as I dialed my parents’ number. I would be going home in a few days to spend Christmas with the family. I was excited and […]
Jack-In-The-Pulpit: A Beautiful Flower With A Weird Name
Growing up in the 1960s, just about everyone in my class at school went to church, and most churches were similar in layout, including, at the front by the choir, a pulpit. So, when the lessons turned to studying the wildflowers of Ontario, the one plant which captured our attention was the Jack-in-the-pulpit. The teacher […]
Homestead Stories: What’s False About False Solomon’s Seal?
“False Solomon’s seal? What’s that? And why is it false? What’s the real thing?” Questions. Always lots of questions. Each new discovery on my country property opened up a new page of learning, understanding, and appreciating. I had been studying the knee-tall foliage that arched over my flower beds. With oval-shaped leaves draping along the […]
Homestead Stories: Growing Pussy Willows
“What is that yellow fluff covering the bush in the corner?” I asked. It was my first spring living in the country, and I still had a lot to learn. I had been watching the snowdrops and the crocuses do their early spring color display, and I was keeping an eye on my lilac bushes, […]
Homestead Stories: How I Accidentally Grew Trout Lilies
When I first moved to the country, I was amazed at the bounty of both wildlife and wildflowers. I had a big job ahead of me—tidying the forested part of our property. I wanted to clear out the brambles and remove the garbage that had been randomly dumped in a place the previous owners believed […]
Why You Should Keep Your Dandelions
Yellow, yellow everywhere. Interspersed with the yellow, were just as plentiful white puffballs of fluff. Hardly any green. It was a dandelion haven. As a child, I recall picking dandelions as a flower bouquet for Mom or Gran. They loved them, or so they claimed, and made a big deal of placing them in water […]
How To Keep Chipmunks Out Of Your Garden Naturally
They’re cute. They chirp and flirt around, scurrying from one food source to another. But don’t deceive yourself. If you love your garden, you don’t want to be overrun by chipmunks. One chipmunk means many chipmunks. They’re rodents, and like mice and rats, they multiply quickly and they love to dig. They dig holes in […]
Heirloom Tomato Varieties
“Oh, my! That’s an interesting vegetable. What is it?” I looked at the colorful display of greens and reds and purples that made up the market stand, admiring, in particular, the luscious glossy red of the Beefsteak tomatoes. Between the red tomatoes and the yellow and green zucchini, there was a small, roundish vegetable that […]
Homesteading Stories: Maple Sugaring
There are a lot of different types of maple trees – at least 128 species. Some grow better than others. Some are a harder wood, making them ideal for use on bowling alley floors, while others are considered a weed maple because they grow too big, too fast and too soft. There’s the silver maple, […]
9 Tasty Apple Varieties You Should Try
Dad climbed into the passenger seat. The children were already settled in the back. We were off to the orchard to pick apples, bring them home, and make some much-loved applesauce and apple pie. Dad asks, “What kinds of apples do you plan on getting? Your mother always loved the Northern Spy. She said they […]
Everything Basil
Of all the herbs, basil is by far my favorite. The sweet, subtle aroma washes over me like velvet. And the taste? It certainly embellishes many of my savory dishes with flair. The benefits of this luscious herb are multiple. And the best part is that it’s easy to grow, both indoors and out. Consequently, […]
How To Care For African Violets
Only one? I don’t think so. It’ll shrivel and die. It likes company. It likes to outshine its neighbors and cousins; the more the merrier. But be careful. There are some colors that really like to dominate, and if you have too many of that color, the other colors will convert. What plant am I […]
How To Care For Orchids
“You should be advised, sir,” the clerk advised my husband, “that when the blossoms die, it doesn’t mean the plant is dead. It does go through a dormant stage. And don’t over-water.” My husband smiled as he paid for the purchase and accepted the carefully wrapped plant to bring home. “Not to worry. My wife […]
Homestead Stories: Great Grandpa’s Rhubarb
The first heavy frost has just hit and the temperature has taken a nose dive well below freezing. The gardens are all tucked in their beds, well covered with leaves. Little nobs still poke their heads above the frozen earth, but the remnants of my great grandfather’s rhubarb are well blanketed with a thick layer […]
Homestead Stories: Secret Gardens
Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote a charming young people’s novel. First published in book form in 1911, “The Secret Garden” lures the reader into a world of discovery and possibilities, all in a garden, shut off from the rest of the world. It’s kept secret for years until a little girl discovers the key. Overgrown from […]
Homestead Stories: Memories Of Carving Pumpkins
The shape isn’t perfect – it never is. It’s rather flat on one side since that’s the way it laid on the ground while it grew. Its shape adds character. At least, one can imagine that it does. Washed and then dried, it sits on the kitchen table awaiting its demise. Or, perhaps, its re-creation […]
Using Fall Leaves For Winter Mulch
I love my garden and I love working in it. Unfortunately, it’s a seasonal thing. Once winter approaches I do all I can to protect and preserve my garden for the next spring. Many people, myself included, cover their gardens with mulch. Others purchase mulch chips for their garden. Personally, I let the leaves fall […]
Flowers From Garden To Canvas
I love my garden, but sadly, it’s only a seasonal thing. The remainder of the year, I look out at the bleak leaf and snow-covered earth surrounded by barren trees and shrubs. Even the fungus, which creates artistic designs during the summer and early autumn, is hidden. I can sit inside and dream about the […]
What I Did When My Compost Got Smelly
“Ugh! What’s that smell?” I still remember the exclamations that came from our next door neighbor, back in the day when we lived nestled way too close together in not-so-blissful suburbia. Over time the exclamations continued, “I can’t sit out here. It positively reeks.” After that came the pointing and glaring. The Source Of The […]
15 Seeds You Should Save
If you enjoy your current plant varieties, you may want to save the seeds for next year. A healthy garden, both flowers and vegetables, is certainly something to be proud of. Inevitably there will be some plants that you prefer over others, and as luck will have it, some of these plants will be annuals. […]
Our Dead Trees Became Living Fungal Art
Fungi are remarkable, and after many trees fell in our yard we discovered the beauty of living fungal art. Trees–they’re beautiful when healthy, but even long-living, solid trees can meet an untimely end. When we moved onto our one-acre country lot, we were thrilled with the bits of forest that surrounded our house. Not only […]
How To Get Rid Of Pests In Your Vegetable Garden
Pests can harm your garden, but there are natural solutions available. A new piece of property, fertile soil, and lots of sun and water is all you should need for a successful vegetable garden. However, there are the invasions that you probably didn’t consider. For instance, you have the blue jays that peck mercilessly at […]
How To Remove Bramble Bushes
What is a bramble? For me it’s that spiky annoyance that scratches your arms and grabs your pant legs unexpectedly when you’re trying to take a walk or weed your garden. It’s prickly, invasive, and quickly takes root anywhere, making it impossible to eradicate. Did I say impossible? Well almost. It’s certainly a battle I am […]
English Garden Inspiration For Your Yard
As homes become more condensed, an English garden may be the perfect solution to a homeowner’s planting needs. Twenty years ago, we moved into a small, two-story, three-bedroom house in the suburbs. The front yard consisted of a large driveway leading to the garage, a path to the front porch, and a small ground space […]