While I may concentrate most of my gardening in the realm of edible plants, I do dabble a bit in houseplants. It turns out that houseplants are something that can keep a gardener from going bonkers when they are stuck indoors in the winter. They are especially helpful when stuck inside for long periods of time when a foot of snow falls outside, temperatures fall … Continue reading Houseplants fight cabin fever
Pick up any garden catalog and you’ll see a map of plant hardiness zones that are supposed to tell gardeners what they can and cannot reasonably expect to grow in their climate. The zones are based on an average of each year’s coldest recorded temperature for that specific area over a period of a few decades. Each zone represents a 10-degree block of temperatures on … Continue reading The zones…they are a-changin’ (again)
While the frigid cold of winter may have you dreaming of tropical locations, sandy beaches and fruity drinks with little umbrellas, one way to warm up is to brew yourself a nice cup of tea, coffee or hot cocoa and sit down with a few good garden catalogs. What good it can do your mood to dream of a beautiful garden or bountiful vegetable harvest … Continue reading Plan a year of garden success
If you have been to a garden center or home decor store lately, you’ve likely seen an increase in the popularity of small garden containers and plants. At garden centers, you’ll find small containers full of miniature plants. At home stores, you’ll find tiny pots with artificial succulents (though the real ones aren’t much harder to care for). It seems that small gardening is big … Continue reading Garden trend: Small Gardens are Big Business
Honeybees by the hedges? Chickens by the carport? Goats in the garden? It might be more common than you think. One of the trends in gardening and agriculture I’ve seen over most of my six-year career as an extension agent has been the growth of people within the city interested in growing their own food. It turns out I’m not the only one who has … Continue reading Urban agriculture a growing trend
As we continue to look at trends in gardening, we see that there is a growing trend in approaching gardening in a more ethical, or conscientious, way. The intent is not just to reduce environmental impacts, but to garden for the benefit of both the land and the gardener (and those affected by the garden). It is a look at growing good food all the … Continue reading Garden Trend: Gardening with a Conscience
I’ve heard for many years that many of the skills our parents and grandparents grew up with — such as gardening, canning and crocheting — are dying arts, since the younger generations aren’t interested in them. There would be little hope for our society when it loses its ability to feed and produce for itself. Fortunately, though, that no longer may be the case, especially … Continue reading Gardeners trending younger, more diversified
As all of the din, excitement and exhaustion from Christmas winds down (though technically there are still several of the 12 days of Christmas left to go), we turn our attention to the next year. As the old Welsh Christmas/Yule/New Year carol exclaims, “fast away the old year passes … hail the new, ye lads and lasses!” Of course, the end of the year means … Continue reading Looking forward to 2015 Garden Trends
Let’s take a few minutes now to talk about some last-minute details about the holidays. Of course, many people work themselves into a frenzy around the holidays. But that’s not what the holidays are really about. They are about simplicity, about family and friends, about reflection and, for many, religious observance.
Now, there is more than one holiday this time of year. Christmas, of course, plays the lead. But there’s Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, solstice and Yule. People even celebrate the imaginary Festivus, created for an episode of “Seinfeld.” Continue reading A gardener’s holiday gift list
Where does this tradition of giving someone an innocent (or not-so-innocent) peck on the cheek whenever you find yourselves beneath the mistletoe come from? And just what is mistletoe anyway? Continue reading Norse Legend Leads to Christmas Tradition
BearlyGrowing 