Posted in Landscape, Garden on Jul 31st, 2007 1 Comment »
Yeah … so last night I pulled the truck into the driveway. My turn appears to have been a teensy bit too wide.
Crunch!
I suppose that’s the risk of planting flowers right next to the driveway … and of being a bad driver.
The flowers might recover, but my pride is fatally wounded. Ugh!
Posted in Garden on Jul 30th, 2007 No Comments »
Betty Green in North Carolina got her mystery plant identified, and she wanted to let us all know what she found out. Thanks Betty!
Hi , since I e-mailed you about this flower, I have had a lady that knew a lady that would know and sure enough she did. It is a Mexican Shell Flower, Tigridia Pavonia, and it comes in lots of colors. … … continued »
Posted in Landscape, Lawn on Jul 27th, 2007 No Comments »
FYI for anybody who lives north of Boston:
Salem Sound Coastwatch, in conjunction with the Greenscapes North Shore Coalition, is sponsoring a free workshop on “Lawn Care Basics,” Wednesday, Aug. 1 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Danvers Senior Center, 25 Stone Street, Danvers.
The purpose of the workshop is to teach people the fundamentals of how to have a beautiful lawn with a minimum amount of effort using no chemicals. The presentations will be appropriate … continued »
Posted in Landscape, Garden on Jul 26th, 2007 No Comments »
My Yard Dirt column this week was about mulch and how I’m suffering now with weeds because I didn’t put down fresh mulch in the spring.
Carole Gura, a master gardener in Salisbury, Mass. and all-around gardening guru, called to make a suggestion.
Rather than have a mountain of mulch delivered to your driveway — a scary prospect when you have a one-car garage and nowhere to park if mulch blocks the door — she suggest … continued »
Posted in Garden on Jul 25th, 2007 No Comments »
Does this flower look familiar to anybody?
A blog reader is looking help with identification:
This is a bulb flower that I planted in my flower garden. It took about 2 years to make a bloom and this year I have an orange one. I bought the bulbs and have missed writing down what kind they are. Can you help me put a name to this beautiful flower that blooms … continued »
Posted in Uncategorized on Jul 24th, 2007 No Comments »
We just got back from a long weekend out of town, and the zucchini was out of control. I picked a bunch right before we left, hoping to avoid the mega-huge zukes but it didn’t matter. Here are the three biggest (yes, they are as long as my forearm).
Overall the garden is growing well. Thin green beans are now dangling from bushy plants. The hot pepper plants are … continued »
Posted in Garden on Jul 19th, 2007 2 Comments »
I called the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s free HortLine yesterday for advice about coaxing better blooms out of a passion flower.
Adele Keohan, a master gardener intern, looked up the passion flower and had these general tips to share:
Plant the passion flower in spring, with compost in the hole. Make sure the site has well-drained soil and partial to full sun.
Fertilize the plant with a 10-5-20 fertilizer in early spring and again eight weeks later.
Keep the … continued »
Posted in Uncategorized on Jul 17th, 2007 2 Comments »
OK, folks, here’s a test for any green thumbs out there.
This is from an e-mail that arrived today from a Gloucester Daily Times reader named Marian Pallazola:
Do you know anything about Passion Flowers? I bought a plant when I was visiting my daughter out in Western Mass. I planted it in the yard and it seems the flowers only bloom for one day and then they close up forever. The flower is … continued »
Posted in Lawn on Jul 16th, 2007 No Comments »
I mow my own lawn and, as you can see, I’m not the only female in the family to take on this traditionally male task.
This is my niece Lucy, 4 months old, pushing her mommy, Anna, and their new lawn toy.
Lucy and I are not the only ladies in our family who mow. Lucy’s great-grandmother still mows her own lawn, and if you’ve seen the lawns in rural … continued »
Posted in Garden on Jul 13th, 2007 1 Comment »
This morning on the treadmill I read a really interesting article in Discover Magazine called, “Is Dirt the New Prozac?”
It’s about how dirt — or more specifically, a certain type of bacteria in dirt called Mycobacterium vaccae — seems to put people in a good mood. In this particular study, ground up bacteria injected into mice seemed to alleviate depression.
My favorite part of the story is this quote:
The results so far suggest that simply … continued »
Julie has been chronicling her lawn adventures and mishaps since 2005 in a weekly column called Yard Dirt, which appears (More...)