Wildflower Seeds by Sandy Swegel For gardeners foolish enough to live where winter takes hold and the ground freezes, the time between first frost and last frost can be very long. Some gardeners are wise enough to welcome the break from the work of the garden and enjoy the natural flow of the seasons. Others […]
Wildflower Seeds by Sandy Swegel In the last post, I talked about Grandma’s method for making rose bushes. Today, I have a method for peonies taught by my older friend’s great-grandmother who was born in the 19th century. It’s not a method I’ve been able to find on the internet but it is VERY reliable. […]
Wildflower Seeds by Sandy Swegel This is going to be a short post because it only takes moments to act now to have free rose bushes growing in your yard next spring. No lights, heaters, no fussing. The internet often calls this method of rose propagation “Grandma’s Mason Jar Method” because it’s how pioneer […]
Wildflower Seeds by Sandy Swegel Fall is a great time for birds and bears. Gardens and natural areas are full of seeds and berries for getting the calories needed for winter. Pollinators like bees, flies, butterflies, moths and insects need nectar and pollen food sources. When I was in the foothills this weekend I noticed […]
Certified Organic Seeds We think of maple leaves when we think of Fall color, but berries that ripen in the Fall offer vivid color that lasts well into winter. They also provide food for birds and small mammals when there’s not much else to eat in winter. Words cannot adequately describe the wild colors you’ll […]
All About Apples by Sandy Swegel Two things I learned about apples this year. Reduce codling moths in your trees. A few years ago, I started following the advice of a local organic farmer to pick up the bad apples under my apple trees. I’ve always left them there to compost in place or waited […]
Colchicums by Sandy Swegel Colchicums! These huge flowers of Fall are still some of my absolute favorite flowers that I look forward to each year. They grow with virtually no attention and have thrived in a shady, pretty dry hosta garden that lacks color so much of the year. It’s been seven years since I […]
Gardening Tips by Sandy Swegel Powdery mildew had a grand time in my garden this year. I often have a nonchalant attitude to it growing on a few leaves and don’t mind a little bit. But it started early this year on roses, then showed up on the bee balms and finished out the season […]
Wildflower Seeds by Sandy Swegel The number one reason, of course, is because hummingbirds love Agastache. I was trying to pull a few weeds yesterday and at least three different hummingbirds were dining on the Agastache blooms…with one dive-bombing me to get me out of “their” territory. As I enjoyed the late afternoon sun amid […]
Gardening Tips by Sandy Swegel We’ve had a bunny explosion the last few years. Population growth has been so pronounced that just walking around the neighborhood in the morning I see at least two bunnies per front yard. The problem with bunnies is that they make babies like crazy and each bunny eats a lot […]
