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The Dirt

Ask Me Anything

Gardening Tips by Sandy Swegel Ask me Anything About gardening that is. That’s what I tell people when I’m looking for blog ideas or a little fun. So the answer this week in the form of a question was from my friend Jim: “Why do sunflowers follow the sun but then all die facing the […]

Bees Sleep

Gardening Tips by Sandy Swegel One evening near dusk in the garden, a gardening friend’s inquisitive granddaughter asked: “Where do bees sleep?”  This obvious question brought on a googling frenzy.  We could guess that honey bees might sleep in the hive. But what about the 4000 species of native solitary bees?  Hive-dwelling honey bees are […]

Seven reasons to grow Agastache

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 […]