This is a great time to start thinking about starting seeds. Seed packets will tell you to start six to eight weeks before your average last frost date for tomatoes and peppers. Some people will tell you mid-April is our last frost date. I’ll remind you that last year we had frost after the first … Read more
As I was going through the seed racks here to pick out a few favorites to start indoors in a couple of weeks, I decided to do a blog on my favorite varieties. Two words you need to know first—determinate and indeterminate. A determinate tomato is a BUSH—it produces a large crop in a shorter … Read more
Outside If you have any flowers, trees, or shrubs in pots, do remember to check them for water every week or so—you may not need to water, but at least check them. We have dry spells even in winter. This especially holds true for plant in pots under overhangs or on covered porches (rain doesn’t … Read more
This Thursday, January 5th, is National Bird Day, so let’s talk about feeding them. Because there aren’t many insects available over the winter, most of the birds that winter here are seed eaters. Some seeds are better than others, however. Seeds and nuts with a higher fat content are best for winter feeding—black oil sunflower … Read more
When it comes to winter, people’s opinions seem to fall into one of two camps—“Bring it on—the more, the better,” or, “When’s the next plane to Florida?” My oldest son falls into the first camp. I don’t think he’ll be totally satisfied until we get at least three feet of snow. He’s been to Mount … Read more
This Wednesday, December 21st, is the Winter Solstice—the shortest day of the year; the first official day of Winter—Yule. The days, which have been getting shorter and shorter each day since the Summer Solstice, now will begin getting longer by a minute or two each day (YAY!). South of the Equator, you understand, it is … Read more
Paperwhites are members of the daffodil family, believe it or not. They’re native to the Mediterranean, however, so we can’t grow them in our yards. They do force easily and quickly inside, though. All you need are a few pebbles and a watertight container. You can get inventive and use almost any container that will … Read more
Have you gotten a poinsettia for your mantle? Maybe someone has given you a beautiful amaryllis to enjoy? So what do you do with them when they finish blooming? Throw them away? Not so fast! Here’s a quick guide on how to care for these Holiday beauties. How to Care For Your Holiday Plants Poinsettias … Read more
One of the plants you’ll see almost everywhere this time of year is Christmas/Thanksgiving/Holiday cactus. So here is what you need to know about these beautiful seasonal bloomers. Did You Know…. Holiday cacti are a small genus of plants called Schlumbergera. They are native to a small area in the coastal mountains of south-eastern Brazil, … Read more
The Amaryllis family—the Amaryllidaceae—is a wide and varied group, including the wild Amaryllis (Amaryllis Belladonna), our Christmas amaryllis (reclassified as Hippeastrum), as well as Narcissus (yes, daffodils!), tiny little snowdrops, agapanthus (Lily-of-the-Nile), alliums (onions, garlic, and ornamental onions), clivia, crinum (Cape Lilies) among others. Most of these are bulbs needing a dormant period at some … Read more
