One of the most important things we can do in our gardens is to keep weeds out of our garden beds. Weeds can crowd plants and force them to compete for water and nutrients. When a plant is “fighting” to stay alive, they have less energy to put towards things like growing and blooming. Weeds … Read more
PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT This year, we’re celebrating Earth Day on Tuesday, April 22nd. It is the one day that we highlight the need to be kind to our environment. Earth Day is all about connecting with nature, protecting our environment, and supporting all our friends who we share Earth with every day. Our friends are … Read more
I heard the term Green Deserts from a long-time customer at The Great Big Greenhouse. She was bemoaning the fact that she had a yard full of flowers, yet saw almost no bees or butterflies. She said she thought it was because she lived in the middle of a green desert. My Green Desert I … Read more
NOW IS THE TIME TO PLAN Spring is now officially here. April is the first full month of spring. Our temperature is warming. As of this writing our soil temperature is warming up as well. As we get farther into April and we warm more consistently then our butterflies will become more noticeable and more … Read more
I’m forever trying to get an earlier tomato. I start my seeds indoors no later than the middle of March. Lacking a greenhouse or cold-frame, I start them indoors in a sunny window in my spare bedroom and have nice sized transplants ready to plant outside—but when? Most people say our last frost is around … Read more
SPRING IS IN THE AIR Finally, April has arrived. March was good to us this year. We had some cold days and nights, but it was winter. Conversely, we had some very nice warm days as well. The bottom line is that March was kind to us gardeners—unlike the other winter months. This year is … Read more
Over the years, I’ve learned some weird, wacky, and strange facts about plants, so I thought I’d share some with you. Did you know that some of our favorite fruits are related to roses? That’s right—apples, peaches, pears, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, and almonds are all members of the rose family! That broccoli you had … Read more
WAYS TO ATTRACT MORE BIRDS, BEES, AND MANY OTHER BENEFICIAL INSECTS There is a definite connection between birding, beneficial insects, and gardening. This connection is called native plants. Over the past few years, there has been an increasingly popular gardening trend of being more connected with nature and appreciating nature in our landscape. Have you … Read more
So, this past Thursday was the Spring Equinox! What does that mean for your garden? Important – Keep This in Mind We must remember that our last REGULAR frost here is usually between April 9th and April 20th. However, according to the National Weather Service, we got down to 32 degrees five years ago on … Read more
THIS IS THE TIME TO PLAN YOUR STRATEGY It’s early March now. February was a cold and wet month that kept most of us out of our gardens. Now is the time to consider how you can be a part of this growing gardening trend. This trend is simple on paper – REDUCE YOUR LAWN … Read more
