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Garden Reports and Rejoicing – November 15 We’ve had two very hard frosts at Poison Ivy Acres, but a couple of plants continue to flower as if it was August. The asters may have a few feeble flowers, and the feverfew offers a blossom or two, but Lobularia Snow Princess, and Nicotiana mutabilis are in full, [...]
Garden Reports and Rejoicing – October 31 There was a first, hard frost last night and although the perennials still look pretty good the annuals are blackened, wilted and sad. I’m glad that I went out and picked dahlias, zinnias and peppers last night. The summer bloomer’s party is over, and it’s time to move [...]
Garden Reports and Rejoicing – September 30 Today was one of those wonderful fall days: warm but not humid, with all the landscape refreshed from yesterday’s rain. We savor such weather at this time of year, knowing that the mild temperatures, and the plants that continue to thrive, won’t be around much longer. As I [...]
Garden Reports and Rejoicing – September 19 When I got back to the house today I found the flock of turkeys making themselves at home. They were bedded down in the field between the house and the lake, and they sat on lawn furniture up near the house. When I went out to water the [...]
Report From An Opinionated Gardener – November 2 I picked the last bouquet of dahlias today. The foliage was already shriveled from a light frost on Sunday night, and it’s supposed to get even colder tonight. I picked some of the last greens from the garden for our salad, and cooked up the beets that [...]
Report From An Opinionated Gardener – October 28 Yesterday the swamp maple (Acer rubrum) in the back of my house was ablaze with yellow leaves. Today, half of those leaves are gone and those that remain are withered and edged with brown. Yesterday my heart was lifted by how golden the landscape was…today, not so [...]
Report From An Opinionated Gardener – October 23 After I finished GardenLine and packed up my headphones this morning, I passed the folks who were coming in to do the real estate program on WXTK. One of their guests commented that she knew that gardeners hate the fall. I’m sure she was just making friendly [...]
Report From An Opinionated Gardener – October 11 Every gardener should leave his or her garden for a week once in awhile. If you’ve gone on vacation during the growing season, you’ll know what I’m talking about when I say that things change so much in just seven days. In a short time some plants [...]
Report From An Opinionated Gardener – September 19 I want my 30-year old body back. Yes, I know that this is absolute folly, but as I struggle with hip pain and thyroid issues, I can’t help but wish I could wave a magic wand and make this happen. One of my promotional postcards contains a [...]
Report From PIA – November 24th There are still many plants in the garden that I normally would have cut back long ago, but there they are, a testament to my procrastination. This morning, I decided that I’m glad that I haven’t cleared them out. I like the colorful, messy mix of yellowing leaves, final [...]
