I am so grateful for the change of seasons. It’s not only brought striking autumn colors and cooler temperatures but also the rain! Yes, here in one of the most dangerous wildfire zones in the western United States, we’re celebrating having rain for several weeks now, which has provided quite the exhale because it is …
GardenComm recently announced their 2021 Award Winners. I was so incredibly touched to be named a Gold Winner in the Speaking category that I wanted to say a few words about how much I’ve appreciated being a part of the GardenComm Community and a few thank yous to the people who have supported me, that …
Have you ever been so swept away by the anticipation of getting your spring garden planted that you slid down the slippery slope of being overzealous and perhaps just a tad unrealistic about what you can reasonably accomplish in an afternoon? This is the time of year when we’re most apt to take chances by …
2020 will go down as one of the most extraordinary years we’ve ever experienced. Between Covid and politics, wildfires and hurricanes, I don’t know about you, but I’ll be kicking up my heels and celebrating as we say bye-bye on December 31st. Along the way, I’ve learned some amazing life lessons I want to share …
Last Sunday was a day I won’t forget for a long time. Our amazing daughter Erin and our two beautiful granddaughters drove an hour and a half just to see us for a few minutes. I heard a car horn beeping excitedly outside and there was a lot of yelling going on. Tim and I …
If you like to use a watering can, in my experience as a garden rep for nearly thirty years, the only watering can to own is made by Haws, where they’ve been expertly crafted in England, since 1886. As I’ve aged and needed to adapt my gardening practices and tools, I learned that Haws watering …
There’s nothing quite like a Hori Hori knife to get the job done. If you don’t own one yet, put it on your list when you go shopping. Every gardener who owns one loves it. The Hori Hori knife was created by gardeners in Japan, the word Hori means “to dig” in Japanese and hori-hori …
I heard about this energy-saving tool from Master Gardener Rita Bernardi, who is in a pruning guild. After a talk I did for her group, she told me about when she was first learning her new skill. Her hands were hurting terribly, so she purchased a cordless lithium battery-powered pruner and a hedge trimmer by …
Wrestling with heavy hoses is hard enough for a strong gardener, but when you have a bad back or arthritis, using and storing heavy hoses is literally a pain. All my original hoses were the wrong hoses. Maybe it was a function of what was available at the time, but still. I was always wrestling …
1. Fill each cavity halfway with the appropriate potting mix (or cactus mix, if you are planting succulents). 2. Add your plants and more soil, tamping the soil down as you plant. 3. Two or three times a week, tamp the soil down and water them thoroughly. This is where patience comes in handy—before you …