Search results

I planted Blue Lake pole beans along a 6' high wire fence. They are planted in composted horse manure and shavings and were planted on May 6. Today the vines are so thick I cannot find the wire fence under them. They LOOK gorgeous BUT there is not a single bean on any of the plants. Not a...

I'm hoping someone can give me some insights on what is going wrong with my flowers. As you may remember, I bought about half a dozen different varieties of flower seeds for a deck garden: different kinds of zinnias, marigolds, geraniums, petunias, and morning glories. I started them under...

This winter was the worst in 35 years according to the local weather guy. I believe him. While my fruit trees are blossoming, they are only putting out a few on each branch. In previous years the blossoms would be so heavy you could not see the branches. Not this year. Even the ornamental...

My latest venture into raised beds I did a bit differently than before. This time I laid down black plastic, then added the wood sides, and finally filled it up with the offal from my horse stalls. I added 10# of lime and 5# of bone meal and stirred it in. Then I covered the whole thing with...

Does anybody know which varieties of lavender to plant when I want to use them to distill essential oils? Which are the most aromatic varieties? Since I already have a steam distillery setup and the essential oils online are so very expensive, I think I'll plant some and try making my own. I...

The sun is shining. The temp is hovering in the 60s. The birds are singing up a storm. Baby, Spring is finally HERE! I think I feel this way every Spring--like I am launching a great new adventure. I'm all excited and eager to start. Everything looks fresh and enticing on paper and THIS...

Breaks my heart but my 2 climbing Peace roses do not appear to have survived this rotten winter we've had. Too much cold and too much rain, I'm thinking. They anchored the 2 ends of the bed across the front of my house, where there is going to be a very pronounced vacancy once I take them out...

Can anyone point me to a reliable source of instruction on how to do this? I've tried a couple of times but each time my seed was moldy by the next spring. I am planning an herb garden and think it would be neat to be able to save my seed from year to year. That way I could expand my...

TOTALLY dumb question here: I've never had any tea except the commercial/bought-in-the-store kind BUT I just ordered Park's herbal tea collection to grow this year. How do I get it off the bush/plant and into the cup? Does it need to be dried first? Grind it up or use it whole? And anything...

For 5 years now I have not been able to use the TONS of horse manure we generate around here for my garden, where it really belongs. That is because of bermuda grass seeds from the hay we feed being passed into the manure. No matter how well I composted it, the seeds still sprouted. Well, I...

Other than using garlic to lower blood pressure, I confess I know nothing about medicinal herbs. But I'd like to learn! Can anyone recommend a good book that will tell me about medicinal herbs I can grow in my own garden--how to grow them, dry them, prepare them for use, and what to use them...

Is there a difference? The carpenter bees got so bad here and did so much damage to the frame of my deck that I had to kill them to save the deck. It broke my heart to do so, but I need that deck--it leads to my front door. Now I've been hearing that folks are using mason bees for pollination...

I am really not the best at designing color schemes but I want to "design" my front deck with a blend of peachy tones and I am having a hard time picking the last color. I want hanging baskets of petunias (2) of Petunia "Flambe": I want zinnias in the 2 window boxes and thought that this...

I am about to place my seed order and am wondering which way to go. Do the rest of you have trouble with Gurney's seeds or is it just me and something I am doing wrong? I seem to have much better luck with Park's seeds. Is it maybe location? I'm in Alabama and Park's in SC. I don't know...

Well, the sleet is still falling. The whole day is wet and nasty. What better time to start thinking about next year's garden? I'm looking for recommendations and opinions on tomatoes and corn. I'm kinda leaning toward the new Whopper Improved from Park and maybe Sugar Buns for my main corn...

It was bad enough when the deer got the blackberries. At least they left me the blackberry bushes. Enter my grandson who decided to be helpful and, without my even having to ask, took the string trimmer and trimmed the bases of all the trees around my garden. Everything looks spiffy. Except...

Last year I planted 3 Arapaho blackberries along the outside of my dogs yard fence. They really took hold and put out lots of new canes last year. This year those canes were just full to overflowing with berries and I have watched with bated breath as they slowly ripened. I have had visions...

Okay, this is my THIRD year battling this infernal stuff. The first year it attacked my Bartlett pear, which hasn't produced a pear since. Last year it hit my apples, Red Delicious and Granny Smith. Both trees bloomed this year. I sprayed like crazy with a fire blight spray. Granny lost...

I adore apricots. The local extension agent told me they don't grow in Alabama, but of course I had to try anyhow. I ordered a dwarf Wilson from Stark. Last spring it leafed out beautifully and was such a gorgeous little tree...until August. We had back-to-back days of 100 degrees. I...

I tried Thompson and Flame when I first got here, mainly because they were the only varieties available locally so I figured they must grow here, right? Wrong. They froze out that first winter. So next I planted one each of seedless Concord, Marquis, and Reliance. Got some leaves last year...