A fresh tomato and egg scramble for breakfast.

 

Cherry tomatoes are relatively easy to grow; even in container gardens.  There's simply no excuse.  Your local grocer is always an option!

It's a foggy July morning in the garden.

It's hard to believe July is here but I was greeted by fog in the garden before the sun quickly burned it off.  My favorite time of the day.

Do you have a favorite gardening sweater?

 

You'll find an absurd amount of sweaters in my closet but this one is special; it's reserved for gardening.

It's an old Irish knit.  The tag says "natural" color, meaning it hasn't been dyed.  It's fuzzy from wear but thank goodness, no one put it in the dryer before I found it!  Of course it's a consignment find from a rummage sale.  

The tag also says "handknit".  I love that about it and I think about the person who knit each and every stitch.  I wonder; did they garden too?

Visiting a field of sunflowers.

Sunflowers make

It's Earth Day! Peruse your seed catalogs and plan your garden.

Earth Day began 

The first snow of the season.

When the icy rain turned to snow

The first dahlia of the season.

Last year was the first

A foggy morning in the garden.

It's been unusually hot this summer so I didn't expect

The lupines are worth the drive.

If you've ever driven up

Snowdrops in the garden; a sure sign of Spring.

Fifty degrees out and hundreds of snowdrops....Spring is here!

Although the Winter was relatively mild, I am delighted that the first full day of Spring has arrived.

The waning Autumn garden.

The colors of fall are

Finally....some color in the garden!

Crocuses may be small but they

A walk in the garden after the rain.

I love the garden after the rain!  The way the glistening raindrops perch upon the petals and leaves is magical. 

Garden in a jar; an easy terrarium.

I have always loved terrariums.  I received my first terrarium in the 70's.  It was reminiscent of a spaceship; two plastic pieces that fit together and created a sphere.  It hung in a fabulous macrame hanger....remember macrame?  I had that well-loved terrarium until several years ago.  The plastic had yellowed and the hanger was long gone.  It was time to move on!

Terrariums are a simple way to bring some greenery into your home.  If you live in an apartment or in the city and you don't have a garden; it allows you to enjoy gardening on a very small scale.  Just follow these simple steps!

This is a favorite that I made last year.  I found the jar at a tag sale; love the "pear" shape!

This one is several years old.  I wanted you to see the unique glass bird on top of the cover.  It was made at a class that I took with Tova Martin; a garden and terrarium expert!

Begin by finding a jar.  It can be any shape or size and ideally should have a lid.  You can use plastic wrap over the top if you need to.  You can purchase a jar or container at a store that sells home goods or you can search for a unique one in an antique store.  Wash the jar thoroughly before using.  You will also need a bag of potting soil.

Purchase several plants that you know will fit into the jar.  You can find plants at your local florist or garden center.  Take the jar with you so you have a better idea of what plants to buy.

I recommend that you purchase charcoal.  If your garden center doesn't carry it, you can find it at any store carrying aquarium supplies.  The filtering quality of the charcoal will help keep the terrarium "clean".

You'll need to mix a small amount of charcoal with your potting soil depending on the size of the jar.  I used three tablespoons of charcoal for this jar.  Once you've mixed the charcoal in, add more potting soil.  Tap the bottom of the pot your plant is in and carefully tip it upside down in order to get the plant out.  If the plant is root bound (roots coming out of bottom of pot and plant stuck to pot), break up the roots a bit before planting in the terrarium.

Add additional plants one at a time being careful not to pack them too closely together.

Add extra dirt if needed.

Water your new terrarium without soaking it!  Put the lid on and you've created a small garden in a jar.  You shouldn't need to water too often as the terrarium will sustain itself.  Place in a sunny spot but avoid direct sunlight. 

The plants should thrive in this environment with very little care.

Terrariums make great gifts!

Do you have a Bleeding Heart in your shade garden?

The Bleeding Heart is one of my favorite perennial flowers.  A member of the Papaveraceae family, this delicate old-fashioned flower is an absolute must for your shade garden!

I find Bleeding Hearts to be quite hardy in a rather cold climate.  Not sure if one that I planted last year would return after such a cold winter, I bought another to replace it with.  Sure enough, last year's plant began to emerge from the cold brown soil in mid May!  The plants will grow to be fairly large if treated properly.  They do seem to like moist soil but it should drain well.  Don't plant them in direct sunlight as they thrive in the shade.

Often sharing space in the garden with mossy stepping stones and shade loving Hosta, the bleeding heart comes in many varieties and colors.  Once the blooms have gone by and the stalks turn yellow and dry, I cut the old stalks off before the heat of the summer.  Don't worry, this beautiful  flower of old will greet you again next Spring!

This red bleeding heart seems a bit more dainty than my pink one and is blooming a bit later.

The taller bleeding heart is a nice compliment to the shorter mound of hosta.

We love the pretty pink flower accented with white and a touch of yellow!  Beautiful.

White is pure and simple. 

It "glows" in the shadows of the sun.

Of course they look wonderful when loosely arranged with other garden flowers!

Visit your local garden center today.  It's not too late to find one of these gorgeous perennials.  If you happen to find one that has gone by and is marked down, good for you!  Buy it and bring it home.  Plant it as soon as possible and wait for all of the stalks to turn yellow, then trim.  You may have missed the glory of this year's blooms, but next Spring is sure to bring more!

Old houses; let's preserve our history!

 

Owning an old house is a constant labor of love.  There's always something to be done; updated or repaired. 

The Boston Flower & Garden Show

On Tuesday I had the kitchen window open while cleaning the house.  It was fifty-four degrees out and the fresh air was wonderful!  So two short days later I can't believe I'm saying this......it's snowing again!  That's why I'm so grateful we made the trek to Boston yesterday to visit the 2014 Boston Flower & Garden Show. 

The Winter Garden

The winter garden is a special garden.  Alive in it's own way.  Perhaps not as colorful as the spring or summer place but quiet and beautiful.  Peaceful.  It's a haven for many birds.  I don't cut back my perennials until the spring because there are so many birds that love them off-season.  Cardinals, woodpeckers of several varieties, blue jays, even blue birds come to feed in the garden.  Before a recent snowstorm there were over forty goldfinches feeding, while an estimated eighty robins enjoyed breakfast under the crab apple tree.  An occasional squirrel visits us and we realize they have to eat too.  I'd like to share photos of our gardens taken on various winter days over the years.

 

 

For information on how to attract birds to your garden, contact the National Audubon Society.

We may be sorry to see the winter garden fade away, but we have this to look forward to.