The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook by Susan Mulvihill (Cool Springs Press $26.99) is a book that will be useful to experienced as well as beginners in the garden. First there is information about the whys and hows of organic gardening. The brief beginning reminds us that that it is vital to pay attention to the needs of the soil including the needed organic fertilizers for healthy growth of your plants. The dangers of herbicides and insecticides are clearly…

With The First Time Gardener: Growing Plants and Flowers by Sean and Allison McManus ($29.99 Cool Springs Press) new or new-ish gardeners will find lots of information about working in the garden. During this long pandemic year many of us have taken another look at our back yards and our gardens. So much of our chores around town, and pleasures with our friends have been put aside during these long, sometimes lonely months. Starting a garden or taking…

Husband working in the new Stroll Garden - Native trees and plants for bees, birds, butterflies (July photo) Earth Day, an event born in 1970, is a day that encourages us to take stock of the way we live. This year the Earth Day organizers  have named the theme Restore Our Earth.  "Workshops, panel discussions, and special performances will all focus on Restore Our Earth™ — we’ll cover natural processes, emerging green technologies, and innovative thinking that can…

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day is finally showing off some of the early spring bloomers. Grape hyacinths are such vigorous plants that I have divided them and moved some to the other side of the garden, and given a couple of clumps to friends. They are amazing plants, with foliage that waits for the flowers all winter long. I bought about 100 Mary Gay Lirette daffodils last fall. My intention was to create a river of the same daffodils…

Last fall I wasn't thinking about National Gardening Day, but I was thinking I wanted more early flowers. The answer was 100 daffodils to create a daffodil river in front of my rose bushes, who won't give me bloom for two more months. Actually, I didn't know anything about National Gardening Day until it jumped up on my computer. Thank you computer! I think April 14th is definitely the day that wakes us up and says it's time…

Hydrangeas are  the first shrub we thought of when we bought our Greenfield house. It would provide privacy between us and the house next to us, and it  would  take up a lot of room. It was a major part of our garden plan to include plants that would not need a lot  of work. However every shrub will need some work and pruning is the major need of hydrangeas.  We planted three hydrangeas, Limelight, Angels Blush, and…