Add the relaxing sound of running water to your garden by making a unique creative fountain yourself. Even the simplest of water features can make a bold statement and turn your landscape into something special. Flowing water appeals to our senses while creating a calming atmosphere. One variation, perfect for a focal point near an [...]
Garden
Gardening isn’t a hobby people are as scared of anymore. The knowledge required for it is now obtainable for anyone thanks largely to books and the internet. Though it often isn’t handed down from mother to daughter or father to son like it was in the past, it has re-geared and changed to fit the [...]
Imagine you have spent all afternoon in the hot sun, bent over weeding your garden. Your back is protesting and your sunburned body pleads to stay inside. Although I love gardening, I’m not fond of the maintenance and backaches. In the past I have made raised garden beds from wood, which looked unsightly after a [...]
The backyard was sunlit in the early morning, falling into shade in the early afternoon; you could hear the distant swing sets and the children laughing while they played. Those children were probably very close to my age at the time, yet I knew that in this backyard I had it better. The greenhouse was [...]
Wake your garden from winter’s sleep. Buds swell and blossom, red breasts of robin. A sniffle, a sneeze hoping the tomatoes can stand the late freeze. Fresh, frenzy, bulbs in bloom; no other time of year could ever come too soon. Rain drops on the tulip tops, birth, birds, handle with care. Earth awaking, and [...]
In tribute to the most famous and beloved holiday plant, here are some fun facts and ways to take care of your poinsettias: • Poinsettias were introduced into the U.S. in 1825 by Joel Poinsett. • There are over 100 varieties of poinsettias available. • The showy colored parts of poinsettias that most people think [...]
While snow covers the ground, gardeners take their craft indoors. There is something special about being a gardener during the season in which Jack Frost has his hand in your garden. What a great feeling it is opening your front door to a vista of fresh fallen snow on the evergreen shrubs that sculpt your winter [...]
Autumn is the most spiritual time of year as the earth is caught between the life of summer’s past and the winter’s rest ahead. Almost magically, the trees reach up and grab the sunset sky, steal the color and, for a while, heaven becomes part of our earth. Without these great conductors of magic, autumn [...]
Last Sunday, I sat under the canopy of a Canada red chokecherry in the northwest corner of our backyard in southern Idaho as a slight breeze made the branches lazily wander back and forth, almost following the rhythm of my thoughts. The ground was moist and the encompassing plants were happy to have me for [...]
Fruit trees can be an attractive and functional addition to your landscape. If you take care of the tree, it will be around for many, many years to bare fruit, save you money at the grocery store and give your garden some shade and beauty. Here are a few tips on giving your new fruit [...]
