Beauty in Burlap

September 15, 2011

When my husband and I remodeled a year ago, I carved out a perfect office and workshop area in a single car garage. With the addition of our new master bedroom wing, it created this small, private, very intimate garden room which I can look out and access from my office and workshop. I planted [...]

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Herb Garden a la Wine Barrels

August 23, 2011

This spring I created a small herb garden in a quiet, sunny, protected corner next to my barn using vintage wine barrels. I borrowed this concept, modifying it slightly, from Rosalind Creasy’s, Edible Landscaping book. This is a terrific book for incorporating more edibles in your landscaping. Rosalind has a whole chapter on “Designing With [...]

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Zucchetta Tromba D’Albenga Squash

August 9, 2011

Vertical gardening is a hot trend right now, and an easy way to grow one of my favorite squashes, the climbing Zucchetta Tromba D’Albenga. No more space in your garden, try planting your seeds at the base of a fence or an arbor. It is a multifaceted squash, beautiful in it’s vining fashion and prolific [...]

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Garden Bloggers Gather

July 28, 2011

What do garden bloggers like better than writing about gardening and plants? They like gathering in verdant places like Seattle, The Emerald City, experiencing new gardens. and joining the “sisterhood of garden bloggers” across the country. Okay, there were a few fellas in the mix, too. This year’s garden blogging conference, dubbed Seattle Fling, was [...]

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Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Arugula

July 20, 2011

It seems like the simplest recipes are the best, especially when it comes to tantalizing summer flavors. I recently found in my “recipe archives” a recipe I had saved from The New York Times, July 2008, by Martha Rose Shulman, Recipes for Health, Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Arugula. This recipe is easy, simply delicious, [...]

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Chicken Coop Photo Contest Winners 2011

July 13, 2011

  The Slater Family in Claremont, California, takes First Place in this year’s VGG Chicken Coop Photo Contest. This is a classy chicken coop with darling storybook details. Not only is this an incredibly cute chicken coop, it is well designed. You can easily see where the eggs are collected and where their hens have their [...]

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Magnolia “Little Gem” Tree

July 6, 2011

One of my favorite trees is the evergreen Magnolia grandiflora Little Gem. I love it’s shiny green and brown foliage as much as it’s magnificent white 5-6″ blossoms. It is perfection. This bee was so happy, I could of sworn it was dancing. The Magnolia Little Gem is a dwarf Southern Magnolia with dark green [...]

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Find at the Fair

June 23, 2011

Strolling through this year’s San Diego County Fair garden exhibits, I happened upon this ground cover perfection, Calandrinia spectabilis, or Rock Purslane. Aptly deserved, it was awarded “Noteworthy Plant” recognition. Calandrinia spectabilis is a stunning evergreen shrub with succulent gray-green foliage. It is jaw-dropping spectacular in mass. Not only does it have a wonderful foliage [...]

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Rhubarb Rules

June 9, 2011

Not everyone loves rhubarb. It seems like there are two types of people in this world. Those who love rhubarb, and those who don’t. I fall into the category of loving rhubarb. I look forward to baking with it in the spring, picked fresh from my garden. I keep it in a tucked away place [...]

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Sally Holmes Rose Envy

May 28, 2011

I’ve got “Sally Holmes” rose envy. One of my favorite roses, Sally Holmes is a great country rose charmer and it’s flowers remind me of multiple bridal bouquets bursting with happiness. I have a climbing Sally Holmes rose which I adore, but I have never seen a Sally Holmes rose as happy as the one [...]

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