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CafeMom Daily Buzz: Home & Garden
Photo from Pete Dungey Pothole gardens! Now that's what the world needs.Found this lovely bit of inspiration from British artist Pete Dungey via Cup of Jo. Mr. Dungey plants small flower and plant gardens in potholes. How nice! I always enjoy projects that make an eyesore a thing of beauty....
Weeknight Speed Cleaning: 30 Minutes to a Cleaner Home
Save the mopping, vacuuming, or other deep cleaning for the weekend (or every third weekend if you're like me). It's time to do a weeknight speed clean. Here's how to make your home feel cleaner in just 30 minutes, which will open up more family time on the weekend.Make your home...
Coffee at Home on a Sunday: YESSSSS...
Hello Darkness, My Old Friend print by Standard Design Not sure how I ever had a to-go coffee addiction because now I love nothing more than a fresh cup of coffee at home. Especially on a Sunday!Hello darkness, my old friend, indeed! Hope you have a cup of something warm in your...
Happy Your Closet: Rainbow Order
Photo by Sheri Reed Now that I admitted to seeking natural highs from closet decluttering, I think it's okay to admit to color-coordinating my clothes in coordinance with the rainbow spectrum.It's true. The hanging clothes in my closet are organized from red to violet with black on one ened and gray,...
Snow Hurricane Survival: 10 Indoor Activities for a Happy Winter Home
Photo by Peajewel Snow hurricane!!! Is your outdoor world currently being buried by a giant white kerplunk of snow? Well, just because there's a near winter white snow blizzard outside doesn't mean it can't be sunny indoors.You can either worry and fret and sulk or tantrum about the snow catastrophe going on...
How to Get High Cleaning Your Closet
Photo by Sheri Reed Yep, high as a kite from decluttering my closet and nothing more. This is good stuff. It's all natural. C'mon and take a hit...I love to organize, sort, and purge my things. It makes me happy. I've known this since I was a girl — something about...
Gardening Tips 'n' Ideas
The Changing Garden: Practically Speaking
Here's what I did to change our garden this weekend....
The Changing Garden: Practically Speaking
Here's what I did to change our garden this weekend....
Growing a Beurre Bosc Pear Tree
Here's ahow to grow your own Bosc Pear tree....
Growing a Beurre Bosc Pear Tree
Here's ahow to grow your own Bosc Pear tree....
What is the Best Grass for Dogs?
Finding the best grass for dogs is quite simple - just look for something that grows quick and could easily survive a nuclear holocaust!...
What is the Best Grass for Dogs?
Finding the best grass for dogs is quite simple - just look for something that grows quick and could easily survive a nuclear holocaust!...
Homely Capers
After watching the tops go yellow for a week, today was the day to do the big harvest. Who would have thought that four months had passed since the build stage of the potato tower? Above you can see the yellowing stalks and leaves, a sure sign that things are coming...
In December I started two tomato plants growing as seeds in Jiffy pots. After having them crop prolifically for many months, they were left to the elements and mealy bugs. They haven’t had any water, love or attention since March, and now being the end of July there are two...
We are now half way into the dry season in the top end of Australia. Even though we have not seen a cloud for months, growth in the garden has slowed significantly due to the shorter days and lower sun intensity. The arrowroot received a severe pruning after the caterpillar...
We’ve all read the headlines, watched the business channel, listened to the radio reports for nearly twelve months and all we have heard is lines like “unprecedented downturn in the economy”, “economy set for biggest losses since great depression” Blah Blah Blah… For those of us who have not been made...
Since the birth of this blog there have been some mentions of my family, so here they all are (except my wife, she’s shy… that’s what she says anyway…) Maggie, or Margret when she’s in trouble, is a three year old cat. Not sure what kind of genetic line she comes...
What do you get when you cross a tank full of fish and a vegetable garden? You get a very productive food producing system called Aquaponics! Over the weekend I ducked down to my local nursery and ordered a Balcony Kit aquaponics setup. I wish I had the balcony to put it...
The Dirt
How Do You Know If Green Building Products Really Are Green?
How do you know whether a green building product really is green? How should this be measured – should carbon miles traveled be used, or levels of toxic compounds? How should green be defined — is it about green manufacturing processes, or GHG emissions? How do we avoid green washing? These questions were asked in the National Building...
Field Operations Will Design Santa Monica Town Square
James Corner and Field Operations won the design competition to design Santa Monica’s new Town Square and Palisades Garden Walk (see earlier post on the competition). According to The Architect’s Newspaper, the seven-acre park will connect the city’s Civic Center with the rest of Santa Monica. Barbara Stinchfield, Santa Monica’s Director of Community and Cultural Services said Field...
In an interview with Metropolis’ POV blog, Jan H. De Jager, a Dutch civil engineer and dike and dam expert, finds fault in New Orleans’ new coastal and storm management system and discusses how “soft coastal engineering” is more effective than vertical walls in combatting sea level rise. De Jager says the current reconstruction...
New International Criminal Court Headquarters: “An Abstract Sculpture in the Landscape”
Bustler writes that schmidt hammer lassen architects has won the international design competition for the new International Criminal Court (ICC) headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands. Bjarne Hammer, creative director and co-founder of the winning firm, said: “The building is designed as an abstract and informal sculpture in the landscape. This way, it...
Interview with Franceso Bandarin, UNESCO World Heritage, on Cultural Landscapes
Francesco Bandarin is the Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. A recent UNESCO report on cultural landscapes says, “As soon as a territory is seen as a landscape, it bears cultural values; but these values are not necessarily outstanding and universal. Those landscapes where the interaction between people and their...
Plan to “Respectfully Rehabilitate” National Mall Moves Forward
Last week, the National Capitol Planning Commission (NCPC) gave its preliminary consent for the National Park Service’s preferred alternative plan for the National Mall, a “comprehensive framework plan” that has undergone a rigorous process of public comment. According to the Park Service, the $700 million plan has received thousands of comments to...
NYT > Home & Garden
International Real Estate: House Hunting in ... England
Surrey, a county to the southwest of London, suffered a real estate setback in 2008, after years of steady price increases. ...
Shopping With Colin Cowie: That Tabletop Glamour
Oscar’s wearing gold, and so your table should, too. Colin Cowie, a New York event planner, shopped for accessories for an Academy Awards viewing party. ...
Inside Out | How to Serve a Wild Martini
Martinis are sophisticated, and need to be accessorized accordingly. ...
In Poland, Lodz’s property values rose at a slower pace than those in other major cities like Warsaw and Krakow. ...
International Real Estate: House Hunting in ... Amsterdam
Prices in Amsterdam have come down in the last few years, even in the pricey and coveted Centrum area of town. ...
Doug Green's Blog
Two years ago in Portland at the Garden Writers Conference, I gave a short talk (it was supposed to be 8 minutes but being the last speaker and as so often happens I got 5 minutes but that’s another story.. and I digress). At this talk I went...
Heirloom Vegetable Seed Sources
Here are a few heirloom vegetable seed sources for you. I don’t think it’s all inclusive but there are enough garden seeds here to sink a ship. Let me know in the comments if I’ve missed anybody you really think I need to include (put the data...
When it comes to online publishing or online book publishing or online-darn-near-anything, the first thing you have to really understand is how the Net basically works. The first-level problem as I see it is that many writers who want to establish an online presence or companies that want...
Bird House in the Perennial Garden
I love classic birdhouses and I particularly like them when they’re tucked into big, blowsy gadens. This is one of my favorites. Related posts:Not Your Basic Bird House I love simple, home-made birdhouses with character. But I also... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin. Related posts:Not Your...
We’re puppy-sitting for daughter #1 and in the process, I’m learning quite a bit about the difference between a Doug and a Dog. On the surface of course there’s a single vowel separating the two of us. But that is only the tip of the iceberg. If we look...
One of the life-lessons I had confirmed last week was that a great many writers want a safe and guaranteed job. I posted about needing somebody to start a business and provide a gardening editorial service and got quite a few emails from people asking how to apply for...
Kiss my Aster!
IPM All Lost In The Supermarket
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The Good News Or The Bad News?
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Why My Nicotianina Sylvestris Needs A Hankie...
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Garden Bliss
Just a reminder..."This year, the first-come, first served registration for the limited supplies of new Neuton cordless mowers takes place on Wednesday, March 17, beginning at 11 a.m. You can register by calling 1-888-742-SMUD (7683) or by entering your information here on smud.org (registration day only)." -- SMUDLearn More......
Sacramento Vegetable Gardening: A Very Berry Experiment -- AKA: They Stay
Who knew blueberries could cause such drama! ;-)Sacramento Vegetable Gardening: A Very Berry Experiment -- AKA: They Stay...
Edible Landscaping Workshop ALERT
(Announcement from the California Center for Urban Horticulture)Edible Landscaping A "Your Sustainable Backyard" Workshop Gardens are not just for flowers anymore! Come learn about variety choice, bed preparation, planting, and harvesting- all using sustainable practices. Learn everything you need to know to get started on producing your own...
Northern CA Home & Landscape Expo
Stopped by the Northern California Home & Landscape Expo very briefly for a meeting-- more on that later-- and snapped a few phone pics of some nifty lighting and fountains that caught my eye....
NEW BOOK! Fearless Color Gardens: The Creative Gardener's Guide to Jumping Off the Color Wheel
Brand new book by garden artist Keeyla Meadows!...
NEW BOOK! Sunset Western Garden Book of Edibles
Brand spankin' new book from Sunset. Being published by Oxmoor House (I know! Freaky!). Pre-order for February 9 release date....
Water Fountains and Relaxation
Sleep Article: Why You Need It
Dr. Lipman recommends Serenity Health for the dawn simulators and Sun Alarm Clocks...
Terracotta Solar Fountain: Buy Yours Today
The Terracotta Cascading Solar Fountain is the most popular solar fountain and is now fully stocked ready to ship to you....
Garden Wall Fountains Bring Life and Beauty
You will have your fountain hanging in minutes so be ready to sit down and enjoy the soothing sounds of your new garden wall fountain...
Adagio Wall Fountain Sale on Now
Find the perfect wall fountains for your home or office. Truly beautiful options and many sizes available, on sale now at Serenityhealth.com....
Outdoor Fountains on Sale – Kick off to Spring
Outdoor water fountains and solar fountains truly bring life to your gardens and outdoor spaces. Start getting ideas now at Serenityhealth.com....
Give your Space a New Look with a Wall Fountain
A wall fountain may be just what you need to give your inner spaces at home or the office a new look, better yet, a relaxation piece that will relax and bring a beautiful ambiance to any room it is placed....
Roses in Gardens
In late spring and summer here on the higher lattitudes on the Northern Hemisphere it is hard to find time to update a garden blog. There are so many tasks to do in the garden - so much joy and pleasure to be found in my garden. It is light...
Question about Souvenir Mme Drama Queen
Do you also read about your favorite plants on the Gardenweb Forums? I often see questions like the one I posted today - yes I know I am stretching it (a wee bit) to make the irony totally clear :-) Question About Souvenir Mme Drama Queen:Is anybody growing this...
Remember the controversy about geranium Jolly Bee and Rozanne? It has often been speculated whether the 2 plants were identical! Both are found seedlings but Rozanne was introduced some years before Jolly Bee. When I write geranium - I mean geraniums and NOT pelargoniums which are often confused in North...
I am so excited! This month I was able to rent a small plot of land nearby. Sort of a small allotment garden, that was used to grow vegetables. Only 12 yards long and 7 yards wide, surrounded by 5 feet tall ligustrum hedges. The weeds have taken over -...
Fritillaria Meleagris - Snake's Head Fritillaria
One of my favorite springflowering bulbs is Fritillaria Meleagris. Their nodding chequered Purple-brownish elegant flowers are fascinating. For some years I bought bulbs and planted them in the fall. But come spring I never saw any of them? I wondered what I did wrong, until I read that they prefer...
Few plants smell like wonderful childhood memories like violets. The native violet: Viola Odorata may be small and few pay much attention to it. But after a few weeks of bright sunny spring days a little rain is usually going to fall, and the scent of the violets is going...
Transatlantic Plantsman
How do you know if a plant is hardy?
I’ve been thinking the muddled issue of hardiness zones this week – and muddled they are indeed. These are ratings that classify plants according to the climatic conditions they’ll tolerate – in particular, how much winter cold they’ll take. Maps......
A little flurry of events coming up... 20 March (USA) Kaleidoscope of Color Garden Show Homestead Gardens, Davidsonville, MD 12pm New Perennials - lecture I’ll be presenting my look at new (and one or two undiscovered) perennials. Also featuring at......
Japanese barberry - on the march
I looked out of the window yesterday and discovered why Berberis thunbergii, the Japanese barberry, is turning up all over the place across the woods here in Pennsylvania, and elsewhere. In some areas it’s a menace. I was just putting......
Since the last snow fell - what, about a week ago - someone's been doing a job on one of our birches. I saw this in the distance across in the woods and couldn't quite see what was going on......
And about time too – we have some flowers. Quite a lot of flowers, actually – but all on the one plant. While the hellebores and snowdrops are still under a foot or more of snow, the hamamelis is in......
Great advice on macro photography - from the expert
Macro photography wizard Alan Detrick, author of Macro Photography for Gardeners and Nature Lovers , now has a series of podcasts available from his publisher, Timber Press, in which he reveals how to take great close-up images. He discusses techniques......
Doug Green's Blog
My head is whirling this week. More so than usual I’m afraid as I look at the entrails of websites – past, present and future. It’s an interesting garden publishing world out there right now and I don’t know if I can even begin to summarize it...
I’ve been sent a few pairs of MUD gloves to share with readers. So here’s the deal. Write me a poem. I don’t care if it’s a limerick – a haiku – a four-versed saga in iambic pentameter – or even doggerel. Just write me a poem. The only rule...
I’ve just finished reading and absorbing one of the most fascinating research reports in recent memory. It has to do with biodiversity – how different species all manage (or not) to live together in an environment. Traditionally, we’ve thought that an environment has a certain carrying capacity (the ability to...
Canada versus the United States
As the Olympics wind down, I think it may be interesting to point out to my US readers the essential difference between our two countries. It’s not that we like hockey and you adore baseball and football. It’s not that you’re somewhere around 300 million people and we’re...
Advanced Gardening Research Notes
I’ve just started an advanced gardening – research notes newsletter. You can get details here I’ve been asked for several years to do this kind of thing but I’ve always resisted because I’ve had other projects and this was going to take up some time to do it properly. ...
Here are a smattering of comments and my responses (sometimes tongue in cheek as normal) from my reader survey. With a response rate of 18.8 % I’m awed and flattered and slightly overwhelmed with comments and data. I’m still re-reading a lot of the comments and getting a...
Bumblebee Blog
Southern Hospitality and a Winter Garden in Davidson
Does anyone do hospitality better than Southerners? Perhaps. But I can’t think of who right now because last week I was in Davidson, NC, speaking at the Davidson Horticultural Symposium where the members of the Davidson Garden Club rolled out the red carpet. It’s very fresh in my mind. And, oh...
It’s official. Dawn over at Owl Hollow News won the Grocery Gardening drawing. Congratulations, Dawn. I hope you enjoy the book. What’s on your plate today? The weather here is sunny and at least not frigid. I’ll continue my early spring garden cleanup and also clean and repair bird houses. The...
I find this one of the most anxiety-producing times of the year in the garden. As I head outside and begin the winter cleanup, the whole summer garden thing just seems incredibly overwhelming. There’s so much to do. And I’m just one person out there. Honestly, I felt like sitting down...
Pardon me while I open the Department of Shameless Promotion. Did you know that Grocery Gardening is on not one…not two…but THREE Amazon best seller lists? The reviews (not all of them from my friends) have also been positive. (My mother is so proud!) If you don’t yet have a copy...
My lawn is a wreck. I went outside to re-fill the bird feeders—AGAIN. The parts of my lawn that don’t look like the frozen tundra resemble a swamp. With every step I take my foot sinks down at least an inch. Walking to the feeders I can see my path in...
What to Do With Too Much of a Good Thing
If you open my refrigerator door, you will see lots of fresh vegetables, skim milk, a large jar of yeast—and about 10 dozen eggs. See, my 12 hens have not taken the winter season for a holiday. They keep laying and laying and laying. The weekly menu on our refrigerator reads something...
Your Small Kitchen Garden
Start Seeds in Pots for Your Small Kitchen Garden
Starting seeds for your small kitchen garden requires very little space. I can start more than 300 seedlings on a single shelf that happens to be in my larder. These cauliflower seedlings sprouted in about three days and are thriving two inches beneath full-spectrum fluorescent tubes. In about a week...
Really? Start Seeds Indoors for Your Small Kitchen Garden?
Broccoli seedlings emerge within a few days of planting. In fact, the first time I planted broccoli seeds, I was astonished to see sprouts two days later. It’s kind of exciting to have a small garden spot in my house while snow lies on the land outside, but starting seeds...
Start Your Small Kitchen Garden from Commercial Flats?
I’d like to have one of these in my yard. It’s a commercial greenhouse about three miles from my home, and they’ve laid out row upon row of flower seedlings. Seems like a waste of resources as I’m sure no one will be eating these plants. Still, in a few...
Start Seeds in Pellets for Your Small Kitchen Garden
Four tomato seedlings grow in a single peat pellet, gazing out on the snow-covered garden while a box elder bug enjoys the garden spot of my basement. The pellet’s design begs for only one seed, but I like to plant two (this was a test-planting to confirm my seeds were...
Greatest Tip for a New Kitchen Gardener
Several garden writers I met on Twitter collaborated to create this book which asked to pose for this photo on the larder in my office. The canned goods are from last year, but the book is fresh. Follow this link to order your own copy. The best tip I offer to...
Small Kitchen Garden Seed-Starting Shelf
Before I started this simple project, my larder was a mess: two shelves of canned goods and empty jars jumbled every which-way. The lower shelf, I decided, could hold all the canned goods if I put the empty jars in boxes and stored them out of the way (actually on...