Up from the RootsGardening
Can California Poppies take a little shade?
Plant questions and answers! This week: Can California poppies stand a little shade? Here are my thoughts…
While I haven’t specifically tried to grow California Poppies in partial shade, I think that you could probably get away with it. California poppies tend to be pretty tenacious and will grow in some [...]
Can pansies grow in a window box?
Plant questions and answers! This week: Can pansies grow in a window box? Here’s what I think…
For the most part, I would say YES! Pansies tend to be a great windowbox plant. Of course, not every windowbox is alike. In short, if you have a sheltered windowbox, pansies make an [...]
Growing Corn or Corny Joke?
Photo: Corn Ears
While I’ve tried (half-heartedly) to grow corn in the past, each harvest has been less than exciting. You reap what you sow… and in this case it is true in the literal sense: Each ear had so few kernels that I didn’t even think they’d be worth the [...]
Lettuce… Fail. Forget-Me-Nots… Succeed!
It's a row of lettuce, oh wait… I mean dirt.
Well, you win some; you lose some. And for me this spring, that’s definitely true.
To put it simply, my try at a raised lettuce row failed miserably. I’m pretty sure that I planted directly into the ground too early. [...]
Planning a block party—a soil block party, that is
How to save space, use less plastic, and grow better seedlings using soil blocks.
Tray of soil blocks
This summer I have discovered something that’s going to change my greenhouse forever: Soil blocks!
One of my friends, Jason Beam, who also happens to be the guru of soil block gardening at pottingblocks.com, sent [...]
Teasie Peasies
This year we had a very early warm streak, so despite my better judgment, I planted my peas during the last week of February. And, lo, it did freeze not more than a week later. Luckily the sprouts hadn’t emerged from the ground yet.
Generally, after about a week and a [...]
The Trouble With Lawn
I am torn. My favorite gardens are the ones that contain flowers, shrubs, fruits and vegetables of all kinds, mixed and matched together with absolutely no grass at all. In fact, I tend to really relate to the “food, not lawns” campaign. However, I do like to have a little [...]
These Raspberries are Giving Me the Creeps!
A year ago last spring I planted four raspberry plants in a desolate corner of the yard. I amended the poor soil with lots of peat, compost and fertilizer, worked it up really well, planted the starts two feet apart and planted them deep. I must have done everything right [...]
Training and Containing Tomatoes
Six ways to give your tomato plants some support.
Mid summer is ripening on the vine! The tomato plants are bursting with green tomatoes and maybe even have a few ripe ones. They’re hitting a growth spurt, putting on new growth and new flower clusters right and left. If you haven’t [...]
Wanted ASAP: Tomato Sweaters!
Tomatoes love to be warm. Here are some ways to build your own bell cover, row cover or temporary greenhouse on the cheap and keep those tasties toasty.
I love tomatoes…. I love growing them and eating them fresh off the vine. My 5-year-old calls them “sports candy” and eats them, [...]
