I don’t know about you, but every spring, when all the bulbs come up that I planted the prior fall, I always take inventory and see where there needs to be improvement. For example, if I see holes where there should be some bulbs coming up, I take pictures on my phone so I know where I need to add some in the fall. I also observe where this is no early spring color– which is where Hyacinths come into the picture. I noticed on my back garage wall, I have alliums on the way, but now flowers at all. However, the fence that bumps up against my neighbor’s yard is a cacophony of color and scent.

I had never realized just how beautiful smelling hyacinths where– especially when you have planted several together! Hyacinths have one of the most beautiful smells in the early spring garden. l took a mental note that I must plant hyacinths behind the garage so there can be a nice balance of color and scent throughout the garden!

About Hyacinths

Early spring flower bulb
Has a wonderful, bold scent that reaches long distances.
Comes in a variety of beautiful colors.
They are good in the garden and a container.
They are deer resistant.

This particular hyacinth to the left has black stems, making this variety to be very bold and stunning!

These low maintenance beauties should be front and center in your spring garden, that’s if you live in a gardening zone that permits bulb planting.

Because they are an early spring bloomer, they love the cooler temps that comes with that part of the season. In fact, the cooler the weather, the longer the bloom time is extended. That’s probably why they have done so well in our neck of the woods this spring… it has been a cool one for sure!

What has been your experience with hyacinths? I strongly urge everyone to add these to their garden as soon as they can!

Hyacinths Make “Scents” for your Springtime Garden

April 22, 2024 / Earth and Oils / Leave a comment

Shepard’s hooks in the garden go way beyond just hanging plants. I have also found them to be great for small climbers such as the morning glory. I discovered this after watching a random morning glory (we all know they have NO problem growing from seed), start curling and twining its way up my Shepard’s hook that had a beautiful petunia basket on top, it dawned on me that this very simple garden tool is actually way more practical than first thought!

So, if you have any small climbers that need a little more support, and you don’t want to necessarily get a trellis, I would highly recommend getting a low price-point Shepard’s hook. It adds another practical (vertical) element to the garden!

I thought this would be little “introduction” back to garden blogging. It’s been a while, and I have felt the itch to start talking about my garden and plants again!

Ode to the Shepard’s Hook

April 14, 2024 / Earth and Oils / 1 Comment

When your Globe Arborvitae starts encroaching on your neighbor’s side of the fence–what do you do? You trim it up and use the clippings as window box holiday decor! As winter creeps closer to us, remember that you can use a lot of your pruned branches, leaves, berries, seed pods, etc. as natural decor that won’t cost you a thing (Maybe a the occasional poke by a twig, but that’s it)!

This is one big globe arborvitae– I think it needs a little haircut.

Voila! Instant Holiday Charm!

The Holiday Season With All The Trimmings

November 23, 2021 / Earth and Oils / Leave a comment

Yep, one day after the Winter Solstice and we are down to three days before Christmas. Of course I would post about last minute gifts, right? Basically, I could give you a list of all the cool things you could get, and yes, I have done that before. But when it comes right down to it, all gardeners want are the basics to get the job done, am I right?!

Here are a few things that I believe are essential and practical for your gardening adventures year round.

Gloves – if there is one thing I am learning, a good pair of gloves is absolute gold. I have gone through several pairs, including a small pair that cost a dollar “just to get by” during the summer months. Though they were pretty, they did not do the job. A couple of good brands to consider are womenswork and bionic gloves.
Boots – I love a good boot for the garden, and pretty much I love rain/wellie boots for all of my gardening/outdoor adventures. The one I have been impressed with and believe they are worth every penny, are these Xtratuf® boots I purchased last year. I have done everything from clearing brush to slogging through mud and slush and they are extremely warm, comfortable and all boot.
Shovel – I don’t know about you, but the main tool I take with me every time I have yard work to do is my shovel. It helps me from bending over too much with little things like moving rocks, digging a trench, etc. I really don’t have a shovel in particular, only because people all have different preferences, and though this might seem like an odd gift, it’s a gift that only a gardener would appreciate.

Again, there are many things you can get, but these come to the top when it comes to gifts you can get last minute at a brick and mortar store and won’t disappoint. What are your number one gardening gifts?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

Last Minute Gifts for Gardeners

December 22, 2019December 22, 2019 / Earth and Oils / 1 Comment

Goodness, I went through two seasons without posting one thing! Don’t for a minute think that I haven’t been in the garden– we just had a few other things going on this year that kept me from normal blog writing.

In April, my family purchased some land with a small cabin on it– that was one of scariest things, honestly, I have could ever think of doing. The thought of all the work that had to be done was daunting, and downright terrifying. But, it ended up being one of the best things we could have invested in, and we spent those two seasons learning the land and led me to learning about the different specimens of trees that call our little plot of the world “home”.

Early morning picture in August. We have accomplished a lot, but have much more to do!

It’s been really interesting to learn the different types of trees we have, including Larch, which, I always admired from other places, because of the way it’s needles change color in the fall. Here was a little baby tree that was right next to our driveway.

The Larch tree can be seen in both summer and late fall.

Now, my big project is to figure out what trees are good for windbreak, but not big enough to block our sunlight, as we are powered by solar energy. So much to learn– getting there little by little! Stay tuned for some more adventures in the woods!

Now, back to regular gardening– yes, I did a lot of moving around in the garden again this year, to enhance growing performance for some plants–and it worked!

I am trying to work towards a “cottage” feel in the ‘burbs. I created rock borders for my garage and front yard.

Garden Takeway:

Just because something in your garden doesn’t seem to be doing well, doesn’t mean it’s dying. Try moving it to a sunnier, shadier location–depending on the plant, of course.

My dahlia haul was fruitful this year. I tried a variety pack on a whim, and they turned out better than I expected! I highly recommend to everyone who doesn’t grow dahlias to try– having beautiful blooms all the way into October really makes the growing season feel longer–and how sweet it is to have fresh blooms to cut in the fall!

Well, I hope this sums up two seasons good enough. I am putting together a holiday gift list that will include items every gardener/outdoors enthusiast will need!

Long Overdue “Hello”

December 1, 2019 / Earth and Oils / 5 Comments

A field of Lemon Lilies to make your day. Enjoy.

A Natural Pause

June 9, 2019June 10, 2019 / Earth and Oils / Leave a comment

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, and stopped for a little bit to pay tribute to those who have sacrificed so much for our country. Weather-wise, it was beautiful–perfect gardening weather. Today, not so much. I am typing this post on my patio, it’s 52 degrees and I am wearing a puffer vest with a merino wool baselayer– #springinbuffalo.

No matter, we deal and get through. I was lucky to get my gardening done, for the most part, last weekend, as I knew we would be camping for the holiday. I like to “experiment” in the garden, without it looking too tacky. I had a solar bird bath that I recently got rid of because it was falling apart. I had put these nice white rocks around it, to add a different look or texture to this particular area of the flower bed.

Now that the bird bath is gone, I decided I wanted to keep the rocks, but maybe add some plants that are for a rock garden. I purchased two, and my daughter surprised me with a couple more that she bought with her grandmother.

I have to admit I was not sure exactly of what I wanted, so I did some research and bought these different, yet interesting specimens:

The first and second pictures are different varieties of sedum, a type of succulent, which quite honestly I love. They are so hardy, unique and come back every year.

Picture #1 – Tricolor Sedum

Picture #2 – Aeonium

Succulents:

Have fleshy, thick stems that retain water. These plants are made for dry, arid climates,
Which means they are very good for rock gardens.

Picture #3 is a blue fescue. I tried to start these by seed a few years ago, but unfortunately they did not take. This is a visually stunning specimen and recommended for rock garden/ rocky areas. I am hoping this does well in this particular spot, because they need part sun, and this happens to be the best place in my garden for these types of plants.

You do not need a lot to start a rock garden, but if you would like to REALLY get serious about it, you can research some unique garden plans.

So, here are my quick tips for a rock garden:

Rocks
Plants of your choice
Gardening tools (trowel, shovel, wheelbarrow)
Enjoy!

I literally poured a bag of rocks out and went from there. Maybe some day when I get more rocks to enclose my beds, I will be able to get a little more fancy, but until then, have fun, experiment, and rock out your garden!

What’s “Rock”ing in my Garden

May 28, 2019May 28, 2019 / Earth and Oils / 5 Comments

Lots of gardening around here–the weather in Western New York is finally breaking. Some of my favorite spring time flowers are finally blooming. The narcissus are a late spring favorite, and a great cut flower. They last a long time in the vase! As we start this wonderful holiday weekend, here is a reminder of why we gardeners do what we do. Enjoy.

A Natural Pause

May 24, 2019 / Earth and Oils / Leave a comment

Forward to Spring — The Winter Clean-Up

March 27, 2019March 27, 2019 / Earth and Oils / 1 Comment

Happy Spring, Everyone!

What a wild and crazy winter we had here in the Northeast! As someone who lives in between two great lakes and is used to some challenging weather, I can’t remember a more windy, bizarre winter. With winds up to 75 mph, it definitely was a “hunker down and stay warm” kind of winter. This left me longing for spring faster than usual. Fortunately, my daughter kept me busy, and we have some other exciting things in the mix this year, which will allow me to flex my gardening muscle and challenge me in a different way. Stay tuned for more information!

The Doldrums of Winter

While winter kind of let me down this year, (January was OK, but February and after was blizzard central), I got to do something I haven’t really done since my daughter was born– read!

Amazon prime kept me busy– I pretty much bought books all season long!

They were all great reads, and I think I will be posting my other favorite reads in a future post. However, I am recommending this one first, because, it was the first one I purchased and the first one I loved!

The Atlas of Poetic Botany by Francis Halle is a WONDERFUL read. Honestly, this book was an Instagram Ad on my feed, and I was intrigued. It tells of the unique plants the botanist has encountered in his many years studying the rainforest. The illustrations are delightful. The words flow, making it an engaging and interesting read. It does not get boring and dry like some other informational/reference books on plants can sometimes get, hence the “Poetic” in the name. If you want to learn about the interesting plants of the tropics, including a “walking tree”, I encourage you to read this. There is another book in this series coming out in May called, “The Atlas of Poetic Zoology”, and I can’t wait to get that one!

Spring Things

This morning, I was finally able to survey the perimeter of my yard, to see signs of spring that I have been anxiously awaiting. Just the other day, we had snow burying all the little treasures just waiting to pop out and bloom.

From left to right, my alliums, hellebores and tulips are looking good! I guess my leaf mulch helped them get through the sub-zero wind and weather this year! (At least, I’d like to think it did). I am really anxious to get outside and clean up the twigs and other crazy things that blew in and claimed residence to my landscape.

Garden Plans

Yes, it has happened– I have officially become that person who wants to try to grow many varieties of dahlias. I like them because they are just so darn pretty, and they make people happy. You can take them into work and give them to co-workers who are having a bad day, and they immediately perk up. They bloom well into fall and you can have fresh blooms all the time. I guess that’s why I like them so much. So, I saw one of my fellow gardeners on Instagram have a catalog for Swan Island Dahlias. I quickly requested one myself.

So, cut flower gardeners, if you are looking for a good selection of dahlias, this one is for you! Or, if you know of another great collection, please feel free to share! I have purchased a few dahlia bulbs from my local store, so it will be nice to try them from the different places.

I don’t know about you, but I am ready to enjoy spring and get my hands dirty!

It’s “snow” joke, we need winter for spring blooms!

January 20, 2019January 20, 2019 / Earth and Oils / 1 Comment

As most of us are sitting inside because the wind chill is sub zero, and the snow keeps coming. We gardeners are daydreaming of spring. I mean, I just received my David Austin® rose catalog, and the 8 degrees that my phone keeps telling me is not making things any better. We are nearing mid-winter, and that means we are ready for it to end!

One day soon the garden will be green and lush again!

We must keep in mind that cold and snow is an important part of the gardening process. I am not going to ignore the fact that winter can kill a lot of stuff in the garden, and can cause a lot of damage, but when you get right down to it, gardens need winter to get through the growing season.

Here are some quick thoughts to think about on this winter day!

Snow:

Gives the necessary moisture to plants, bulbs and a variety of critters that are tucked away for their winter slumber.
Helps big organisms (frogs, earthworms, turtles) in their hibernation/life cycle, and small organisms (bacteria, amoeba, fungi) that are working overtime to make your soil rich and nutritional for your plants and trees.
Is a great insulator for all of plants and organisms.

Before you know it, the snowdrops and hellebores will be pointing their little heads to the sky, reminding us all why spring is sweeter because of winter!