Easy Spring Garden Prep Info

April 20, 2017April 20, 2017 / Earth and Oils / Leave a comment

I hope everyone is having a wonderful April– it has been a busy month for me, as we just got back from vacation in Montana! We visited Glacier National Park, and it was beautiful! It was really nice to experience a part of the country we have never visited before!

As nice as our trip was, it was REALLY nice to come home to the trees on the verge of bursting with green leaves! Everything was looking stunning! My flowers were in full bloom, including my tulips:

I am now getting ready to do a full spring garden prep! Seeing as May is just a couple weeks away, which, I still can’t believe, because April feels like it just started!

So, here are a few garden prep tips you can consider doing this spring!

Plants any trees or shrubs. This is the perfect time to plant any trees or shrubs, the ground is moist, and rain is typically abundant in the months of April and May. As with planting anything, trees and shrubs need a lot of water to get established.
Start picking up the winter rubbish. It’s time to start raking up all the gravel, leaves, sticks, and anything else that is in your yard. For this job, you should use two different rakes to get the job done:
- Rake– your typical rake that you would use to remove leaves in the fall. All the light, loose stuff like grass, twigs, etc. will get removed the fastest and easiest way with this rake.
- Bow Rake- This long, straight-edged rake is perfect for picking up stones and dirt that have accumulated.
Mulch- Since I have made some new flower beds this past fall, I know I need to mulch them and get them prepped for the coming growing season.
Pruning/Removing old growth– Now is the time to prune/remove anything that will be blooming in the summer and beyond. I know I started manually removing the old stems of my Autumn Joy Sedum because it has already started growing! So, start removing winter interest and get your plants ready for summer!
Soil prep. Turn up the soil and get it ready for spring plantings.

There is certainly many more things you can do, but here are some of the basic hardscaping chores you can do to make it easier when planting season is in full swing!

What will you be doing for spring garden prep?

The Bare Necessities of Spring Gardening

April 26, 2016April 26, 2016 / Earth and Oils / 3 Comments

Ok, way too much time is going by in between blog posts– and I apologize for that. There is so much going on in life these days that I squeeze in a post as soon as I get some time. I have also been changing up my blog posts lately just to see what you, the reader, likes best.

Life has been happening, and weekends have been full. We are trying to get big house projects out of the way now so we don’t have to do them during the dog days of summer. I have a special project coming up that I am really excited about, and I can’t wait to give you details within the next few months!

For the past couple of weekends, I have been out in the yard preparing my flower beds for the upcoming growing season. It’s so nice to see so many of my spring flowers on their way. The daffodils are up, my hyacinths smell and look wonderful, and my alliums are on their way.

I was trying to weed around all this great, new growth, and I needed a few tools to help me get my garden in tip-top shape!

I like to write my posts to be as simple and direct as possible, but I also like to take the time to explain certain aspects of gardening as well. One thing in particular I like to make clear to every gardener, from novice to master, is that you do not need to have a lot of fancy tools to garden.

Here are the bare necessities of gardening, plain and simple. In one of my first blog posts, I explained a few garden tools and how they work.

Here are a few things that will help you through spring garden preparation:

garden stuff-2

Shovel— The shovel is one of the most versatile tools in the garden. Even if you don’t have anything else, or can’t afford to buy too many tools, the shovel could be your one and only and that would be ok. It is your trowel, edger, transplanter, and everything else in between. This will do the job regardless of anything else.
Straight edge rake— This rake helps you even out mulch, turf builder, rocks, etc. on any surface you are working with. Trying to even out the holes or dips in your yard with topsoil? Make sure to use the straight edge rake to keeps things smooth.
Wide Brimmed Hat — This is the barest necessity of all! Spring sunshine is the best sun shine, but it can burn you, too! (My forehead is a great example). Wear your hat while you dig in to yard work!
Trowels — Need I say more? I had to include the trowels in this one. Planting seeds? Or other plants? The trowel is a hand tool that becomes your best friend!
Gloves — I have mentioned many times before that I used to scoff at people who wore garden gloves — boy, was I WRONG. I love wearing them– it’s much easier to pull weeds with gloves than without! It just protects your hands in general should you come across something not so desirable in the dirt.
Rake–This is your regular joe schmo rake. Whether you are raking up debris and other yard rubbish that accumulates from the winter, or raking the thick piles of grass from the first lawn cutting of the season, you won’t be sorry to have one of these!
Garden stool— this handy little stool saves your back, knees, and also has several compartments that allow you to carry all of your hand tools and a knee pad. This will be your savior after hours of garden work.

Here is the list of Spring’s bare necessities for the garden. It doesn’t take much — you don’t even have to have all of these– just a couple will do. It all depends on what you like to use the best and what works with your gardening style.So, here’s to sunshine weekends and happy gardening!

Garden and the Gear — What I’m Digging- Fall Edition

October 13, 2015October 13, 2015 / Earth and Oils / 2 Comments

I hope everyone is having a great week!

*First things first— I have created a new page on my blog!!! I am so excited that I actually figured out how to do this. I get so intimidated by technology sometimes, I feel I can’t ever figure it out on my own. But, I did! It’s a whole new page entitled “Visit Buffalo, NY” that sets right alongside the “Home” and “About” page. Please take the time to peruse it, and get to know the city I currently call home!

Aside from that, with such wonderful weather Western New York has been having, it’s hard to believe the coming weekend is said to bring rain and SNOW.

This tree is absolutely beautiful. I have never seen anything like it!

Nooooooo! No matter, it really got me thinking that while I still have a few things to do in the garden, I need to prepare for the weather to come.

Now, if anyone knows me, I love GEAR. I am such an outdoor gear junkie, I will spend next to nothing on work clothes, but make sure I have the best outdoor/active apparel and gear around! Go figure! Since I know I will be messing around outside in the rain doing last-minute gardening, hiking, running, etc., I know I need to check out the latest gear for me and the garden. It just so happens I have a few things on my gear list that I am thinking about investing in for my zone 6a weather.

Rain Boots — When you are stomping around in the mud doing the last of your winter garden prep, you need a good pair of rain boots. I can tell you any rain boot will do, but I do have my eye on these:
1. Helly Hansen Rain Boots — Love these and they look so practical and comfy — they are, after all, Norwegian, so you know you will be able to get out of them what you pay for them, that’s for sure!
2. Helly Hansen Lyness Insulated Coat — I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time finding a rain coat that is just right for spring or fall. It’s still cold, but not too cold, so you need some insulation, but not too much… yea I actually saw this at my local sporting goods store and am pretty convinced this coat will be perfect when I have to start prepping my flower beds with burlap in the cold and rain. A little on the pricey side, but definitely something that will take you from the garden to the office.
3. Hand Forged Weeding Fork from White Flower Farm — you know from my last “What I’m digging” that I was really eyeing up a tulip shaped trowel, and still have that on my Christmas list. Well, this is actually the perfect gear I need to dig up the last of my dwarf sunflower roots that have been giving me troubles while I tug and tug and look foolish because I can’t get the roots out of the ground! Again, this is pricey, so your best bet would be to put this on your Christmas list, but then again, good garden tools are a great investment, you don’t want another bent trowel, do you? 😉
  2. http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com
4. Water Proof Gardening Gloves— at $4 a pair, these gloves come highly rated, and worth it, especially when you will be putting your hands in the mud and they will end up getting cold!
  1. http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Glove-Nitrile-Garden-Gloves/dp/B000MTT11S

So here are a few of my favorite things. I like to share some of things that I come across, or that catches my eye, because like in life, you always need to be prepared, particularly in a rainy fall garden!

Spotlight: Garden Shed — Post Hole Digger

September 21, 2015September 21, 2015 / Earth and Oils / 2 Comments

Fall is just a few days away, and I am not complaining about the great weather we are having. It’s finally cool enough to do things without sweating like crazy, and honestly, even though summer was hot and steamy, I still prefer milder temperatures. The one good thing about sweaty, oppressive summers is lots of beach going, and that, my friends, I do miss!

Perfect fall weather during a walk along the canal.

I will tell you it’s a lot more pleasant to get yard work done. Now that the summer has slowed down, I have been able to finally finish some projects I started in May!! Yes, remember when I wrote my DIY series — Bottle Trees? Well, this past weekend, I finally finished it! I got a lot of interest from my readers in regards to that post, so I would like to go through it step by step with you so you know exactly what I did. I can definitely tell you my bottle tree would not have been possible without the help of my friend the post hole digger!

And that got me thinking about all the tools and gadgets we may have in our garage or shed that we have no idea how to use, but can be so important when maintaining our gardens. So, I am going to start off a new series of posts all dedicated to our garden sheds, and all the great, practical tools they have in them!

The Post Hole Digger = Garden Decor Central!

This is a post hole digger. I purchased this Kobalt Post Hole Digger at Lowes. They range in price from $25 and up.

I know it looks scary, and to be honest with you, I had no idea how the heck to use this thing, and really still can’t tell you exactly how to use it. But, somehow I made it work and it works SO much better than trying to dig a whole for a post with a shovel. Nightmare- and the post doesn’t even stay up!

So, I first used it by opening it fully and twisting it. By twisting it, I push the handles outward and pinch the dirt. (As demonstrated in above photo). I keep doing this over and over until I have reach the desired depth of the hole I want.

Here I am, making this happen!

After I make a hole, I take the 8ft pine post I purchased and put a coat of polyurethane on it, hoping that this will allow it to prevent any rotting of the wood in the future.

My 8 ft. post is about to get cut down to 5ft. for my bottle tree.

I want to thank my husband for his assistance with my bottle tree. He was very patient and supportive!

Now it’s time to take the gutter spikes I purchased a LONG time ago and start drilling them into the post.

The finished product.

Now, for the bottles. I purchased mine at a dollar store. I also had some left over wine bottles.

And now, the finished product!

There you have it! I am especially proud of this one because I knew a little bit more of what I was doing this time around, and hopefully this one will last longer than the previous one I had.

Now, I know you are thinking I am a little dumb for making one now that the weather is turning cold and will eventually be snowy, but I can tell you that I made this specifically for Winter Interest— something nice and colorful to look at when its cold and snowy!

Oh, and if you are wondering what I did with that last 3ft of my pine post, wonder no more! I had my husband attach a bird house that my mother-in-law purchased for me on it and it’s now out back of my garage.

So, there you have it! Creating diy garden decor with the help of a few friends! Never underestimate the power of those dirty power horses in your garden shed!

The Talk of the Trowel and Other Things I’m Digging

August 11, 2015 / Earth and Oils / Leave a comment

I thought I would try something a little new with this post. There are so many things that interest me and I would really like to share them with you! My wish list for Christmas is getting longer (I know…too soon?), but it looks as though I may have to break down and buy a few of these things before then. I have also found some really well written articles I thought I would pass along for your reference.

The Talk of the Trowel: this will be a new periodic post that will bring together some of the best gardening information the interwebs (ha) has to offer.

Here are two really informative articles deserve another look that are courtesy of Fix.com:

How to Get Rid of Common Garden Pests http://www.fix.com/blog/common-garden-pests-and-how-to-get-rid-of-them/

Fertilizer Facts– When and How You Should http://www.fix.com/blog/fertilizer-facts/

What I’m Digging– Things I Love In and Out of the Garden

I want to share with you things that I like, love and want this very moment!

DeWit Tulip Trowel

This tulip shaped trowel was a big hit at the Chelsea Flower Show this year, and I can see why! You can purchase this beauty on a great gardening site called shopterrain.com. Beautiful products for all of your outdoor musings.

shopterrain.com

Victorinox Garden Knife

Also available on shopterrain.com, my little Leatherman is great, but I don’t think the garden is where it’s most at home. This is exactly what I needed last week when I was trying cut of the last of my peppermint plants! This will be ordered very soon…

shopterrain.com

The Essential Garden Tool Kit

Modernfarmer.com has the best garden tool set ever! This kit includes scissors, which I find I need a lot more than I ever thought I would!

modernfarmer.com

Basil Memories Bottle Basket — Basil Bike Baskets are some of the most well designed baskets around. I own two of them– I just recently purchased this yellow one to put on my bike so when I head to my local Farmer’s Market, I have a place to put all of my loot!