nature

Great Garden Reads

/ The Bent Trowel / Leave a comment

Andddd we are back up and running! I had a little computer situation– yea, almost had to buy another one if it weren’t for my husband who knows how to play around with them and get them working again! Thank goodness all is well (for now), and I can get back to blogging!

In between the computer issues and being sicker than I have been in YEARS– I got walloped this time– I had to sit back and rest as much as I could. If you know me, I am a reader– books, magazines, anything. But I LOVE magazines. Do you ever find yourself gravitating towards the magazine aisle of any grocery store, drug store, or book store? Yep, that’s me, too! I subscribe to them as well as buy them in the stores.

My tastes have changed over the years. I went from Seventeen magazine as a teenager to every fitness magazine under the sun for a while, and then there was Rolling Stone magazine, several outdoor magazines, The New Yorker…  and now garden magazines!

Garden and Decor magazines can be great inspiration. Please do not be intimidated by the absolutely gorgeous homes and gardens these periodicals display. The intent of any magazine is to give you ideas for your own home and garden, not to make you feel bad because you don’t have a 100+ acre spread with guest house and sprawling gardens. I personally love the photography and articles in a lot of these periodicals.

BUT, I will admit I am picky. I like high quality, worth-my-money reads. Because we all know magazines can be expensive. Some of the ones I like are almost 10 bucks a pop!

361

Here is a pile of magazines and a book that I am loving right now!

Here are a few magazines (and a book) that I think are fantastic reads:

Gardenista– this book was published in October, and a very easy, yet informative read on making your backyard a getaway. They not only show you examples of great garden ideas, but also point out great garden tools/gear, give you a directory to good landscapers/designers, and much more. This should be something on your Christmas list!

American Magazines:

  • Garden Design — (Not pictured!! My copy was hiding on me!!) Fantastic publication. This was the first magazine I actually subscribed to immediately when I really started getting into gardening. Photography is amazing, and they give you an in depth look on designing your garden to the way that fits your home and life.
  • Fine Gardening- This magazine is, in my opinion, the best gardening periodical in America. It is so informative– picks out plants that are best for your region of the country, and they go in depth with a lot of different aspects of gardening that you do not normal see.
  • Elle Decor — This is not exactly a garden magazine, but for interior design. However, I like this magazine’s idea of using different flowers and plants in your living space. And it will do a feature every now and then on a great garden. Besides, I love design and I am constantly changing my little house around!

British Magazines:

By far, British gardening magazines are my favorite. Europeans take their gardening seriously, and it shows in the pages of some great periodicals. Gardening is a way of life for them, rather than just a novel hobby. The articles you read about can be everything from making your own butter to scything (yes, scything!). Here are a few titles to check out some time:

  • Gardens Illustrated — if you want a magazine worth your money, you will not be disappointed with this one. Great photography, great plant and flower pics, great features. Must read.
  • Country Living-– The British edition of this magazine is wonderful. It is full of some of the best feature writing on classic country living. The gardening features are informative and I could read this over and over!
  • Elle Decoration — British version of Elle Decor and another great read on inspiring design and gardening. I love that I can get two of my favorite subjects in one read!
  • House and Garden — Love this magazine for its great spreads on fantastic gardens, along with interior design. Another magazine that I get two subjects in one!

362

What are some of your favorite reads?

Seeds n’ Things

/ The Bent Trowel / 4 Comments

Happy fall! I hope everyone had a wonderful summer– which honestly, it still feels like here in Western New York. The weather has been beautiful– however, maybe too much. It has been so warm here that my spring bulbs are starting to sprout again! I fear that we won’t have such a colorful fall like last year because it has been so dry and warm this past summer.

wp-1475000259438.jpg

Never the less, I am not wasting another minute inside, it’s time to get along with my fall garden preparation tasks. A couple of years ago, I wrote a step by step on how to plant bulbs in the fall. I know a lot of people really don’t know how to (I know I sure didn’t at one time), so I wanted to give a little tutorial on how to plant them.

Well, now I am learning how to preserve seeds more. I have done this a little bit in the past, but this year, I have found great joy in harvesting seeds. Every plant has its own unique seed pod.

002

The seeds of the hollyhock are slim, wafer-like discs.

Here are a few tips when collecting seeds:

  • Make sure the seeds pods are completely dry when you harvest them.
  • When storing seeds, never place them in plastic bags. Use paper seed packets or bags to allow the seeds to breathe.
  • Remember to share them– think of them as holiday gifts!

Harvesting seeds is a good thing. It is a natural way of controlling individual plant species from taking over your garden.

wp-1474998656160.jpg

The seed pod of a Giant Hibiscus is, well, giant!

004

Hollyhocks, Cosmos (Upper Right), White Globe Thistle (Lower Center) will make any gardener happy!

I spent a good portion of last weekend re-organizing and making a place in the unfinished side of my basement to become my little gardening area, which means, saving seeds and storing bulbs that cannot stay outside for the winter. I plan on scouring  Etsy in search for the perfect antique printer tray to hold all my seeds until spring!

I also have purchased 3 more varieties of Allium bulbs that need to be planted, but until it cools down a little more, I think I will wait it out a little longer.

wp-1474999665576.jpg

What are your plans for fall planting? I would to hear what everyone is planting. Trust me, I am not done purchasing bulbs, yet…

 

Falling for Dried Flowers

/ The Bent Trowel / 2 Comments

Good evening, everyone! It seems as though these blog posts get further apart, but I am trying my hardest to get them closer together. It’s been a activity packed summer, and my daughter started Kindergarten this week, so it’s been more emotional than usual around here.

First and foremost, yesterday was my 2nd Anniversary blogging! I can’t believe it’s been two years already– time does certainly fly! Born out of professional frustration, my dream is to one day blog full time, but until that day comes, I will keep doing what I am doing and improving and learning as much as I can to attain that goal. I want to thank you for reading my blog and letting me know what you think and for giving me suggestions that will help my blog in the long run! I am always trying to mix things up, but I want the intent of the blog to stay the same– to help new gardeners start their own gardening adventures by giving advice and ideas as simply and honestly as possible. I want my blog to be the “seed” that starts some great gardens out there! I am still learning a ton about gardening. I am no expert — I just pass along what I have been taught, told, shown, etc. It’s really fun, and I enjoy this immensely. So, let’s get back to business, shall we?

Now, I have to say that I actually have 3 blog posts that I could be posting tonight. I have a couple of “Field Trip” posts that I think you will really like, and hopefully will give you some inspiration in your gardens! But, my intuition was telling it’s time I do an informative piece, because it’s been a little while since I have. And I got the idea of this post from an article in a magazine, along with my blog post I did last year, The Beauty of a Fading Fall garden.

*Remember– your garden doesn’t end when the growing season ends– it keeps giving year round.

I have blogged about the garden and how it gives back to you year round, including the fading fall garden. Planting for Winter Interest also allows your landscape to work for you. Now, I know a lot of my fellow bloggers live in places that don’t have snow (and boy, do I sometimes envy you), but you still have to deal with a Winter garden as well, so please use my post as a springboard of ideas that could work for your nice, warm, green winters.

So, after some researching and getting a lightbulb to go off on my own, I was inspired to take the plants I usually keep to collect seeds, and use them in dried flower arrangements for fall. I even tried to “forage” on trails in the Niagara Gorge this past weekend, but, let’s be honest, it’s a little too early for that. LOL.

My garden grows every year. I mean, I plant more things every year. And I have had some unique things come up in my gardens that I can’t help BUT use dried.

My number one plant? Alliums. At the beginning of the summer, when my Alliums were done, I noticed how beautiful they were dried, and I snipped them off and brought them inside to use as a decoration. I have been using them all summer, and they look great with my fall decor. Yes, my house throws up with Fall decor this time of year:

wp-1473938854679.jpg

And then this happened today:

121

My sunflowers came crashing down– no worries, they will be part of some dried flower arrangements to come this season.

123

Soon, I will be embarking on my usual pilgrimage to the Erie Canal to get some cattails, but these fake ones I found in the store last year will do for now.

129

Here are my white globe thistles in a vase. This plant has been the biggest surprise for me this year, and I am so glad I purchased these last year!

wp-1473387926237.jpg

Here are some other things that would be great to use in any fall arrangement:

  • Seedpods— Chinese lanterns, etc. The more unique looking, the better!
  • Acorns, nuts, etc.–This is what I was looking for, unfortunately, I think it’s too early. Any kind nuts or berries will do!
  • Pinecones— this one needs no explaining. You could call this a default fall/winter decoration.
  • Any flower that dries beautiful in your eyes. It’s limitless. Use what you love and make the most of it!
wp-1473382337493.jpg

This is just the beginning of a beautiful arrangement!

 

 

 

 

The No-Kinks Sprinkler Guide

/ The Bent Trowel / 2 Comments

Disclaimer: I am just passing on knowledge in regards to shopping for a sprinkler. If you are in a drought stricken area, where watering is NOT an option, then I am by no means advocating watering. If you are fortunate enough to use a sprinkler regularly or on occasion, then I hope you find my sprinkler-shopping guide helpful. I also just thought it would be fun to blog about sprinklers.

Hot. Dry. Crusty. Brown. All great words to describe the summer so far in Western New York. It’s been great, don’t get me wrong. We get some rain here and there on occasion, but nothing adding up to much. I have been diligent when it comes to watering, though I have slowed down some, as it is August, and unfortunately most of my plants have faded out fast. There are a few plants that really like hot, dry weather, so I am focusing on them.

In order for me to keep watering my flowers, and I have been advised to really douse them periodically, I use a sprinkler to get them. Because, let’s face it, standing there with a hose in your hand only wets the very top of the soil, and doesn’t do much. So, I went sprinkler shopping to get the one that would fit my needs perfectly.

068

This sprinkler is for small yards and waters my plants perfectly!

Who knew there were so many different types of sprinklers? There was one long cavernous aisle devoted to them.  I currently own three, and they are the right ones for my needs.

Things to consider when purchasing a sprinkler:

–The size of your yard. Big, small, they have a sprinkler for all!

–What you are going to use it for. Watering your lawn, or watering your flowers, there  is literally a sprinkler for every watering purpose.

–How much water you want to use. Want a soaker? You got it! Or, just a little mister to keep your plants looking shiny and nice? They have that too!

Currently, this is my sprinkler rotation:

095

The old fashioned sprinkler at the bottom of the picture should be a default for everyone. It is good to cover bigger areas of your yard, and because it can be great fun running in it when the thermometer reads 91 degrees!

So, if you think that there is just one sprinkler to use, and it doesn’t suit you well, always remember– this is modern-day America, where the choices are there for you, and they are abundant!