Martinis and Marigolds - Refreshingly Quick Tips for Home and Garden

As 2022, with all of its challenges, draws to a close, it's a great time to reflect on what this year brought to us and take time to appreciate the good things it had to offer before moving on to 2023.

Most of us have a favorite season of the year. But part of the joy of gardening is that, as we actively engage with nature in the intimacy of our own yard, we can find beauty in every season.

Read on as Paula shows us the beauty she finds in every season of her garden. 

Perennials are one of the most popular types of flowering plants, both for the beginning and experienced gardeners.  And fall is a great time to plant them.

But there are so many varieties, choosing can be overwhelming.

Read on to find out about some of the most popular varieties to plant and how to get started.

Fall is definitely a great time for planting. As we decide on what to plant, most of us think of flowering perennials, trees and shrubs. But as you consider your choices, consider perennial grasses.

Read on to find out why ornamental grasses are a great addition to any landscape.

Fall is a great time to prepare for spring! You see there are so many things going on in the garden in the spring, that it’s almost too much to get done. And while spring is a really inspiring time to start new things in the garden, fall is actually a better time for certain garden tasks.

Read on for details on 5 Fall Projects that you can do in the fall to make spring gardening season a lot easier. 

I love this time of year! We are so blessed with the bounty of summer fruits and vegetables. I hope that you are finding delicious ways to enjoy them!

But we are also faced with the resulting peels and pits that many times end up in our trash. According to the EPA “The estimated 35.3 million tons of wasted food that went to landfills in 2018 represents 24.1 percent of all MSW landfilled.”  Somehow that just doesn’t make sense, since all of this organic waste can quickly break down and return lots of nutrients to the soil.

 So what’s a home gardener to do? Composting your kitchen and garden waste is a great way to reduce the amount of waste you dispose of in the trash.  By composting, you can generate a free source of nutrient-rich material to help improve your garden.

Read on to find out how to get started!

As gardeners, we deal with lots of challenges in our gardens.

Unwanted insects in your garden are just that: unwanted. Unwanted insects may eat and destroy your vegetables and prized flowers, something both farmers and home gardeners have in common.

Organic gardening is a means of controlling unwanted insects naturally, without the use of dangerous pesticides.

Read on to find out how to control unwanted garden insects naturally that are also cheap, easy and good for the earth.

In most of the US the heat of the summer is upon us. This is the time of year that we see our plants drooping under the hot summer sun and we need to spend more time watering. Hmmm or do we?

Not if you use my secret weapon. Read on to find out how to decrease the time you spend watering your flower beds, giving you more time to relax and enjoy your garden. 

When creating our low maintenance garden spaces, it’s fun to provide a habitat for garden visitors like butterflies.  Butterflies can add even more beauty to already beautiful landscape. I love sitting on my deck and seeing them flutter from one plant to another along with the bees and hummingbird moths. It’s fun to see them enjoying all of the flowers that I spent so much time planting.

Butterfly gardens require several things to be successful. Read on to find out how to create a garden that butterflies will 'flock' to.

Got shade? Gardening in the shade can be tricky. I’m always looking for plants that do well in the shade and I'm especially fond of perennials because they come back every year. Many also spread or grow large enough to be dug up and divided, giving me more value for my money.

Read on to learn about a few shade loving perennials that have worked well for me. I've included their hardiness zones so you can see if they will be perennial for you, too.