We live on the knife’s edge - that edge being the delicate balance of ecosystems of this, our earthly home.  We can see all around us the results of introducing (purposefully or inadvertently) invasive non-native plants to our gardens and surroundings - Bradford Pear,...

There are over 3000 known varieties of tomatoes. If I could, I would plant one of each! That's how passionate I am about growing tomatoes! 

There is only one reason to grow your own tomatoes...the taste! 

Not even Farmers Market compares to home grown to my palate. 

Super...

April 2019

Some of my earliest and most favorite childhood memories are of the wonderful aromas and fragrances of my grandmothers kitchen and garden.   To this day – those same scents and aromas still make me feel happy, and loved.  My mother was also a gardener and a m...

I was a babe in arms when Mom and Dad, my two older siblings, and I departed MA during dad’s army service at the start of World War II.  The army domiciled us in VA and TX, and finally Riverside, CA.  Once a year in summer (when leave was available) my parents would dr...

Don’t think that just because winter is coming, your garden will lose all interest!  Over the years it has slowly dawned on me there are some very colorful and sometimes very fragrant plants that positively shine during the winter months.  

Look at the Winterberry:

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T’is the season to be jolly and deck the halls with vibrantly colored seasonal plants to greet the coming holidays.  Although a tropical plant, the most popular, best- selling holiday plant is the Poinsettia.   Sales exceed 35 million plants yearly and contribute more...

As I am sitting here in my warm house, thinking of the gardening chores that still need to be done, I usually end up looking at bulb catalogs. You might think it is too late for bulbs, but it’s not!  Our fall this year has been very warm with just a few cold days sprin...

Have you ever heard of a program called NC Beautiful?  No?  Well you are not alone.  

NC Beautiful is a private non-profit agency that provides up to $1,000 in grants to certified K-12 teachers in schools across North Carolina. The grants are used for environm...

OCTOBER! Such a lovely month in North Carolina. Cooler temperatures motivate us to clean up our flower beds, winterize, add some mulch and sanitize those garden tools with some bleach water. I call it putting the garden to bed for the winter.

It's not too late to sow so...

September is here!  Have you noticed?  Maybe not around your yard so much, but definitely there are signs of fall all around us if you are observant.  Noticed the pumpkins displayed in your local grocery store?  Seen the apple cider jugs that have suddenly appeared?  T...