Autumn Leaves, Sweet, Sweet Autumn Leaves

The heat of Summer has passed and while the days are still nice and warm, there is one thing that is sure, the leaves will be turning their beautiful colors within the next few weeks.

It's a glorious time of year, that has many people enjoying not only the cooler weather, but also the fantastic shades of orange, red, burgundy and yellows that you can ever find. Seeing these beautiful colors in the trees is breathtaking!   Everyone's children will be busy searching for the most perfect leaf to add to their school projects or artwork.

It's only after a few weeks when the beauty of the leaves has faded and they are everywhere but on the trees, that people start to be annoyed.

With a few great tools, this annoyance will soon be dealt with.  Gathering up those leaves is a task that can be made fun and easy.  You just need the right tools.......

Don't you know  that what has fallen from the trees is pure gold?  Not the kind that you can make jewelry from, but the kind that when it's put back into the garden, will make everything next year grow that much better, stronger and keep your soil in top condition.  And it is FREE!

Let me help you turn your annoyance into happiness by showing you how to make your gardens the happiest ever and get rid of your leaves at the same time.

If you are a gardener, you will be eyeing everyone's big brown bags of leaves, with thoughts of stealing them right off of the front stoop.  If theft is not in your character, I'm sure you could ask for those bags of leaves and the owners will happily give them to you.

Now what do you do with all those leaves?

With one of these tools, you shred the leaves that you have gathered, or the ones you got from your neighbors and turn those leaves into small particles of green matter.

Because they are organic and now shredded into small bits, they will break down a lot faster than if you leave (no pun intended) them just as they fell off the trees.

Dig around all your shrubs and bushes and turn this garden gold into the soil around all those shrubs. replace the soil that you lifted.    Do this in your flower gardens too! If you have a vegetable patch, dig a trench, fill the trench with the shredded leaves and replace the soil.  Dig another trench and fill it with shredded leaves.  Keep doing this until you have used all the garden gold you have produced and see what happens next year!

You won't be disappointed and Mother Nature will applaud you for doing a really good thing for your garden.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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I Love My Garden Kneeler

Don't Wait Like I Did to Get Yourself a Garden Kneeler

I love gardening. I like taking a neglected flower bed and bringing it to life with color. That's why I decided to redo the flower beds at the house I inherited from my mother. This Garden Kneeler has made it possible for me to work on this transformation more safely and with less pain than I was able to before I bought it.

Let's face it. If you are going to pull weeds and plant flowers, you will be either bending over or kneeling. Kneeling is more efficient. It never used to be a problem for me, but I'm seventy now. When I kneel, it hurts my knees. 

I'm resting my arm on the kneeler as I work on this bull thistle plant that had babies in my herb garden.

The Step 2 Garden Kneeler, however, has a foam pad that keeps my knees from hard surfaces like the ground and the concrete sidewalk.

I was planting and weeding in this bed and wanted you to see the kneeler without me inside it. I need to get that bucket with the caddy.

Another problem one has at my age is getting back up from that kneeling position. The body just doesn't want to move up. It needs some help. The handles on this kneeler are sturdy enough to support me when I start to rise. This makes a lot of difference in how much I enjoy my gardening.

Before I bought the Step 2 Garden Kneeler, I tried two other brands available in a local store. One was a folding kneeler, but it wasn't very sturdy. I have a neck problem that makes falls especially dangerous for me, so I didn't want to take chances on something flimsy just to save a few dollars. Another brand I tried just wasn't roomy enough to get in and out of comfortably.

The Step 2 Garden Kneeler has made me look forward to my work in the garden again. It's light enough to easily move where I need it. Although it had a handy hole in the top that acts as a handle when it's standing up, I normally transport it upside down as the kneeler. It makes cleanup easier, since I can fit a wastebasket for weeds and a small box with gardening utensils on the pad, pick up the kneeler by the handles, and carry it all to the garage. That saves me some extra trips.

Taking a rest on my overturned kneeler in bench mode in front of the rosemary, black sage, and butterfly bush

One great feature I didn't mention yet is that if you are tired and need to get off your knees and rest for a bit, you can turn the kneeler over and use it as a bench. It was sturdy enough to hold my husband, who weighs close to 260 pounds.

I really love this kneeler. I don't know how I managed without it all these years. It would have made my life more comfortable even when I was younger. After all, no one enjoys having one's knees on a hard surface.

I tried to get along with just a cheap green pad before, but it was of poor quality in comparison to this one, and it wasn't as thick. The pad on this kneeler rests on a thick hard surface that won't let you feel the rocks and thorns you can feel through the stand-alone foam pads. And I still had to get up and down to and from ground level with no help. This product solves all the mobility problems and saves my knees. I highly recommend this Garden Kneeler to anyone who spends much time working on the ground.

OK. I'll Admit it. I'm Showing Off

This is my garden kneeler in bench form so you can see the details without me covering them up. But the real reason I'm displaying it is to show off. It's sitting in front of a flower bed I completely transformed, as I did the other flower beds in the front yard of this home in Paso Robles. This used to be a bunch of nothing with some scattered gazanias, mostly close to the house, between two juniper bushes.

I left the gazanias at the very back, where they continue to spread. I planted one calendula and all the others in this bed are its babies. If you have a good eye, you can see the opal basil next to the pot of catmint in bloom. Behind the catmint is some African Blue Basil in bloom with a tall borage in bloom behind it. I also added some petunias, mums, and pansies for seasonal color. There is a large hyssop behind the carnations that has finished blooming, leaving only its rust-colored spikes. What you can't see are the chocolate cosmos and the monarda which are hidden by the borage.

My garden kneeler has made it possible to do this job faster and in more comfort than I ever could have managed without it. I use it most while pulling the weeds and planting, but at least I can sit and rest when I'm tired without leaving the yard.

Get Your Garden Kneeler Now to Save Your Knees

 The Step2 Company Garden Kneeler

While You're Already Shopping, Why Not Add These?

The kneeler makes gardening more comfortable, but nothing is more frustrating than having to get up and go back to the shed or garage to get a tool you forgot to bring with you. The bucket caddy, which attaches to a five-gallon bucket (not included) will help you organize all that stuff and you can sit it beside your kneeler within reach. As you can see in one of my photos above, I need one.

Since I write a lot about gardening, I also like to keep my digital camera with me to photograph interesting things I find as I work. I'm sure one of the pockets would accommodate that, and my cell phone would fit in another.

This is on my wish list, since I'm currently just throwing my tools in a small cardboard box and using a small plastic waste basket to throw the weeds in as I work. I would prefer to keep my tools in a more organized fashion. This caddy even has a special place for seed packets, which don't fare very well tossed in the box with my tools.

The garden cart I have is slightly different than the one pictured here. This is the closest I could find to it. Mine is green and does not have telescoping handles as this one does. What they have in common is their shape and their maneuverability. Mine is light and easy to move, even when full of dirt or compost. I can stick packages of fertilizers on top of the dirt I'm moving so they get to the garden with me. The bucket caddy could also ride along on top.

Together, all these items will supplement your kneeler to make your gardening life easier. If you are in need of hand tools for your gardening activities, you might want to look at the Japanese Sickle my friend reviewed elsewhere on this site.

 Fiskars Garden Bucket Caddy, Bucket Not Included (9424) Suncast LC1250D 15.5-Gallon Capacity Poly Rolling Lawn Cart

If You Want to Take Your Phone or iPod To the Garden, Be Sure to Protect It.

 Common Periwinkle, Vinca Minor, on Roadside iPhone 5 Covers iPhone 4 Skin: Pink and White Floral iPhone 5C Case

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The Exotic Nejiri Kama

Nejiri Kama, Japanese Sickle

By Olivia

It doesn't look too sharp, but it is one of the sharpest blades for the garden that you will ever need.

Nejiri Kama

I have garden tools that I use and use and use and use.......and this is one of them that is High on my list of must have garden tools. The Nejiri Kama not only sounds exotic, it is exotic. Coming from the master gardeners in Japan, it and my Hori Hori blade are by far the best tools any gardener could ask for.




Right now I'm going to tell you why I love the Nejiri Kama too! This tool is multi purpose to the extreme. You have to be careful with it, because the blade is sharp. This tool makes weeding a breeze, but it can also be used to dig furrows in the garden and uproot young weeds before they become a mangled mess of roots. The blade is not as large as a regular sickle that farmers would have used, but it is just as impressive when it is used to wipe out an area that has become overgrown, or just needs major tidying up.


The blade drawn against the top layer of soil will cut off anything growing that shouldn't be and because the blade is only about 5 inches long, there is no danger of removing a limb. That gives the gardener in question a more focused swath when weeding. Care still needs to be used whenever sharp tools are being handled, and this one is no exception to that rule.


The other part I love about this tool, is that using the tip, you can weed quite nicely around bedded plants without disturbing their root structure. The sickle being fashioned from one piece of metal will not break at the bend and with a little care, can be sharpened as you would any other tool in your arsenal of gardening weapons. The wooden handle is comfortable in your grip, and even with arthritic hands, holding this tool will not cause strain or pain in your joints.


The description here speaks about weeding raised beds, and I agree that it is great for that, but I would also say that you can use it in a regular garden bed too! It will require that you bend a little, but that can be good exercise too! Give this tool a try, and I'm sure that it will soon become one of your favorite tools too!

Another wonderful tool for the garden.

The Tomita is also handy.

This tool is on my "to buy" list. With the good things that have happened with my other Japanese inspired gardening tools, I'm sure that this one will be a hit as well.

 Buy Now

This is my Hori, Hori and I love it!

My absolute favorite tool ever! Might I suggest you splurge and get one for yourself!

You already know that I love this tool. It is so useful when planting, preparing soil mixes, and all other little jobs in the garden.

 Buy Now

Spear & Jackson P818 Traditional English Style Stainless Steel Dibber

This old fashioned tool has probably been around for centuries, but it is another favorite of mine.

 Buy Now

I love the way this tool is able to do many things, from weeding to aerating the ground around your plants to top dressing your garden.....all with one tool.....


You can read more about Grammie Olivia's Gardening at her website:  www.grammieknowshow.com

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Planting in Spring for Summer Beauty Review

Gardeners are planners!  In order to have beautiful gardens year round, they must plan ahead, often planting months before they can expect to see the rewards for their labor.

In fall, we plant blubs for spring flowering, but in spring we plant for summer and fall flowers.

Many of us keep a journal of what we planted where.  That way we don't accidentally dig up bulbs or perennial plants.  Some blubs and plants are pretty forgiving and will simply bloom together or around each other.  Others would be ruined by accidental invasion, so we plot and plan well in advance and then wait for the glorious presentation of beautiful blooms.

Flowers to Plant in Spring for Summer Blooming  

When we plant our bulbs in the fall, it can seem like an eternity before the flowers bloom, but that is not the case with spring planting and summer flowers.  Here are some examples of flowers we plant now that will reward us before we know it.

• Cornflower ~ Friend and gardener Beverly Owens recommends Coneflowers which not only have the benefit of beautiful blooms, but also attract butterflies and bees to our gardens.
• Calla Lily ~ One of my personal favorites is the Calla Lily.   I have always planted a variety of colors, but Paula Atwell introduced me to the Black Star Calla Lily.  I am very excited about adding the Black Star to my blooming collection. 
• Nasturtiums ~ This is another flower that is available in a variety of colors including a black Nasturtium.  These plants are fabulous for ground cover or as climbing flowers.
• Alliums ~ Gorgeous spiral blooms that are a unique treat in any garden.  These flowers certainly don't look like your average garden bloom.  On Diary of a Wild Country Garden, Jasmine features Alliums, Freesias and Oriental Lilies.
• Aster ~ Big and beautiful blooms for in summer and fall.  
• Butterfly Bush ~ Attract additional beauty to your garden with a butterfly bush.
• Astilbe ~ A delicate looking perennial that is actually very strong and resilient with gorgeous flowers and fern like foliage.
• Delphiniums ~ The delphinium is lovely, but there is one concern, it can not tolerate extreme heat and hot temperature regions.  
• Daylilies ~ If you live in the south, you can plant Daylilies in the spring for summer blooming, but northern region gardeners should wait until fall to plant Daylilies.

Late Summer / Early Fall Flowers

 

Depending on your region, some Mums will start to bloom in late summer.   Many regions do not see Mum blooms until fall, but I wanted to include them here simply because they can and should be planted in the spring and you will want to select a place for them while planning your garden.

Planting mums in the spring also gives the plant time to acclimate to your soil and to deep root.   Susan Deppner not only asks the question  What to do With Mums in Spring, but provides answers from experts and fellow gardeners.

Summer Flowers with Side Benefits

 

Sunflowers are not only gorgeous summer blooms that are planted in the spring, but their seeds and tubers are edible.

Likewise,  the beauty of the Nasturtium flowers is noted above, but did you know that Nasturtiums are edible and can be used for flavoring in food?  

Here are a few more summer flowers that are also sources food and nutrition.

• Bee Balm
• Johnny Jump-ups 
• Lavender 
• Marigolds
• Roses
  
• Squash Blossoms
  

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I enjoy working and writing online.  There are so many wonderful articles shared by fellow online writers that encourage, inspire and teach freely.

Do you have an article about Summer Flowers that are planted in the spring that you would like to share?  Please leave the link in our guestbook below so we can visit your Summer Flowers article today.

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Spring Flowers and Plants Reviewed

Snowdrop Flower (Galanthus)

As the snow and ice start to melt, our hearts and minds yearn for spring and the beauty of spring flowers and plants.  Those of us who love to garden can hardly wait to be able to get outside and work in our flower beds.  To clean out the residual winter debris, to plant new flowers, to fertilize, and to just be able to breathe in that fabulous spring air that seems to cleanse our lungs of stale indoor recirculated air with each deep breath.

My mind is planning and my fingers are twitching to get to work as I look out my kitchen window.  My flower pots and beds are summoning me even as I write this article.  I can hardly wait to be greeted by the face of my most beautiful iris and to touch to fragile petals of my tulips.  Oh, truly the daffodils are calling from beneath the ice covered ground.

Can you hear the awakening of spring?  Do you long for the beauty of blooming gardens?  Then lets take a moment to plan, order and prepare for the glorious rebirth of nature just outside our doors.

Flowers to Plant in Spring

Many of our early spring flowers come from bulbs that would have been planted back in the fall.  However, there are a few that we can plant in early spring. 

• Pansy ~ The flower with a face is such a lovely addition to any garden.  It is perfect for flower beds and container gardening.
• Hydrangea ~ The hydrangea bush is a pretty big bush with beautiful large blooms that are actually clusters of tiny flowers.  They can be planted in early spring or early fall.  You will find planting instructions, care suggestions, as well as see a selection of hydrangeas at How to Grow Hydrangeas.
• Azaleas ~ Beauty and charm are the two word that come to mind when I think of Azaleas.  Having grown up in the South, Azaleas are simply part of my everyday world.  To such a degree, they are easy to take for granted.  You can learn all about proper care of Azaleas in this video on Southern Living.

Spring Plants

A spring garden would not be complete without those fabulous plants that often serve as background for our flowering plants.  The greenery in a garden is essential, but there are a few plants that truly stand out all on their own.

Lambs Ear Plant

• Lamb's Ear ~ Silver Carpet Lambs Ear is one of my personal favorites.  It is appropriately named because it feels like a little lambs ear when we touch it.  It is a very resilient plant that allows even small children to touch and feel.  The beauty of this plant far exceeds it's visual appeal. They flourish in many regions.

 

Spring Floral Arrangements

Part of the beauty of having you own flower garden is being able to step into your own backyard, cut a few flowers and make your own floral assorted arrangement to bring inside.  I typically like to do this when my flowers are fully bloomed, or right before a storm when I know the blooms will be shattered.

I recently discovered an article of inspiration on "Accenting Your Easter Bouquet with Dark-Hued Flowers".  Since I love "black" flowers, the ideas and suggestions in this article very much appeal to me.  I normally place a black flower in a single bud vase, but I was intrigued by the author of this article, Paula Atwell and I asked myself "why not include them in a bouquet?!!"


That is one of the things I love most about working online.  There are so many great ideas shared by fellow online writers that encourage, inspire, excite and teach freely.

Do you have an article about Spring Flowers that you would like to share?  Please leave the link in our guestbook below so we can visit your Spring Flowers article today.

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Recommended Reading for Small Space Gardeners

I am so excited that I can barely contain myself.   I have found something that I have to share with you.  I have found a nifty little magazine called Urban Farm: Sustainable City Living.  I am especially happy to have found this issue as the nights grow cold and the leaves begin to change in the mid-Atlantic.  Summer and gardening have begun to draw to a close.

All You Need wooden sign

Some of you are aware that I am a country girl, living in an urban (suburban) setting.  A few of you
are also aware that I try to grow a vegetable garden on my balcony and in my kitchen garden.  I'm not very good at it, but I've done great with tomatoes for two years in a row, and am currently having a great time finding uses for my sweet mint, rosemary, and jalepeno peppers.  

Over the decades, I have purchased many gardening magazines and how-to books.  Mother Earth News has been one of my favorite magazines.  But many times, with those magazines and books, I have had to read the articles and imagine the day that I own my own home again so that I can follow through with the things I've learned.  After all, no matter how much I plan and scheme, I cannot devise a way to raise chickens in my third floor apartment.

Imagine my happiness when I found this magazine that is dedicated to  folks who live in limited space but want a more self-reliant lifestyle.  

I purchased the September/October 2014 issue of the Urban Farm.  Some of the titles include:

• Framing Out the Cold (small cold frames)
• Storage Wards (storing your harvest without a root cellar)
• Behind the Scenes Inside the Hive
• A Dry Idea (how to dry and preserve tomatoes)
• Wild Gardens (a foraging garden with wild edibles)
• Shared Spaces (the urban farm movement)

Photograph by Ken Scicluna

All of the articles have been informative and interesting. I was especially drawn to the small cold frames article.  While I dream of own my own larger greenhouse, such as the one Diana Wenzel shows us how to Do-It-Yourself in her article, I have to deal with my reality.  And my reality is that I have a 9' x 5' balcony and one good but small space at my kitchen window for gardening.  I also live in Maryland.  I have a longer growing season than I had when I lived in northern Indiana, but it's still not as long as I would like.

The article in Urban Farmer shows "farmers" like myself how to use cold frames to make microclimates to extend the growing season.  While I've known about cold frames for years, I always imagine the large hoop style that commercial nurseries use.  There is one photograph in the Urban Farm article that shows a small cold frame insulated in snow with a single light bulb for additional heat and light. The remainder of the article and photographs already have me imagining and planning for my own cold frame on my balcony.  Extending my growing season has just become my new reality.  You can bet good money that I'll be out there before the end of the week, starting some sort of mini-cold frame.

If you are a gardener, no matter the space available to you - acres or inches - I highly recommend that you check  out this nifty little magazine.  Either at the bookstore or at Urban Farm Online.

Written by Dawn Rae

Disclosure: In affiliation with AllPosters.com, Dawn Rae is a blogger and content writer who may earn compensation from the sale of AllPosters products.   I am in no way affiliated with Urban Farm magazine nor do I profit from it's sales.  

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Getting Ready for a Wonderful Winter with the Birds!

The year is very quickly coming to an abrupt halt!  What I mean of course is the summer of 2014!  It seems like just yesterday when we were all out in our gardens looking for signs of life after a winter that left most of us feeling very, very cold.

Because last years winter was so cold, I decided it's time to review what we should be doing to help our little feathered friends make it through another winter season, so that when it is finished, they can herald in the spring of 2015!

Keeping the birds happy through the winter months really isn't too difficult.  Just make sure that if you start a routine of feeding the birds, please continue it throughout the whole year.  Many people don't believe in feeding the birds, they are of the mind that there is plenty out there for them already.

I personally think, that if I feed the birds, they will know that my yard is the one that they should keep on their radar, because I like them so much, I will do whatever it takes to keep them coming back!

So without further adieu, I'd like to present some reading material that you should find interesting and helpful.  Hopefully it will result in you making the effort to see what you can see, when you put out some food for the birds.
The Best Bird Feeders Ever

And then when you are at a comfort level with that kind of bird feeder, there are always some Suet Feeders and Suet Cakes to make for our feathered friends.  Here you will find a basic recipe for Suet cakes, and lots of additional items for your special little friends.

Super-Easy-Suet-Cakes-for-Winter-Bird Feeding

The hope is that with more people feeding the birds through the year, we will have a great time seeing and watching our native birds, even as they entertain us through the coldest months of the year.

Hope you are on board to enjoying just a little bit of Mother Nature's gifts to us.

Mid-August and the Bounty of the Garden means IT"S TIME TO SHARE!

Have you ever just stopped and thought, "Where is all the time going?"  It seems like just yesterday we were discussing what we were going to grow in our gardens and now we are starting to reap what we have sown!

For some of us that means a bounty of beans, peas, beets, tomatoes and zucchini!  It seems that anyone who has planted zucchini, is now trying to find friends and neighbors who don't have any.  That's what gardeners do, they share the bounty that Mother Nature is providing after finding a hundred ways to prepare zucchini.

But the bounty of the garden isn't all we share, we also share our delight in this years garden, while dreaming of the garden that is to come next year.  So many of us are also sharing the seeds from this years plants, getting a head start on what will come next year.

To that end,  I hope you find a few of these reviews interesting and informative.

Let's start with this years garden and all the bounty that is found therein......
Basil Garlic Pesto Recipe  Use all the herbs that are growing in leaps and bounds.  Don't let them go to waste!

For goodness all year long that started in your garden you could try this, How To Freeze Rhubarb  Nothing says loving like something from the garden to the freezer to the table.

For all those who are reaping an abundance of peppers, you can do this with the red or green varieties and I'm sure your family will love them.  How to Roast Red Peppers

Jaguar Julie's got a vegetable that many people don't like, but try them in her recipes and maybe, just maybe your taste buds will thank you!  I Love Brussels Sprouts : 5 plus 2 Fabulous and Tasty Recipes

There are lots of things growing in the garden and I know for a fact that zucchini is probably one of the most prolific plants.  It's green and good for you, but what do you do with all the abundance? 

Now when all is said and done with the vegetables,  there is also a lot happening with the flower garden too!  It's time to collect seeds and keep them for a beautiful garden next year.  Get out there and start saving something from the present, to add to the future.   If you have never done this before,  there are some great ideas here to help you get started. The Time is Ripe for Seed Saving

Well, I'm hoping that I have given you just a few ideas on how to make the most of your garden abundance with an eye to the future.  Gardeners are the most optimistic people in the world, if it doesn't work this year, there is always next year!


Hope you enjoyed the review, I am the Weekend Gardener Contributor, come join me and many others, who write about what they love!

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Gardeners not only Know all the Dirt, they have the Best Tools to spread it around too!

The first set of garden tools ever created are right at the end of each of your arms.   I don't know a gardener anywhere,  who hasn't made use of those ten fingers to dig, pull, make rows, and then plant seeds.

Unfortunately, those ten fingers will only get you so far and then you need to bring in the big tools. Every Gardener that I know also has his or her own set of favorite tools that help in their task of creating beauty in the space they call home. If you are new to gardening, acquiring your first tools might just be a little easier if you do some reading right here!

Charlino knows how to get rid of weeds in a non-harmful to the environment way!   Check out her posting right here:  The Best Chemical Free Method Of Ridding Your Yard Of Weeds

If that's not a good enough start there is always some tools from other countries that might help you with any gardening chores you might have.  Check out Nejiri Kama, Japanese Sickle  or the other favorite Japanese gardening tool, one that I happen to really love and use daily:  Sharp Tools are Required, Sometimes

Among other things to do in the garden with your tools is to set up your space.  This of all things can be the most daunting.  It's not enough to have some dirt,  you do need to keep in mind what your plants are going to need as far as sunlight, watering and other needs to get you growing in the right direction.  Having a plan sometimes helps!  Books are a great resource and can help to kindle the desire to help nature be everything it can be.  Planning and executing can be the most interesting part of your new garden and can be done in the months that aren't quite spring or summer yet! Or if you have tried and weren't quite happy with the results, then some books can help you make it better next year.  Gardeners are the eternal optimists.  Whatever didn't work this year, will work next year for sure........

There is a host of good reading available at the Weekend Gardener's Contributor page Weekend Gardeners/Weekend Warriors


When you think you are ready,  it's time to move on to the real joy of gardening and literally reaping the fruits of your labor.  Here are some great tips for having the best tomatoes you could ever dream of.   13 Tips for Growing Better Tomatoes

Hopefully you will find something here that will make your time in the garden productive and pleasurable too!

Happy Growing!

p.s.  there is a ton of information for gardeners of all skill levels at the Weekend Gardener's page on Facebook, come and like us there or visit Pinterest  for even more!


Weekend Gardener on Pinterest

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Gardening is Therapeutic

Gardening is a wonderful way to spend time in nature without anyone or anything there to undo your sense of calm and contentedness.   Gardening is Therapeutic in so many ways!  Not only is it therapeutic,  but you get to create and enjoy the labors of your work.  Now that could be sitting by the garden and admiring all the beautiful flowers or it could mean having a nice fresh salad with vegetables that you helped to grow!

I can't think of a better way to have beauty and bounty all in one place at the same time.  Oh how wonderful it is to garden.

In order to get that garden to that state though requires some work, and work requires tools.  Oh of course we have our two hands,  but there are tools that Gardeners just must have and to that end I would like to make some suggestions, gently pointing you to some of the tools that we just can't live without!

Review these tools and if there is something that you really need, read on and put them on your "Gardening Bucket List"  who knows, there just might be a new tool to make your gardening chores easier and more rewarding than it already is......


No home should be without at least one of these. I have a couple, one for me and one for my other half, that way we aren't fighting for the same tool at the same time.......he has his and I have mine and we will battle the weeds together....The Best Chemical Free Method Of Ridding Your Yard Of Weeds


Having a Garden also means that sometimes you will need to dig. Nothing makes that job easier than a good Garden Fork. See for yourself how this tool will make some job easier.....A garden fork does many jobs

Those tools are for some of the harder work,  but there are tools that will help you to enjoy the beauty in the garden too.  Just see what a good pair of garden nippers can do:
Ratchet Secateurs

Then there are the tools that are used in other parts of the world, that have found a home here too!  One of my personal favorites is a Japanese Sickle.  I love this tool!
Nejiri Kama Japanese Sickle

This is a short list of tools that will make gardening a real pleasure.  If you have a favorite tool that you would like to see featured, then write about it and let me know so that after all is said and done, we will have a great list of wonderful tools for every garden everywhere.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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I am the Weekend Gardener Contributor

Hi, I'm known as GrammieO and I am the Weekend Gardener Contributor.

Let me put this right out there:  I am not happy unless I have some dirt stuck under my fingernails at some point in the day! 

  

There I’ve said it.  Now this doesn’t mean that I go around with dirty hands or anything like that, but the feel of the earth on my hands is like a salve that takes all my troubles away.

  

Short of Parenthood, I don’t know of any other miracles that we are allowed to partake in.  Parenthood lets you (two) become the makers of a new life. 

  

Gardening lets you take a little seed, with all its Genetic Materials wrapped tightly inside it, and nurture it to life as a plant, that will bear many more seeds just like itself.

  

Gardeners help to color the world with their own special brand of flowers and help feed our families and friends with the abundance, from our gardens.

  

I have been a gardener for a very long time.  My parents started us off, by making us help weed the vegetable gardens.  Our home grown tomatoes were the best!  While I was young, I’m not sure that I had the same appreciation for getting my hands dirty.  Over the years though, that has changed.

  

I love to garden, help other people learn about gardening, encourage others to try something new and share all the beauty that is out there.  Come join me and a great bunch of others, as we learn and grow, not only our gardens, but also our minds, bodies and souls.

  

After all,  I think that was how I was made the Weekend Gardener. I have two lists of gardening tools and products that need to be reviewed and I would welcome you to join in the fun.  Tell us what you like about any one of the things you see on either list, write about your experiences and I will make sure that everyone sees what you have to offer.  I will promote your writings on Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest so that all your great ideas will be shared.

Gardening has been a passion of mine for the last 40 years or more. Now don't start adding the years to figure out how old this Grammie is....cause I'll tell you!  I will be 60 this coming 4th of July, so get the fireworks ready.

I love to share gardening ideas, tools, plants, best practices and anything else that makes gardening more enjoyable.

When I find something I like, I Pin it on Pinterest







If you have something that would interest other Gardeners, please don't hesitate to reach out and let me know.  I'm only too happy to spread around the beauty that I find in nature.

Come and check out some of the best ways to make things grow in your garden, right here!

As well as having dirt under your fingernails, you will end up with so many interesting ways to make your garden a beautiful place.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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A Rolling Stone Occasionally Stops to Gather Moss and Other Vegetation

As much as I would like to explore each nook and cranny of the Mid-Atlantic region during my every waking moment, there are times that I need to remain home and get things done. I miss the adventures when I don't wander but the silver lining of staying close to home is that I get to work on some of my other hobbies.

Tomatoes grown indoors after frost

In addition to hiking, camping, and sight-seeing, I dream of living a sustainable and small lifestyle somewhere off-grid.  Currently, that dream feels as though it will always remain a distant and hazy vision. A fantasy.  Then when I spend time “gardening”,  it suddenly feels as though my dream of taking the middleman out of feeding myself is closer to being true than I had thought.

For the past two weekends, I have spent a bit of time preparing my balcony for this season’s vegetable garden.   I moved here in the heat of the summer last year but even so, I started a balcony vegetable garden almost immediately.  

Cold weather came quickly and I moved my tomatoes indoors. Luckily, I had great success with the inexpensive kitchen garden lighting I chose. 

I am so excited that another growing season has arrived and I am working hard to make more space for vegetables by going vertical.

If you are interested in gardening (either in the yard or in containers) I strongly recommend that you search out our gardening experts on Squidoo. I am only listing four links to Squidoo gardening experts here.  However, there are many, many more garden gurus in our writing community.  

• AnnaMKB has excellent tips about balcony gardening. 
• JaguarJulie is the backyard garden contributor.    
• A list of 5 gardening lenses of various Squidoo contributors 
• A fantastic garden planter idea from angelatvs 

I hope you enjoyed my brief break from wandering across the mid-Atlantic.  I would love to hear from you, how does your garden grow?

Image Credit: Images are mine ©Dawn Rae – All Rights Reserved (Click on photo for larger view)

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Easter Craft Egg-Citement!

Easter Blessings!

It's not too late to get crafting for Easter - we have been busy making little chicks, coloring in Easter bunny paper dolls and even making some little chocolate eggs of our own with a chocolate mold.  

The past week we have also made baskets for an egg hunt, and were lucky enough to attend a willow weaving workshop at our local zoo, where we learned how to make these bird nests pictured! These make a lovely Easter gift, with a knitted bird or two and some pretty foiled eggs. 

This time of year is a haven for crafty ideas - spring is in the air, nature is abundant with bits and bobs to use in crafting, and we have Easter and Earth Day to inspire us! Tomorrow we're going to combine the two events by recycling the pretty colored foil that my children's Easter hunt eggs were wrapped in (below), and using them to create some kind of object or collage. We've not decided yet! 

Hubpages is the perfect place to find Easter craft ideas, or to write your own how-to's and reviews! Whether you want inspiration for a craft, or want to see how you can share your own ideas, take a look at some of these terrific pages. 

Older preschoolers might like to help (or receive!) these Resurrection Easter Eggs, demonstrated by ideadesigns. And if you're all out of painting and decorating eggs enthusiasm by now, why not try something different, such as this great idea by prosperity66, who shows you how to make Easter Bells from plant pots!

Finally, I love this tutorial from KyraB. Now spring is here, we are itching to get gardening, and have been looking at making a fairy garden in a barrel and a terrarium. So her lens on How to Make a Christian Easter Planter seemed like perfect timing for getting crafty with planting, with an Easter theme!

I was delighted to see my Chick in Egg Easter Cards tutorial selected as Lens of the Day today! This is a great craft for little ones as you can keep it simple (a colored chick in a plain egg) or have fun decorating, coloring or painting it to the hilt! 

I am also delighted to have been blessed with the new regular position of Saturday poster for Review This, so from next weekend you will be able to find reviews, tips, inspirations and ideas from Little Crafty Kids here every week! 

Once again, have a Happy Easter, and happy crafting!  

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Cultivating Green

Window Farm Photo by Josh Kalish

In a world of constant change, there are some things that remain with us over the course of our lives.  In my case, two of those enduring things, which aren’t really things at all, are a love for words and farming.  Since I was a young girl, I have had an abiding need for planting words and seeds.

Though I live in the country now, that wasn’t always the case.  For much of my life I lived in some of the largest urban centers in our country (Chicago, Houston, and San Antonio).  I never imagined living or thriving while surrounded by vast acres of concrete.  It seems one does adapt when necessary.

As Squidoo’s Green Living Contributor, I often receive comments on my articles from those who yearn to live as I do—off the grid, in the country, surrounded by wide, open spaces.  I often hear it said that it isn’t possible to live green at the moment.  Sometimes it is a matter of needing to be near family or work.  These green yearning souls have set their own longings aside, having deferred their dreams (perhaps indefinitely).

What I have learned, though, is that urban farming is not only entirely possible, it is a hugely popular phenomenon that could ultimately be one of the most important movements of our generation.  Without much more than eight square feet of light, these city dwellers, known as “window farmers,” have found a way to cultivate their green (both an inner and outer greening).

This week, as I read Paradise Lot, a book about two plant geeks who converted a desolate city space into an abundantly thriving garden of Eden, I thought of others who have created their own means of cultivating green wherever they happen to dwell.

My friend Dawn Rae shows you can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl.  She gardens in a big city apartment. LindaJM presents the possibilities of Window Farming 101.  Kari Spencer, of the Micro Farm Project, demonstrates how she turned her small urban yard into a true showcase.

As I sit here by the window tapping away on my laptop, nurturing little wordlings, still just tiny sprouts, I am cultivating the kind of green that makes my life a garden paradise.  How will you cultivate your green today? 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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