Author: Stephi

A Disturbance at the Birdfeeders

Many of us are used to having unwelcome visitors to our feeders and gardens. Squirrels, rabbits, even deer are common visitors to our yards.   Whole businesses are out there dedicated to creating garden pest deterrents and squirrel-proof bird feeders.  But, nothing is a match for what came to visit Peggy's feeders. Here's a before... Then, one … Continue reading A Disturbance at the Birdfeeders

Summer Stir Fry: Swiss Chard and Radish

We've tried so many delicious stir fry recipes this summer using vegetables fresh from my garden and the farmers market. One of my favorites is swiss chard and radishes. I'm not really much of a radish fan, but my daughter convinced me to try them sautéed, or in a stir fry. I'm hooked! What a mild, … Continue reading Summer Stir Fry: Swiss Chard and Radish

Powdery Mildew Attack

With the damp spring and summer we had, some powdery mildew was almost inevitable.  Question was, where was it going to hit?  The vegetables like squash, cucumbers, zucchini, or tomatoes, or the flowers like zinnias, sunflowers, or phlox?  Almost every plant is susceptible to this common set of fungi.   On most plants, it looks like … Continue reading Powdery Mildew Attack

Harvesting the Cabbage

This was my first attempt at growing cabbage.  I never had the space before, so with the new vegetables beds I thought I would give them a try.  I first tried to grow them from seeds, but with the weird spring we had, like a lot of of my in-ground seeds I planted originally they didn't sprout. … Continue reading Harvesting the Cabbage

Making Sauce on a Sunny Day

Now that it's finally warm, it's the perfect time to make some tomato sauce with the beautiful garden tomatoes. Well not really, but this has been a great year for my tomatoes and I need to get them harvested. I have lots of tasty San Marzano Roma, Early Girl slicing tomatoes and tons of Super Sweet … Continue reading Making Sauce on a Sunny Day

August Garden Surprises

I took a walk around the yard today just checking everything out. It must have been a while I'd done that, since I had quite a few, luckily mostly pleasant, surprises. This Rose Of Sharon has always grown in the shadow of surrounding trees which are no longer there.  I never understood why it was … Continue reading August Garden Surprises

Curled Leaves on the Bushes

Earlier in the spring, I began to notice that many, but not all, of my bushes in the front yard (Dwarf Korean Lilacs,  Judd Viburnum, Boxwoods, Burning Bushes, Annabelle Hydrangea) were looking a bit unhealthy. Their leaves were oddly curling and looking dry, even though we'd had plenty of rain. The worst was one of … Continue reading Curled Leaves on the Bushes