Southern dreaming

This time of year I dream of living in the South. It was -21 degrees F a couple of days ago, and yesterday’s high didn’t crack zero, so when I interviewed a gentleman in Texas who deals with the…

The puppy in the garden

Look at that face. Is that the mug of a garden destroyer? It certainly is! This is the pup we’re going to pick up in about a month. When we visited the breeder a week ago to meet the parents and pick…

The puppy in the garden

Look at that face. Is that the mug of a garden destroyer? It certainly is! This is the pup we’re going to pick up in about a month. When we visited the breeder a week ago to meet the parents and pick…

Bye, bye birdies!

I went to a wonderful local toy store this afternoon to a buy a paper refill for the boys’ easel, and chuckled when I watched a woman carefully pick out 2 plastic snakes. She noticed my expression…

(Not-so) spooky spiders!

I thought I’d give a nod to Halloween since it’s right around the corner, and talk about the web-weavers that inhabit the garden. This summer our place was a veritable playground for spiders – you…

Trying to stay positive

With constant calls on various pests in the garden – grasshoppers, earwigs and other plagues of nature – it can be a downer. I’ve been trying to look at the positive insect life in the garden to keep…

Stop the spread of the Asian Longhorned Beetle

China’s in the news a lot lately about what they send over to us, and it’s not always cheap sneakers. One of their latest exports looks like something out of a horror movie. The Asian Longhorned…

Bringing out the bigger guns to battle cabbage loopers and hoppers

I’m losing my mind this year. Between the grasshoppers and the cabbage loopers, many of my vegetables look like someone peppered it with buckshot, at best, and completely skeletonized at the worst. I…

The lack of pollination affects squash development

You know how I’m always harping about being light on the pesticides so you don’t kill the beneficial insects? When your zucchini, squash or cucumbers start growing a cute little fruit that eventually…

Keeping the leaf eaters off of hops and Virginia creeper

I love vines. Anything that overtakes an ugly fence is a must-have in my book. We have a fenced back yard, which is lovely for the kids and the dog, but frankly, I think it’s hideous. Two of my…

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