The basil in my garden is growing like crazy and looks beautiful.  This year I planted a Genovese heirloom basil which has become my new favorite variety.  It is a large leafed Italian basil that I got from Baker Creek, and I started it indoors in March and transplanted out into my garden mid-May.  Basil [...]

Here is a little peek at how the garden is growing.  I have to say that so far it looks pretty good, and I am loving having fresh, healthy vegetables and fruit in my own backyard. I am very excited about my heriloom tomato varieties this year!  This one is a Black Krim Tomato. Yellow [...]

In a recent post I shared how to correctly plant tomato transplants to give them a good start in your garden.  Here is the next step to healthy, productive tomato plants. Many people use cages around their tomatoes and maybe you have too.  The problem with cages is that they take up lots of garden [...]

My Master Gardener Mama is back to share some great tips for planting your own flower pots to make stunning arrangements. Now that most greenhouses are in full swing, it is a perfect time to get going on your containers. Containers are are a fun and easy way to add color and interest to almost [...]

A little over a week ago I finally got my tomatoes in the ground.  I started them a bit too early this year so my planting shelf was turning into a jungle, and it was a bit of a chore to shuttle them in and out as I was hardening them off.  They are now [...]

While my garden is decent sized, I am still always looking for ways to save space.  I talked about vertical gardening a bit last season, and last year I grew tomatoes, cucumbers, and some pole beans using vertical methods.  After deciding that I wanted more beans this year, I decided to double my pole beans [...]

My Master Gardener Mama is back with some tips on how to add some pizazz to your outdoor hanging baskets. Ever wonder how they get those hanging baskets to look so full and round? The answer is side-planting. If you have an endless gardening budget you can purchase baskets and liners with precut holes specifically [...]

My yard is very, very sandy.  Like, living in a sandbox, sandy.  When I put in my raised beds I knew I was going to have moisture problems and have spent the last couple years bringing in peat, compost, and manure to try to fix my soil issues.  Still, with all that I still have [...]

My mama, the Master Gardener, is back to share some helpful tips on getting your plants ready to go into the garden! Whether you start your own plants from seed or purchase them, it is a temptation to head out to the garden on the first nice day and transplant them. But plopping your little [...]

My Master Gardener Mama (a.k.a Motherhen) is here to share some great tips for planting potatoes.  Not only is she a certified Master Gardener, she is also a seasoned potato planting veteran and has years of personal gardening experience. Potatoes are an easy crop to grow and are one the the first things that can [...]