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Get Your Porch Organized and Decorated for Fall

Fall is fun! There is nothing like the crisp air, the bright colors, and the last push for outdoor adventures before the cold winds of winter start bringing everyone in doors. While you can still enjoy the outside, why not get your porch organized and decorated for Fall? Fall is a great excuse for decorating, but who has the motivation when the front porch is filled with clutter and debris? This area sets the first impression whenever anyone visits your home. Start by removing everything from your porch, so you can clean the floors. Shake out those rugs, use a … Continue reading →

We’re Putting in a Garden!

Yesterday was the first day that it actually felt like spring here in Pennsylvania. The daffodils actually bloomed, and we could walk around without our heavy coats and sweatshirts and sweaters. I parked the car in the driveway, in the sun, and got it cleaned out while my youngest and I waited for the kindergarten bus. All very nice, but the biggest development came later. After work, my husband started planning out a garden. Planning out a garden is something that he and I have been talking about for a while. Growing some of our own produce is a great … Continue reading →

Why We Started Gardening for Food

After many years of talking about it, we are actually going to put in a food garden. This is a big step for us. I’m originally from Queens, NY, and my husband is from Joisey (new Jersey). There isn’t a lot of gardening going on there (although New Jersey is the self-proclaimed garden state). It is time, though, with food prices going higher, and our desire to eat organic produce, we can’t put it off any longer. The initial investment of putting in a garden should pay off for our family for years. We are going to start out small … Continue reading →

Another Citizen Loses a Garden Due to City Codes

During World War II, the government pushed Victory Gardens – gardens planted in public areas and residencies to help feed people during the war efforts.  Today, it seems that many gardeners are seeing the wrath of the government when it comes to residential gardens Not long ago, I told you about the plight of the Helvengstons, a couple in Orlando who have been told by local government to dig up their front yard vegetable garden. Doing a little research, I found that there are several citizens who have been asked to get rid of their gardens – or worse Denise … Continue reading →

Five Free Fun Ideas Your Family Probably Isn’t Doing

By now you know how to save money on family fun, but are you really taking advantage of all of the fun family free stuff that is out there? There are plenty of things to do, to see and to learn that can be geared toward the different talents and interests of yourself, your kids and the family as a whole. If your family isn’t doing them, you could be losing out on a lot of free fun. 1. Join free classes and clubs. There are a number of free classes and clubs out there, just waiting for someone to … Continue reading →

Now’s the Time to Prune!

Deck the halls with loads of branches! It’s pruning time again. Actually, you can prune many different sorts of plants at many times of the year. What we’re talking about is winter pruning. Winter time is a quiet time for plants. Many deciduous plants have already lost their leaves and have gone dormant. This means that they are no longer actively growing and making food. Winter pruning means that you prune trees and shrubs while they are dormant. If you prune deciduous trees and shrubs in the winter, this will help them grow more in the spring. Winter pruning reduces … Continue reading →

It’s Fall – Time to Redesign Your Garden Space

What are you thankful for today? Today, I am thankful for my new garden up the road – a borrowed garden in someone else’s yard that is so much sunnier than my own. I’ve been having a lot of fun experimenting with mulching techniques and garden design. In my own small garden, I’ve had to be quite creative about space. I live in a townhouse with a tiny yard, and my tiny yard doesn’t really have room for a big garden bed. For a few years, I tried having a garden bed, but it just didn’t make sense. It was … Continue reading →

Four Not-So-Spooky Garden Helpers

Boo! It’s Halloween, and I’ve been walking into a lot of spider webs in the garden lately. This is one of the hazards of being tall: spiderwebs up the nose. Many of us are afraid of spiders, and I must admit to being a little less than friendly to them myself. Yet I love them when they’re creeping and climbing around their native environment. Their webs are beautiful, and they’re a very beneficial animal to have in the garden. Many so-called scary garden critters might seem odd to us, but I’m sure that we’d look really odd to them too. … Continue reading →

5 Unusual Uses for Your Halloween Pumpkin

Pumpkins, pumpkins: tis the season for these orange-colored balls of seasonal goopiness. It’s time to carve them and eat them and turn them into everything imaginable. If you like pumpkins, here are some ideas that go a little bit beyond the ordinary. 5 Unusual Uses for Pumpkins Flower Pot There’s something better than flowers: it’s autumn flowers in a pumpkin! Use your carved pumpkin to house a fall arrangement, and it will make your front porch look delightfully festive. Candle holder I’m loving those little gourds-turned-candleholders. Get a wee pumpkin, carve it out, and place a candle in the middle. … Continue reading →

Storing Garden Seeds for the Winter

If you’re a gardener, you likely have a stash of seeds. If you’re anything like me, these seeds vary from nice, neat and labeled packages gleaned from stores and friends to roughly-made envelopes with penciled names on them. Whether the seeds are gleaned from your own garden plants or from the garden store, you’ll want to keep them safe this winter so that you can plant them in the spring. Label your seeds so that you know what you have and where it came from. If you have more details about planting and growing that plant, add notes to your … Continue reading →