The Magnolia trees are pink, cottony beauties right now, the dogwoods are just beginning to get their buds and the crocus and hyacinth are wafting the air with the sweet scents of spring. Area gardeners share with us their perennial favorites that emerge in the spring, please read Favorite Spring Perennials to get inspired to try new flora and remind yourself of the reasons you love spring!

Hi everyone, if you were able to tune into the live chat hosted by the Lawrence Journal World here are some added pieces of literature to read in order to get a more indepth understanding of the conversations that took place. We talked about amending the soil to get ready to plant a vegetable garden, for more please read Adding Organic Matter. We spoke about berries, for more please read Lawson Brothers Farm. To learn more about grasses that grow well in Lawrence, check out Buffalograss. And lastly, for attracting butterflies and birds to the garden please refer to, Attracting Birds and Butterfly Gardening. I hope this is helpful and please, keep asking those questions and sharing great ideas you’d like to read about or gardens around the area that you would like to sneak a peek of.

Wow, it is March! Now is a great time to plant some cool-loving annuals in your barren pots to add a fabulous splash of color and give you that oomph of adrenaline that comes with the onslaught of spring. These cool seeking flora are some of the most gorgeous Mother Nature has to offer, with the little faces of the pansy and viola to the fluffy dianthus blooms. To learn more about these annuals and others read, Cold Season Annuals. As we take long strolls in the evenings, be sure to be one of the first to dress up your entry and invite spring into your world a little early.

I must admit February has never been one of my favorite months as a gardener and artist in Kansas…it is brown, dormant, dull and cold, ugh. I think what gets me through is knowing that March is right around the corner and that is when the rebirth of the earth begins. In the meantime, today is a great day to scoop out the ashes in the fireplace and carry a load of wood inside so it stays dry for the upcoming frigid week.

The sun is beaming through the windows beckoning us to step outside, then ouch, oh that deceiving sun…it is in the single digits and there is nothing the sun can do about it. As gardening is generally out of the question, we are going to the park to ice skate on the outdoor rink. Frovolity will prevail and that is as it should be on a Saturday.  Later a nice cozy fire should hit the spot.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I want you to spread the word to everyone in your address book so we can create an interactive discussion about all things gardening. I am hear to listen to ideas and if you have gardening questions, I am here to answer those queries. So, please take a moment and let me know what you think and then pass this site address on to as many gardeners as you know.

After writing about the subject for almost 4 years now it seemed appropriate to compile a place where people can read past articles and give me their opinions. I am extremely excited and I sincerely hope we take over the internet as THE premier blog to talk about the home and garden.

Thank you and enjoy!

There are snowflakes dancing through the air providing a dusted layer of white to accent this chilly day. Wednesday’s are orchid day, I gather my phalaenopsis and cattleya giving them a good misting and their weekly dose of fertilizer and water.

Burr, it is 11 degrees outside today with a windchill that makes it feel like negative 5 degrees, so as far as gardening goes…I say, “stay indoors”. This would be a great opportunity to clean up dead leaves from your houseplants. Did you know that dead matter on plants wastes the plants energy sending it to leaves that are already dead. So, pluck those babies off and get your plants looking their best. Make some hot tea or hot chocolate and admire nature from the confines of a warm home.

Well, the time has come and with accelerated anticipation we are about ready to launch into what will hopefully be one of the best gardening sources available on the web! A welcome forum to express what you want to know, questions you would like addressed and ideas you feel would make for a rivating rant. I will soon provide a monthly calendar where on any given day you can see the tasks that are begging to be accomplished out in the yard.

Today, it is overcast and cold. The snow is sticking to the earth far longer than most winter spells in Kansas, this of course excites the architects of the snowman and the renegade sledders. I am taking this opportunity to muscle up my dry wood pile by lugging soggy logs into the basement to dry out. A good gardening task for today.