Fall: 7 top tasks for a healthy & fabulous spring

by barbNo Comments
To gardeners in zones with winter frosts and freezes, fall means lots of work and preparation for a healthy and spectacular spring garden. The drier days and cooler nights give the ideal combination for your yards and gardens to rest up for growth in the spring. (Gardeners in more moderate climates prepare as well.) Here are the top tasks for my backyard: (more…)...
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Berry Sauce for Toasted Marshmallows

by barb2 Comments
Bringing the family and friends together on a crisp autumn eve has a memory making potential few experiences can beat. My good friend (and garden guru), Carter, developed this recipe for an autumn evening around the backyard fire-pit. So, fire up the fire-pit and gather round to toast marshmallows with an unbelievable berry sauce. An added touch - if you have the pleasure of growing blackberry or raspberry vines in your backyard - add a couple of the pruned vines to the fire. They add a sparkle to the blaze that's added beauty. (more…)...
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Wild turkeys, oh my!

Wild turkeys, oh my!

by admin2 Comments
On the way to pay another visit to Mike & Kathy's backyard, we drove near a lake in southwestern Indiana and came across these beautiful wild turkeys. I'd never seen any before. They are very large, and incredibly graceful in flight. No wonder Ben Franklin chose them as his pick for the national bird. This group had three birds. Later, we saw a larger flock of about ten or twelve turkeys. We took this photo of the largest one from the first group.  As we got closer it led the other two in flight to the nearest (safe) tree. Mike said they were virtually extinct around here a few years ago, but a local group of volunteers worked to bring them back. And they have. (more…)...
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Tips for saving cash on organic compost and manure

Tips for saving cash on organic compost and manure

by barb1 Comment
If you prefer to purchase bags of soil and manure: here's a tip for saving money. Walk past the brightly colored bags of brand names in the front of the store or garden center and head to the back rows. The brand names will tout "organic soil", "organic garden soil" and such. But, the bags in the back will be rich and organic as well. And a whole lot cheaper. (more…)...
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