Signs of Spring and a seed starting guide
Read MoreA Spring Cutting Garden Grow Along!
Happy February, Friends!
As I write this, the snow is melting from last weekend, but it is clearly still covering the ground and there is a decided chill in the air. I discovered today that voles have been at work in The Orchard and ate the entire root system of one of my apple trees, so I have to think about that unfortunate situation! But aside from that unpleasant discovery, all is well here.
I held off on my monthly update, because I had a very fun announcement to make: I am doing a Cutting Garden Grow Along with my partner, Botanical Interests! If you have ever wished you could have a cutting garden, let’s start one together!
All of the details can be found in this blog post:
And the seed list is available here:
A cutting garden can be any size, and I chose seeds which will work in most zones. There are flowers for every climate, but choose what you like to grow. And choose what will work where you are, too!
I will be posting all kinds of content both on Instagram and on YouTube for the Grow Along, and I’ll post updates here as well. Be sure to subscribe and follow on Instagram and YouTube to stay up to date!
If you have questions about the Grow Along, don’t hesitate to ask!
And here’s your February Gardening Checklist, too!
OMG! Big News!
More content in new places!
Read MoreHello, September!
Happy September! I was taking a dip in our stock tank pool today over lunch and marveling at how quickly the summer passed. We were so busy, and time simply flew by! I hope you are well and are enjoying some beautiful days. I am already starting to see signs of the changing seasons — migrating birds, browning grass heads — even as we are finally reaching a harvest in the vegetable garden.
Our unseasonably mild and wet summer, while absolutely delightful for gardening, has meant a later harvest of tomatoes and cucumbers and nearly NO dahlias so far. It has been a strange summer here to be sure.
But I am so thankful for all of the moisture, and the new Wildlife Garden is THRIVING because of the rain. Planning a big project like this feels a bit like playing the lottery. We could have had a dry, ghastly summer like Texas has had which would have made keeping these little plants alive and thriving much more labor intensive: more watering, providing artificial shade, and worrying. Instead, the rain has allowed all of those little plants from High Country Gardens to reach into the soil, put down their roots, and even BLOOM!
To learn more about this exciting new project, check out the new Wildlife Garden section of the website!
There is also still room in my new class: The Art of the Word! Sign up before it is filled up, though! I’m so excited to be teaching this again, and I hope you’ll join us for this live Zoom class in October. More info here:
Did you see the Blue Moon the other night? Here it is shining over the Shade House — magnificent!
The Shade House is one of our favorite places to be these days — cool and shady and so comfortable all day long.
I will have some BIG news to share with you next week, so stay tuned for that. I’m really, really excited about this! I mean: really excited! That’s why this is in BOLD! OMG! You’ll see it first on Instagram, so be sure you are following me there.
Until then, I have some other exciting news to share! HoseLink, one of my partners, is having a month-long sale: 10% off all watering and gardening 😊 Retractable Hose Reels, Weed Puller, Secateurs, Sprinklers, you get the idea – all 10% off! I genuinely LOVE my HoseLink hose reels, and I highly recommend them. And their sprinklers are fab, too!
Here’s my affiliate link in case you are going to do some shopping:
Go get those discounts!
OK. Stay tuned for the BIG news next week — it’s exciting! And until then, happy gardening and happy September!
Cheers!
Angela
New Gardening Project: The Wildlife Garden
Not only is the first of August gone, but I’ve missed the 15th, too! It’s been a busy month — and a good one, though.
It’s my birthday month, and I started off with some celebrating and travel to Las Vegas. A highlight? The Neon Museum after dark with sooo many great examples of signage from Vegas history on display. I highly recommend it! Vegas isn’t really my scene, but I went with a dear friend to see Adele in concert — which is very much my thing!
But it hasn’t all been fun and games around here! While I was playing, the garden was doing it’s thing, and I came home to weeds and overgrown beds and all the rest. So, I’ve been working feverishly to get things back into shape. That’s the problem with vacation: the gardening fairies never show up to take care of things while I’m gone!
But the Amaranth and sunflowers that I planted this year are stealing my heart! Both are native North American plants. Amaranth is actually a grain, but the flowers and seedheads are so sculptural and glorious, that they make huge, beautiful bouquets. Add some sunflowers — well, it is spectactular!
The Wildlife Garden is coming along beautifully! While I am doing a LOT of weeding, the plants are absolutely thriving. I have started a whole section about the Wildlife Garden here on MidModernMama. Not only will there be information here, but also on HighCountryGardens.com. And, of course, I’ll be doing updates on Instagram as well.
I am so proud of this particular project. I hope you will hop over and read all about it. I often feel pretty gloomy about the state of the world and the enviromental damage we continue to do. But wildlife gardening is so empowering! I am actually doing something that will have a profound impact on the flora and fauna in my neighborhood. And while my one yard isn’t going to change the world, imagine the impact of a hundred yards — or a thousand — or a million… That’s the thing about gardening. It is a tangible, real way to advocate for change without waiting around for other people to take action.
Anyway, I hope you’ll follow along!
Stay cool, everybody! And happy gardening!
Cheers!
Angela
Summer's Sizzle
I hope you are doing well and are keeping cool. So many of you are already suffering in lingering heat. I am so sorry! Here’s hoping for a respite soon!
I can FINALLY tell you about our huge gardening project — if you don’t already know. Last winter I took a garden-planning class with garden designer Kelly D. Norris. It was a wonderful experience, and I am now putting all of his ideas — and a lot of my own — to work in our front yard. This huge transformation which we are calling the Wildlife Garden will ultimately involve more than 1000 plants, nearly 50 species, trees, borders, and more.
My goal: creating a wildlife-friendly habitat for birds, bees, bugs, microbes, fungi, and more. I’ve been gardening for wildlife for years now, but this is the biggest, most ambitious project I have ever taken on.
Those before photos are pretty bleak. Our yard has been a blank slate — just weeds and more weeds and barren soil — for the last six years (and probably a lot longer). But with the help of my sponsor, High Country Gardens, this yard will, over the next three years, be transformed. This isn’t a quick fix. I’m focused on planting native North American plants, and they will take some time to grow in and mature. But I’ll be sharing the whole journey with you both here and on Instagram. So I hope you will follow along!
Ok. I’ve got some weeding to do! Happy July! Stay cool out there!
Cheers!
Angela
How to Choose the RIGHT Roses!
Plus a great discount at Heirloom Roses!
Read MoreMarch without the Madness
In this edition:
New! Growing Fruit Trees Group! Join us!
Gardening without Peat
Pots of Bulbs: It’s not too late!
and more! Keep reading!
Hello, friends! Here we are on the other side of winter. In Colorado March and April are our two snowiest months, but I found my first daffodils tentatively peeking out of the ground this week, so I know that spring is coming.
I have lots of goodness for you to begin your month as we slip toward the Vernal Equinox and the first days of spring.
New Group: Grow a Little Orchard Together!
It all started with an Instagram post. I wrote about the fact that I’m planting about a dozen fruit trees this spring in what I hope will be a small, high-yield orchard on the side of our house. So many people chimed in and said they were going to do the same, that I decided it was time to start a group.
And you are invited, too!
Grow a Little Orchard will bring together gardeners from all over who want to share ideas and experiences growing fruit trees. I’m using Grow a Little Fruit Tree by Ann Ralph as a guide — a pruning manual to keep my trees very small but very productive. It’s a big science experiment, and I’m excited to invite you along!
Membership costs $5 per month which covers the cost of maintaining the group on the Retrieve site.
You’ll find registration information and everything else on the group page. Click the link!
In 2023 Ditch the Peat
As our minds begin to turn to plants and spring, I would love for you to consider my new guide to Gardening without Peat. If you make one change as a gardener this year — no matter how much or how little gardening you do — the best thing you could possibly do is stop using peat. Why? In a nutshell: harvesting peat is a terrible ecological practice, and there are lots of good alternatives. Click the link below to learn all about why and how we as gardeners need to give up peat asap:
Easy Potted Bulbs
And it’s not too late to start some bulbs! I’ve been forcing bulbs for the last month, and they are starting to bloom. Glorious! But pre-chilled bulbs are still available, and if you start them now, they will be perfect for your Easter or Passover tables. Check out my guide for all of the details!
I’ll be starting seeds this month and getting the orchard prepared for trees which will come at the end of the month. So much going on here! And I’m so excited for a little more daylight, a little more warmth, and more time outside.
Here’s to a wonderful March for you all!
xoxo
Angela