Welcome, November!
An update for November, 2024
The leaves on the Amelanchier canadensis in the Wildlife Garden are glorious!
Well, here we are in the penultimate month of the year. I’m not sure about you, but I’m not ready for this yet. I have enjoyed our long, warm fall — even if it meant more work outside than previous years. That work also meant more flowers and more beauty — and I’ll take that once in a while.
We didn’t have frost until last week — a month later than average. So last Tuesday night, my son and I scurried around at dusk cutting all of the dahlias and roses and other blooms anticipating the cold to come. We cut three full trugs of flowers and arranged them into bouquets for neighbors and teachers and friends — and still our house is full of blooms, too.
Dahlias and roses from what I call “The Big Cut” — the last cutting of the year.
I added an October garden tour — filmed not long before our first frost. So you can see what’s going on in the garden, and get a peek at how it looks during a long fall.
Of course there are jobs to be done in the garden in the coming month, and we are moving into a busy season of holidays and celebrations, family and friends. I have multiple resources that may help at this time of year — simplifying and taking the pressure off, too.
The first is my Christmas planner — The Nice List. I think of this as my love-letter to the holiday season, and if you celebrate Christmas but sometimes find this time of year to be overwhelming, this planner is intended to help you reign it all in and make a fresh start. The Nice List includes budgeting tools, calendars, gift planners, journaling, and so much more. It’s available in my shop, and there’s a page below with all of the details about The Nice List, too. It’s economical and so easy to use!
And while Christmas is coming, for those of us who celebrate it, Thanksgiving is first. I also have a guide to Fall Decorating which is great for the Thanksgiving season with ideas that will transform any table into something special. And don’t forget to check out my seasonal book list for the children who might gather around your table this year. There are so many beautiful books for this season!
And as we are thinking about giving thanks, I want to give thanks for you! I appreciate your loyalty, your questions, your participation, and your enthusiasm. As I take on project upon project, I know there are so many of you out there who support what we do through. And I am so thankful!
Big changes are coming soon to Mid Modern Mama. I’ve been working all fall to get the scaffolding in place, and I’m excited about what is ahead. More will be revealed soon, and I can’t wait to share it with you!
Wishing you all the best this month!
Cheers!
Angela
Wondering where to find me? Here’s the breakdown:
Stories: daily project updates
Reels & Posts: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Highlights: plant and product recommendations, project updates collected in one place
YouTube: I am hanging out here a lot more of late!
Longform Videos: monthly Gardening Checklists, gardening education, big project recaps
Shortform Videos: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Blog and Website: you are HERE!
Pages: big project recaps, how-to projects, reviews, and idea lists; use the search and the top navigation to find all kinds of goodies!
Blog: monthly updates with links to new content
ORC blog: weekly updates when a project is underway
I'm so glad I live in a World where there are Octobers...
An October update plus tips for your October garden
Shockingly, it is October! I feel like this year is going by so very, very quickly, but that is partly because we have been so very, very busy!
Our October gardens are winding down in most of North America. I rather like this part of the year, actually. It isn’t as packed or as frantic as the spring feels, and there is something nurturing and mothering about tucking our raised beds and plants in for the winter. We haven’t had a frost yet. Actually, our average first frost is in the first week of October, and I think we will be late this year. That’s fine with me — it keeps the dahlias going longer!
I made a bunch of changes to how I grow dahlias this year, and it has really paid off! They have been fabulous, and I will write up what I have learned and share it with you. So much of the advice out there about growing dahlias comes from flower farmers, and I’ve incorporated a few of their tricks into my own growing. Look for that coming soon!
Our New Deck: If you have been following along on Instagram or YouTube, you know that we spent the summer building a deck. it was a big DIY job, and I have written all about this project including the materials we used, the furniture we chose, and our DIY outdoor kitchen project, too.
You’ll find it all here:
Planting Bulbs: And if you’re like me and you are thinking about bulbs right about now, don’t forget about this tip for keeping the squirrels out of your bulbs:
Leave the leaves! Raking and bagging leaves is one of the worst things you can do for your yard, your trees, and the wildlife around you. Do this instead:
Leave a thick layer in a ring under your trees and shrubs. The leaves break down and put nutrition back into the soil, but they also act as a mulch, locking in moisture for your trees, and add a layer of insulation for shallow feeder roots as well.
Put a thinner layer in your raised beds and around perennials. They will do the same thing for your perennials as they do for your trees making your plants happier and healthier.
Make leaf mould. It’s an easy job and is a great resource for your garden in years to come. Here’s a full guide showing you how to do it:
Wishing you all the best as your autumn begins! And, as always, if you have questions, just ask! I’m always available!
Cheers!
Angela
Wondering where to find me? Here’s the breakdown:
Stories: daily project updates
Reels & Posts: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Highlights: plant and product recommendations, project updates collected in one place
YouTube: I am hanging out here a lot more of late!
Longform Videos: monthly Gardening Checklists, gardening education, big project recaps
Shortform Videos: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Blog and Website: you are HERE!
Pages: big project recaps, how-to projects, reviews, and idea lists; use the search and the top navigation to find all kinds of goodies!
Blog: monthly updates with links to new content
ORC blog: weekly updates when a project is underway
Hooray for September!
Sweetpeas in September? Evidently!
Hello!
So I know many of you enthusiastically planted sweet peas with me back in the spring. And I’m wondering how your sweet peas turned out.
Mine: not so much!
There are a few things that I think contributed to my sweet pea failures.
Timing. I planted them out late. I had LOTS of seedlings, but I was worried about a late frost, so I kept them in The Greenhouse too long. I should have planted them out in the ground sooner.
Shade. I love where I planted them, but I don’t think they get enough sun. Not until the vines got taller. So I may have to move them for next year.
Soil. I didn’t add compost to the soil where my sweet peas were growing this year, and I think that would have helped. Compost holds in moisture and it provides slow-release nutrition, too. So next year: a good layer of compost.
At any rate, after all of that work, I got about SIX sweet pea blooms — and they didn’t start blooming until nearly the end of August. That is just strange.
So, lessons learned for next year! I was so worried about them roasting that I think I babied them too much!
I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend! Here’s to a fabulous month ahead!
September Resources for you:
Cheers!
Angela
Wondering where to find me? Here’s the breakdown:
Stories: daily project updates
Reels & Posts: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Highlights: plant and product recommendations, project updates collected in one place
YouTube: I am hanging out here a lot more of late!
Longform Videos: monthly Gardening Checklists, gardening education, big project recaps
Shortform Videos: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Blog and Website: you are HERE!
Pages: big project recaps, how-to projects, reviews, and idea lists; use the search and the top navigation to find all kinds of goodies!
Blog: monthly updates with links to new content
ORC blog: weekly updates when a project is underway
The Dog Days of Summer
Friends,
I hope you are staying cool because it is HOT out there! Yowza! We are having such a hot and dry summer that it has been unpleasant and really unsettling. Here in a climate where wild fires are worrying, I am watching the weather every day. Phew!
I am also in the pool every single day! And if you are wishing you had a pool this summer, it isn’t too late. Don’t forget about my DIY Stock Tank Pool Guide which has all of the details about how to set up your own stock tank pool.
Our latest DIY project: an outdoor kitchen! It was a simple DIY project, and with the help of Lowe’s, my sponsor, we are now cooking outside for every meal. It’s so much better than heating up the house!! Check out what we did here:
Hoping you are well!
Cheers!
Angela
Wondering where to find me? Here’s the breakdown:
Stories: daily project updates
Reels & Posts: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Highlights: plant and product recommendations, project updates collected in one place
YouTube: I am hanging out here a lot more of late!
Longform Videos: monthly Gardening Checklists, gardening education, big project recaps
Shortform Videos: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Blog and Website: you are HERE!
Pages: big project recaps, how-to projects, reviews, and idea lists; use the search and the top navigation to find all kinds of goodies!
Blog: monthly updates with links to new content
ORC blog: weekly updates when a project is underway
July Update
An update on our deck project
Hello! I am late with my monthly update! We took a much-needed vacation with family which was a wonderful break from the hard work of deck building.
I wish I could say it is done. It is not. But we are close, and we are working on laying the decking using a product called Tanzite Stone Decks. It is going to be gorgeous, but we still have a long way to go. Perhaps by next month I will have good news! I’m updating this project almost daily on Instagram, so follow along if you want more sweaty news!
I hope you are staying cool! It’s really hot out there!
Cheers!
Angela
Wondering where to find me? Here’s the breakdown:
Stories: daily project updates
Reels & Posts: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Highlights: plant and product recommendations, project updates collected in one place
YouTube: I am hanging out here a lot more of late!
Longform Videos: monthly Gardening Checklists, gardening education, big project recaps
Shortform Videos: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Blog and Website: you are HERE!
Pages: big project recaps, how-to projects, reviews, and idea lists; use the search and the top navigation to find all kinds of goodies!
Blog: monthly updates with links to new content
ORC blog: weekly updates when a project is underway
June is Bustin' Out All Over!
Hello!!
I mean, seriously! June is Bustin’ Out All Over here — the roses have been blooming for a few days (early) and are overlapping with the peonies and the gardens are positively humming with bees and bugs of every kind. It’s glorious!
As I suspected, we did not even come close to finishing the ORC. Oh, well! Someday that laundry room will look grand, but for now I have too much gardening and too many other projects happening all at once.
Here’s the June project list:
New Deck: this is a BIG one! The demolition of our old concrete patio is done, and we have started to put in the footings. I’m so excited about this project! It’s the last big piece in our backyard master plan, and it’s going to be fabulous. This project is sponsored by Tanzite, a Canadian stone decking company, and we are anxiously awaiting delivery of our materials.
To follow along: updates in Instagram stories several times per week, and I’ll have other content coming, too.
Waterwise Lawns: have you watched Rebecca McMackin’s TedTalk about lawns and native plantings? If you haven’t, do! It’s wonderful. My favorite quote in her talk: “Lawns should be area rugs, not wall-to-wall carpet.” I could not agree more! And we are taking on what is left of a lawn in both our front and back yards this month. It’s a little insane, frankly, but I can’t wait to show you how this will unfold. We will use two different approaches — both waterwise and both DIY. More on that to come, too. This is a partnership with my friends at High Country Gardens, too.
To follow along: updates in Instagram stories once we start the work, and I’ll have a big blog post and video guide when it is all done.
Phew! If we get through all of this in one piece, It will be quite the accomplishment! But it’s going to be a good month of progress, completion, and change!
As always, I have a monthly checklist for you, too! Here’s your June Gardening Checklist! And please do me a favor: every like and subscribe really helps a small account like mine. Will you please click the link, like and subscribe? That would mean the world to me!
I welcome questions and queries, and I’m so thankful for your ongoing love and support! Happy spring!!
Love,
Angela
Wondering where to find me? Here’s the breakdown:
Stories: daily project updates
Reels & Posts: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Highlights: plant and product recommendations, project updates collected in one place
YouTube: I am hanging out here a lot more of late!
Longform Videos: monthly Gardening Checklists, gardening education, big project recaps
Shortform Videos: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Blog and Website: you are HERE!
Pages: big project recaps, how-to projects, reviews, and idea lists; use the search and the top navigation to find all kinds of goodies!
Blog: monthly updates with links to new content
ORC blog: weekly updates when a project is underway
May I Bend Your Ear?
My gracious! It’s been quite the month!
First things first: the ORC is just not happening. There’s still time to get it done, but we have too many projects happening consecutively AND it is Maycemeber — if you have kids in school, you know what THAT means! So, the laundry room is partially done and is very much on hold.
Yes, I’m loving having countertop in my entryway, thanks for asking!
But what am I doing?
Well, let’s talk about it!
To begin, we are just a few weeks away from the one-year anniversary of the Wildlife Garden project, and I am taking stock of this big project with all kinds of content coming including plant lists, planting instructions, and a whole lot more! So stay tuned!
Additionally, we are getting ready for a HUGE backyard project — the last piece in our master plan. I’ll be unrolling this on Instagram, so be sure you’re following me there for all of the details!
And then there’s all of the busyness of gardening in May! That’s one of the things about gardening in Colorado — there is a lot of hurry-up-and-wait-now- GO! With late spring snowstorms and freezes, it feels like May is an absolute avalanche of gardening work!
So there we are!
Wondering where to find me? Here’s the breakdown:
Instagram:
Stories: daily project updates
Reels & Posts: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Highlights: plant and product recommendations, project updates collected in one place
YouTube: I am hanging out here a lot more of late!
Longform Videos: monthly Gardening Checklists, gardening education, big project recaps
Shortform Videos: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Blog and Website: you are HERE!
Pages: big project recaps, how-to projects, reviews, and idea lists; use the search and the top navigation to find all kinds of goodies!
Blog: monthly updates with links to new content
ORC blog: weekly updates when a project is underway
As always, I welcome questions and queries, and I’m so thankful for your ongoing love and support! Happy spring!!
Love,
Angela
April is for Gardeners
Here’s your April Gardening Checklist!
A field of Texas Bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) near Dallas last weekend
Hello, friends!
I hope this email finds you well! I just returned home from a quick Spring Break trip to Texas to visit my family. As we neared Dallas, I was so excited to see patches of the Texas state flower along the highway — the Texas Bluebonnet.
As a child growing up, all-things-Texas were in the school curricula, and I vividly remember making a tissue paper Bluebonnet in first grade. Tearing the tiny pieces of tissue paper… wrapping them around the eraser end of my pencil… dipping them in Elmer’s glue… and a thousand repetitions later you had a Bluebonnet. Did anyone else do that?
Anyway, we stopped and took photos, because — well, how can you not? And what a photograph or a video can’t convey is the smell. Glorious!
Bluebonnet Seeds
Click here to buy some Bluebonnet Seeds for your garden!
Bluebonnets are part of the pea family — like Sweet Peas — and they smell a lot like Sweet Peas, too. It’s intoxicating on the breeze with a whole field of them. According to the Extension Office at Texas A&M, the State of Texas started seeding highways and roadsides with Bluebonnet seeds back in the 1930s, and, of course, we have Lady Bird Johnson to thank for the Highway Beautification Act of 1965 which required the sowing of wildflower seeds along highways across the country. Those wildflowers are even more important now as we face declining populations of insects and birds. And the Bluebonnets I saw this weekend were host to butterflies and bees — even on a rather windy day.
There are actually five different varieties of Bluebonnets, and they ALL are officially the Texas State Flower — as are any other species subsequently discovered! Talk about planning ahead!
Speaking of planning, it’s time to get to work in the garden, and I have two things to help you get to work: Garden Notes, my gardening journal, and your April Gardening Checklist.
Here’s your April Gardening Checklist!
Wishing you all the best as spring comes your way! And, as always, if you have questions, just ask!
Yours,
Angela
PS: You’ll be hearing more from me this week as the One Room Challenge starts on Wednesday. This time around I’m going small… very, very small!
