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!
Spring is on the Way!
Signs of Spring and a seed starting guide
Friends,
I hope you are well! We are buttoning up here for a big snowstorm, and I must remind myself that March and April are our snowiest months, but those storms bring great moisture. So all is well!
I have been busy in the greenhouse getting all kinds of seeds started. It's such fun to see those little baby plants emerge, and every day I check to see who is the newest arrival!
And even outside there are distinct signs of spring including my first blooms! Iris reticulata wins the race — and look at that gorgeous purple!
Iris reticulata in early March
If you are looking to start some seeds, I have a new seed starting video to give you my favorite mix recipe as well as some tips, too. So I hope you’ll check that out!
And don’t forget the March Checklist, too:
If you are gardening, don’t forget: peat-free is best! Here’s my guide to Peat-free gardening — and a reminder of why destroying peat bogs isn’t a necessary part of gardening.
Wishing you all the best as spring arrives! Be sure to let me know if you are doing the Spring Grow Along — and it’s not too late to join, too!
Cheers!
Angela
Peat-Free Gardening Guide
The April newsletter — all about gardening without peat!
Hello, friends! I hope you are enjoying these first few days and weeks of spring. While we have snow on the ground, I am also seeing the first blooms with daffodils and Chionodoxa forbesii both poking up through the snow. I work really hard not to wish time away, but this year I am ready for spring’s arrival in a way I haven’t been before.
Chionodoxa forbesii
And as our thoughts turn to gardening and plants and the warm sun, I have a passionate plea for you: make this the year to start gardening WITHOUT peat.
You may not even realize that you are using peat in your gardening. It is ubiquitous in soil mixes and gardening supplies here in the US. But harvesting peat does irreparable damage to some of our rarest and most productive ecosystems. Peat is a resource which we can not readily replace — it takes thousands of years. And harvesting peat releases carbon into the atmosphere as well.
I have been gardening peat-free for several years now, and I have found that with a little effort, it’s actually not that hard to do. I have put together a guide for peat-free gardening including some of my favorite peat-free resources as well as some soil recipes and a how-to guide for making leaf mould — a free garden resource that many in the US don’t know about!
I encourage you in this month of Earth Day to check it out! And, as always, if you have questions: just ask!
I have some incredible projects lined up for this spring with a focus on planting native species and supporting biodiversity. I can’t wait to share it all with you!
If you aren’t following me on Instagram, check it out! I will be posting regular updates on all of our projects there including my new orchard which we have been working on for the last few weeks. So exciting!
I’m following the pruning methods put forth in the book Grow a Little Fruit Tree by Ann Ralph. Reaching back more than a thousand years, these methods keep fruit trees small and managable and allow higher-density planting, too. So what you see here are 11 apples, pears, and plums planted in our side yard — less than 30 feet long. And it’s all peat-free! I’ll be pruning some of these trees to be cordons, two will be espalier, and a few others will just be very, very small. It’s a giant science experiment, and our whole family is thrilled to be back in the laboratory.
My next step is the scariest: I have to prune each tree! So that will be coming.
If you are interested in adding some fruit trees to your yard, join my fruit tree group on Retrieve! It’s a fun community of gardeners, and we are working to share our plans and resources with each other. Super cool!
Happy April to you all! Questions about peat-free gardening? Please ask!
Cheers!
Angela
Join our Group!
Thinking about growing fruit trees? Or want to learn more about caring for trees you have? Join our gardening group devoted to fruit trees and their care!
How to Choose the RIGHT Roses!
Plus a great discount at Heirloom Roses!
In our first house in Sacramento we had a tiny yard dominated by a 200 year old oak tree. And in the middle of that tiny yard, a tiny rose bush emerged. I suspect it was a grocery store rose thrown out by the previous owners — maybe even a cutting. I don’t know. But it grew. And it grew. It was planted in a terrible spot, so I moved it. In fact, over the years, I moved it to three different locations. But that rose loved our yard. It grew from a tiny little sprig into a giant bush that clambered over the fence — and might even still be there. The thing is: roses have a reputation for being fussy, but they really aren’t.
It’s truly a matter of choosing the right plant for the right place!
I love roses, and I have a new post all about choosing the RIGHT rose for your yard. AND, in case you needed more inspiration, I also have a great discount for you from Heirloom Roses — my FAVORITE place to order roses!
Use the code MODERNMAMA10 for $10 off any purchase of $50 or more. Good from 3/13- 3/18!
So be sure to check out the new guide to choosing the right roses, and then pop over to place an order for yourself! Spring is coming, friends! I promise!
XOXO
Angela
March 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!
New! Gardening Group
Whether you are planning to plant a dozen fruit trees or just begin with one, I hope you'll enjoy connecting with other gardeners, sharing resources, and supporting each other in our growing endeavors. Click below to be redirected to my class storefront!
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
Barebones: Must Have Gardening Tools
Beautiful gardening tools crafted for generations of use
Beautiful Garden Tools that also Work Hard
My New Favorite Gardening Tool is…
You ask, and I answer! One of the most frequent questions I get about my One Room Challenge Greenhouse is: what gardening tools are your favorites?
I have the answer: my tools from Barebones Living. These garden tools are gorgeous — and tough! When I opened the box that they sent me, I was shocked! Usually pretty garden tools are pretty terrible. These are amazeballs! The handles are walnut with copper trim. The tools are steel and feel like they were hand-forged. They are comfortably heavy. The gloves are buttery.
My sister asked me a few weeks ago what to get my mom for her birthday; I immediately sent her to Barebones Living. Yes, they sent me a box full of their tools, but I have zero reservations about recommending them. They are beautiful — and more importantly, they are really functional.
The Garden Scoop from Barebones Living
The garden scoop is my personal favorite! I didn’t even know I needed a soil scoop, but it does the job so much better than a trowel. Who knew!
Next on my list to get: their shears and scissors which look substantial. And the Harvesting and Gathering bag for carrying all these beautiful tools around in the garden!
Lanterns: Solve Gardening in the Dark
It’s hard to get it all done! With so many balls in the air, nighttime has to be a productive time, but until recently I couldn’t do any gardening after dark, because I don’t have electricity in the Greenhouse.
Enter Barebones Living. Barebones sent me some of their fabulous lanterns to use in the Greenhouse, and now I can garden after hours — or just escape with a glass of wine. Either way!
The larger Forest Lantern recharges with a USB, and the smaller Edison Mini Lanterns run either off of a USB charger or batteries. They have a LONG battery life, too. I put cup hooks under the shelves in the greenhouse, so I can hang the lanterns where I need them, and move them depending on where I am working. I love being able to go out there at night! Barebones has other outdoor lighting solutions, too — all with a vintage look and high-quality feel. They are great for all kinds of outdoor activities.
Whether you are looking for garden tools for yourself or a lovely gift for someone you love, I genuinely recommend Barebones Living. The quality of their products is impressive, and they represent a rare kind of craftsmanship. I suspect my Barebones tools will be used for decades.
Note: If you purchase something through a link posted on this site, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for supporting Mid Modern Mama!
