Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
The other day on the way home from work, I stopped at a garden center and bought some grass seed and on impulse picked up the 2011 Old Farmer’s Almanac. I guess that means I am officially looking forward to next year’s vegetable garden and am ready to give up on this year’s vegetable garden.
We are dry, dry, dry. It is so dry that even the
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Showing posts with label letters to gardening friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label letters to gardening friends. Show all posts
Dear Friends and Gardeners August 30, 2010
Diervilla lonicera
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
In 48 hours, give or take, August will be over and it is on to September. Here in Indianapolis, we will remember this as a record setting August – the driest ever with just .37 inches of rain. This beats the record set in 1897 when they measured .47 inches of rain.
This is a far different summer than I thought we would
The Theory of Seasonal Wildflowers
Dear Gail,
Thank you for providing us with Wildflower Wednesday on the fourth Wednesday of the month, reminding us to think about wildflowers for our gardens.
While I was out mowing today, I thought about wildflowers and what I might post about them. I mowed past some Black-eye Susans (Rudbeckia sp.) and considering posting about them.
Black-eyed Susans
Then I saw the big Joe Pye Weed (
Dear Friends and Gardeners August 23, 2010
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
I am not pleased to report that we are about to break a weather record that was set back in 1897. That was the year they had the driest August on record with just .47 inches of rain, less than half an inch for the entire month.
With just eight days left in August, we have had just .37 inches of rain and there isn’t any rain to speak of in
I am not pleased to report that we are about to break a weather record that was set back in 1897. That was the year they had the driest August on record with just .47 inches of rain, less than half an inch for the entire month.
With just eight days left in August, we have had just .37 inches of rain and there isn’t any rain to speak of in
Dear Friends and Gardeners August 16, 2010
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
This past week we got to experience something that hasn’t happened around here in years. Years, I tell you.
Unfortunately that something was every blessed day the high temperature was in the 90’s --- 95, 97, 98, 96, 96, 92, 96 through yesterday to be exact.
At least that’s what the newspaper reported each day and what I wrote down in my
This past week we got to experience something that hasn’t happened around here in years. Years, I tell you.
Unfortunately that something was every blessed day the high temperature was in the 90’s --- 95, 97, 98, 96, 96, 92, 96 through yesterday to be exact.
At least that’s what the newspaper reported each day and what I wrote down in my
Dear Friends and Gardeners August 9, 2010
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
They have returned! No more peaceful coexistence. No more sitting back and thinking that we have some kind of truce worked out. How could I have trusted them? How could they have betrayed me like that?
I must gird my loins, whatever that means, arm myself for battle. Bring out the plastic spoons and the bottles of Shake-Away repellent.
They have returned! No more peaceful coexistence. No more sitting back and thinking that we have some kind of truce worked out. How could I have trusted them? How could they have betrayed me like that?
I must gird my loins, whatever that means, arm myself for battle. Bring out the plastic spoons and the bottles of Shake-Away repellent.
Dear Friends and Gardeners August 2, 2010
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
This letter post is my 1,500th post on this blog.
I thought about delaying this letter and writing something else to mark the occasion, but then I realized that this weekly letter which usually has an update on my garden is a fitting way to mark this occasion.
When I first started blogging, somewhat tentatively back in 2004, I posted a
This letter post is my 1,500th post on this blog.
I thought about delaying this letter and writing something else to mark the occasion, but then I realized that this weekly letter which usually has an update on my garden is a fitting way to mark this occasion.
When I first started blogging, somewhat tentatively back in 2004, I posted a
Dear Friends and Gardeners July 26, 2010
A postcard from May Dreams Gardens
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
It’s been a busy week. Didn’t have much time to work in the garden. The weeds noticed and have grown faster than rabbits breed. But the garden is going well. Picked my first ears of sweet corn and finally got some cucumbers from my late sown hill of them. Peppers are coming on strong as are tomatoes,
Dear Friends and Gardeners July 19, 2010
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
I'm very late with my letter this week, having just returned from a few days in Chicago. I had hoped to post something Monday evening after getting there, but I could not get a good Internet connection in my hotel room. Oh well, such is life.
Before I left, I checked the garden and picked all the squash that was ready to be picked and gave
I'm very late with my letter this week, having just returned from a few days in Chicago. I had hoped to post something Monday evening after getting there, but I could not get a good Internet connection in my hotel room. Oh well, such is life.
Before I left, I checked the garden and picked all the squash that was ready to be picked and gave
Dear Friends and Gardeners July 12, 2010
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
Wasn’t Buffa10 just about the most fun you’ve had as a garden blogger?
I got home yesterday well before dark, just in time to see that a tomato hornworm had devoured most of a pepper plant. I’ve never had a hornworm eat a pepper plant, but I guess they do, especially if they want something a little spicier than a tomato plant. (Insert
Wasn’t Buffa10 just about the most fun you’ve had as a garden blogger?
I got home yesterday well before dark, just in time to see that a tomato hornworm had devoured most of a pepper plant. I’ve never had a hornworm eat a pepper plant, but I guess they do, especially if they want something a little spicier than a tomato plant. (Insert
Dear Friends and Gardeners July 5, 2010
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
Don’t you just hate when people say “hot enough for you”? Well, is it hot enough for you where you are? It has turned hot here, with high temperatures in the low 90’s yesterday and probably today.
Out in the vegetable garden, I’m picking some squash every day now. I thought I picked all the squash that was big enough to pick yesterday
Don’t you just hate when people say “hot enough for you”? Well, is it hot enough for you where you are? It has turned hot here, with high temperatures in the low 90’s yesterday and probably today.
Out in the vegetable garden, I’m picking some squash every day now. I thought I picked all the squash that was big enough to pick yesterday
Dear Friends and Gardeners: June 28, 2010
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
The report from my garden this week is rather brief.
Plants grew in between all the rain we had last week.
I have lost count of how many days it has rained. Maybe it would be easier to count sunny days? The weatherman said after last night’s rain, this is now the third wettest June in Indianapolis since they started to keep records.
The report from my garden this week is rather brief.
Plants grew in between all the rain we had last week.
I have lost count of how many days it has rained. Maybe it would be easier to count sunny days? The weatherman said after last night’s rain, this is now the third wettest June in Indianapolis since they started to keep records.
Dear Friends and Gardeners: June 21, 2010
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
I’m writing a bit later than usual this week. Been busy. Out in the garden. Out and about.
I’ve taken on a new rallying call… Carpe Hortus. Seize the garden. Go for it. Plant it, pull it, hoe it, do it. And that’s what I’m doing.
Out in the vegetable garden, everything is growing well, partly or mostly due to all the rain we’ve gotten.
I’m writing a bit later than usual this week. Been busy. Out in the garden. Out and about.
I’ve taken on a new rallying call… Carpe Hortus. Seize the garden. Go for it. Plant it, pull it, hoe it, do it. And that’s what I’m doing.
Out in the vegetable garden, everything is growing well, partly or mostly due to all the rain we’ve gotten.
Dear Friends and Gardeners: June 14, 2010
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
Greetings! As I write this letter, I smell the distinctive, strong scent of my night bloomer, Epiphyllum oxypetalum, which bloomed this evening for me.
I’ve been so busy outside that I just noticed the flower bud a few days ago, and then this evening I decided to check to see if it was getting close to blooming, and there was the flower.
Greetings! As I write this letter, I smell the distinctive, strong scent of my night bloomer, Epiphyllum oxypetalum, which bloomed this evening for me.
I’ve been so busy outside that I just noticed the flower bud a few days ago, and then this evening I decided to check to see if it was getting close to blooming, and there was the flower.
Dear Friends and Gardeners: June 7, 2010
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
Do you know how long it takes to shell eight cups of peas? I do! I can tell you from my own experience that it takes about an hour, and that’s an hour working steadily at it with no breaks. That’s a lot of peas and my fingers were sore afterward.
People often ask me what I do with all of those peas. Well, mostly I give them away to other
Do you know how long it takes to shell eight cups of peas? I do! I can tell you from my own experience that it takes about an hour, and that’s an hour working steadily at it with no breaks. That’s a lot of peas and my fingers were sore afterward.
People often ask me what I do with all of those peas. Well, mostly I give them away to other
Dear Friends and Gardeners: May 31, 2010
(This is a continuing series of weekly letters exchanged between Dee, who gardens in Oklahoma, and Mary Ann, who gardens in Idaho, comparing how similar and different our gardens are, especially the vegetable gardens.)
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
Greetings from the garden on this last day of May, Memorial Day 2010! I’ve attached a picture so you can see what I
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
Greetings from the garden on this last day of May, Memorial Day 2010! I’ve attached a picture so you can see what I
Dear Friends and Gardeners: May 24, 2010
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
Summer has arrived! Or at least it seems like it has arrived. We went from temperatures barely getting to the low 60's last week to a high of 88 F yesterday (Sunday). Today it could also get up to 88 F and our record, set in 1965, is 90 F.
No warning, just "Ta Da!"... summer.
Oh well, it is better than the snow I hear you are
Summer has arrived! Or at least it seems like it has arrived. We went from temperatures barely getting to the low 60's last week to a high of 88 F yesterday (Sunday). Today it could also get up to 88 F and our record, set in 1965, is 90 F.
No warning, just "Ta Da!"... summer.
Oh well, it is better than the snow I hear you are
Dear Friends and Gardeners: May 17, 2010
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
Monday morning… my gardening vacation is over and I am back to work.
The first question I’ll be asked is “did you get everything planted?”
No, I didn’t.
I never finish all that I want to do while I’m on gardening vacation, but I get a very good start.
The redesigned front garden is nearly complete now; I promise to post some
Monday morning… my gardening vacation is over and I am back to work.
The first question I’ll be asked is “did you get everything planted?”
No, I didn’t.
I never finish all that I want to do while I’m on gardening vacation, but I get a very good start.
The redesigned front garden is nearly complete now; I promise to post some
Dear Friends and Gardeners: May 10, 2010
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
Woo hoo! I’m on vacation for a week to work in my garden. “Having a great time, wish you were here.” Then you could help me weed and mulch and plant up containers.
I’ve already got a good start on weeding the vegetable garden beds, getting them ready to plant. As predicted, we did have some patchy frost Saturday night into Sunday morning
Woo hoo! I’m on vacation for a week to work in my garden. “Having a great time, wish you were here.” Then you could help me weed and mulch and plant up containers.
I’ve already got a good start on weeding the vegetable garden beds, getting them ready to plant. As predicted, we did have some patchy frost Saturday night into Sunday morning
Dear Friends and Gardeners: May 3, 2010
Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,
Is it just me or do the weeks pass more quickly in the spring? Or maybe it feels like last week went fast because this weekend was a repeat of last weekend – rainy. I don’t feel like I’ve done much in the garden so far this spring, but I feel like I have a lot to do.
I am seeing progress on the implementation of the new garden design in
Is it just me or do the weeks pass more quickly in the spring? Or maybe it feels like last week went fast because this weekend was a repeat of last weekend – rainy. I don’t feel like I’ve done much in the garden so far this spring, but I feel like I have a lot to do.
I am seeing progress on the implementation of the new garden design in