It must be a sign of old age. March seems to have come around quicker than ever, and the garden's already coming to life and reminding us that there's lots to be done. We got into the garden for a...

reBlogged to spring on Mar 9, 2008, 4:02PM

Posted by Dan Reblogged by Old Roses to spring on 2008-03-10, 23:56:09

link to this

I have recently subscribed to a magazine called "Home Farmer". I got a sample copy somewhere, but I can't remember where - and really enjoyed it. The first "proper" edition came yesterday. It's not in anyway "technical" but the articles...

reBlogged to magazines on Mar 9, 2008, 8:19AM

Posted by Rosemary Reblogged by Old Roses to magazines on 2008-03-10, 23:55:59

link to this

reBlogged to gardening

Posted by Elizabeth Reblogged by Old Roses to Gardening on 2008-03-10, 23:55:48

link to this

reBlogged to design whimsy

Posted by Elizabeth Reblogged by Old Roses to design, whimsy on 2008-03-10, 23:54:30

link to this

Wow, what a storm we had. Snow and ice rain and ice pellets pounding on us from Friday afternoon right into early Sunday morning.

The weather office at 8 Wing Trenton says around 30 to 35 cm.(12 to 14 inches) of snow. But that does not include the drifting, which was absolutely amazing. . . .

reBlogged to weather

Posted by Crafty Gardener Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2008-03-10, 23:54:11

link to this

reBlogged to spring whimsy

Posted by carletongardener Reblogged by Old Roses to spring, whimsy on 2008-03-10, 01:06:00

link to this

reBlogged to lawn

Posted by Jane Berger Reblogged by Old Roses to lawn on 2008-03-10, 01:05:28

link to this

Lupines, poppies, phacelia, ocotillo and more desert native plants in bloom at the south end to mid range of the park. It's spring in southern California!

reBlogged to wildflowers on Mar 9, 2008, 4:00AM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to wildflowers on 2008-03-10, 01:04:53

link to this

Walking out of the conservatory at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens I was struck by the views of plants behind glass. It triggered a thought process- could this be the future of gardens? Not a hyper technological sanitized bio bubble dream but a clunky rusted, algae and condensation riddled reality. . . .

reBlogged to plants tools

Posted by The Occasional Gardener Reblogged by Old Roses to plants, tools on 2008-03-10, 01:04:42

link to this

reBlogged to shows

Posted by Rosengeranium Reblogged by Old Roses to shows on 2008-03-10, 01:04:10

link to this

Okay now, we are through with winter around here. There are parts of the world where people are swatting tse tse flies or something and we can't find our driveways.

This is the side deck this morning.

reBlogged to weather

Posted by J.P. Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2008-03-10, 01:03:35

link to this

Today's snowdrift in front of our hoophouse
We tend to get our hopes up for an early spring when the calendar hits March, and the past few winters have lulled us into thinking that the "real" winters of yesteryear were no more. . . .

reBlogged to weather

Posted by Yvonne Cunnington Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2008-03-10, 01:03:12

link to this

I found these fun plant tidbits when I came upon the Live Science website.

Here for your delectation are such things as. . .

reBlogged to plants on Mar 8, 2008, 8:18AM

Posted by Ki Reblogged by Old Roses to plants on 2008-03-10, 01:02:46

link to this

Your worms need 6 things to stay healthy: temperature, food, moisture, airflow, bedding, and darkness. . ..

reBlogged to vermicompost

Posted by The Cheap Vegetable Gardener Reblogged by Old Roses to vermicompost on 2008-03-10, 01:02:22

link to this

It’s that time of year again; with spring just around the corner, grass will soon be demanding your attention. In all likelihood, your lawn mower probably hasn’t seen the light of day in a few months. After pulling it out of the garage or storage shed and dusting off the cobwebs, there are a few more things to do before tackling that sprouting lawn. . . .

reBlogged to lawn tools on Dec 31, 1969, 6:59PM

Posted by peach Reblogged by Old Roses to lawn, tools on 2008-03-10, 01:02:01

link to this

Some plants will benefit from a little extra snow during the winter. Snow around the rose bushes will provide some insulation from the sap-chilling deep freeze of this past week. Bitterly cold temperatures for prolonged periods of time will result in more roses biting the dust this winter. . .

reBlogged to lawn weather on Dec 31, 1969, 6:59PM

Posted by kingofgreen Reblogged by Old Roses to lawn, weather on 2008-03-10, 01:01:38

link to this

The library was supposed to close for renovations and an addition several months ago. Because there is a nest of a protected species on the construction site, the project has been delayed until the eggs hatch. I've been taking long walks down to watch and photograph the nest. This story has been all over the newspaper for weeks and has attracted a ton of press from around the world.

Above: a photo I took as I walked away from the spot where people can easily see the nest. This was yesterday morning. Those camera lenses are the real deal. I chatted with the guy and looked at some of his photos. The eye of the crane fills the entire frame...wow! . . .

reBlogged to birds

Posted by ldybug Reblogged by Old Roses to birds on 2008-03-10, 01:01:17

link to this

The snow has been canceled. Boo hoo.


*snicker*

reBlogged to weather

Posted by Kylee Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2008-03-10, 01:00:52

link to this

reBlogged to houseplants

Posted by Carol Reblogged by Old Roses to houseplants on 2008-03-10, 01:00:43

link to this

reBlogged to weather

Posted by Carol Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2008-03-10, 00:59:33

link to this

One of the first signs of spring here is the return of the red winged blackbirds. He looks excited to be back. The winter regulars don't seem too impressed. . . .

reBlogged to birds

Posted by Lisa Reblogged by Old Roses to birds on 2008-03-10, 00:59:14

link to this

In case you forgot (which I normally do), you need to change your clocks tonight. It’s that whole Spring ahead thing, though thanks to the overzealous efforts of Congress, the earlier date ensures that it does not much look like spring outside. They released a study recently that shows that Daylight Savings Time (as suspected) has completely. ..

reBlogged to weather on Mar 8, 2008, 10:34PM

Posted by Hanna Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2008-03-10, 00:58:57

link to this

reBlogged to seeds

Posted by Nickie Reblogged by Old Roses to seeds on 2008-03-10, 00:58:39

link to this

Hyacinth, anemone, daffodil, snowdrop and muscari provided a colourful, miniature and fragrant display this week.

reBlogged to flowers

Posted by John Curtin Reblogged by Old Roses to flowers on 2008-03-10, 00:58:20

link to this

Congratulations to Diana Kirby, whose name was chosen at random from the pool of 51 entries to win a copy of The Truth About Organic Gardening by Jeff Gillman. Below you will find the questions and...

reBlogged to organic on Mar 8, 2008, 10:24PM

Posted by Kathy Purdy Reblogged by Old Roses to organic on 2008-03-10, 00:58:12

link to this

Apparently "Buried" is what comes after "Encased." This beats last year's Easter storm hands down:

One of my infamous lions, the mailwoman's training gate, and a tiny sprig of Northern sea oats, chasmantium latifolium. The only other plant life that can be seen in my front yard is the top 2/3 of the Japanese maple--the snow is so deep that you can't see my mountain laurel, doublefile viburnum, bank of hollies, etc.

And in the midst of the biggest storm in recent memory, we get to "spring forward" timewise tonight. How ironic! :)

reBlogged to weather

Posted by Blackswamp_Girl Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2008-03-10, 00:57:57

link to this

I wasn't going to comment on the snow any more as I'm sure you are all fed up with reading about it. But it keeps coming and it won't stop. Yesterday we got the first round of a massive snow storm and today the second round is going to dump on us. . . .

reBlogged to weather

Posted by Crafty Gardener Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2008-03-10, 00:57:47

link to this

Seeds - Spring - Sow - Soil - Soak - Scarification - Stratification - Seedlings

It's just about spring time and that means it's time to start sowing seeds. Most seeds can be started inside about 6 weeks before your last frost date. Frost dates vary from area to area so you need to check to see when yours is. Of course if you prefer to direct sow your seeds right into the garden then you will have to wait a bit longer.

Read more on my Sow then Grow blog.

reBlogged to seeds

Posted by Crafty Gardener Reblogged by Old Roses to seeds on 2008-03-10, 00:57:30

link to this

A

reBlogged to weather on Mar 8, 2008, 7:12PM

Posted by Rick Anderson Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2008-03-10, 00:57:24

link to this

SUNNY SPANISH SCENE:


As we sat there drinking coffee at the end of a strenuous couple of hours filling the wall and planting, I thought this scene looked cosy. The urn in the foreground is waiting to be mosaiced in black and copper but it will have to wait a while as el jefe has another, more important one to finish off for friends.
And here are the fruits of our labours - he decided to fix a few coloured tiles on the back of the wall to cheer it up. Gonzalo had a spare Moscatel vine for us, so appeared with his mattock, whacked a great hole behind the wall, shoved in the vine and now we don't know how we're going to train it and where when it'll go when it gets on the move.

reBlogged to gardens design

Posted by ladyluz Reblogged by Old Roses to Gardens, design on 2008-03-10, 00:57:18

link to this

Chinese Indigo
Indigofera decora
(in-dee-GO-fer-uh) (DEK-or-uh)
Synonyms: Indigofera incarnata

It took me a long time to figure out what this flower is. First I had no recollection of where I took it and the date was wrong on the file (no help there). Second after I narrowed it down to a Indigofera it didn’t look right since all the pictures I have seen show the open parts of the flower further up the raceme with just buds on the part that is blooming here. Then it finally dawned on me that this flower is almost spent, and the upper flowers have already bloomed and fallen off. . . .

reBlogged to flowers on Mar 8, 2008, 9:46AM

Posted by Digital Flower Pictures Reblogged by Old Roses to flowers on 2008-03-10, 00:57:05

link to this

reBlogged to containers

Posted by Amy Reblogged by Old Roses to containers on 2008-03-10, 00:56:46

link to this

reBlogged to magazines

Posted by Susan Reblogged by Old Roses to magazines on 2008-03-10, 00:56:31

link to this

A late Saturday post before bed, and another long day tomorrow. I had planned a day at the forgotten plot, but was so tired after two hectic days at work that i have delayed it untill my next days off.
Hils took me to a nursery in Swillington, where we spent two hours wandering around plant heaven, and all manner of garden sundrys. . . .

reBlogged to gardening

Posted by snappy Reblogged by Old Roses to Gardening on 2008-03-10, 00:56:12

link to this

Not all flowers can be beautiful, or fragrant, or striking. Some are just... well, what would you call it... hmmm. I once watched a honeybee circle this little flower, eyeballing it for five minutes, then fly off in puzzlement. This plant is Asarum caulescens, a type of wild ginger, and asarum flowers aren't meant for bees anyway; most of the species have their flowers very close to the ground and are fertilized by beetles. . . .

reBlogged to beneficials

Posted by IBOY Reblogged by Old Roses to beneficials on 2008-03-10, 00:55:36

link to this

Some Nature Pictures

When the world goes totally nuts, sometimes the only thing to do is post nature pictures.

Dogs guarding a plant nursery:

reBlogged to gardens on Mar 8, 2008, 3:37PM

Posted by Rahel Reblogged by Old Roses to Gardens on 2008-03-10, 00:55:15

link to this

For years I had enjoyed and sometimes ordered from two garden companies that produced outstanding catalogs. If a garden catalog is carefully put together it can double as a compendium of useful gardening information. They are usually condensed versions of what amounts to garden dictionary definitions of plant requirements and descriptions. I received two of the catalog stalwarts this winter and the one lived up to expectations and exceeded, while the other has sadly gone the way of the carnival hawking aka most garden catalog's hype. That is my opinion,anyway. . . .

reBlogged to catalogs

Posted by Ilona Reblogged by Old Roses to catalogs on 2008-03-10, 00:54:54

link to this

The short respite of warm weather gave a glimpse of the emerging daffodil's speared leaves piercing through the bare ground, but winter's icy hands are loathe to let us go and has employed the March Lion to fiercely roar with gusts of a blizzard storm. Winter dies hard this year, but I am hopeful that the old adage of "March that comes in like a lion will go out like a lamb" will hold true. I hope it blows all its force of cold and freezing weather out and exhausts itself ... and then leave us and our gardens in peace. . . .

reBlogged to weather

Posted by Ilona Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2008-03-10, 00:54:36

link to this

The “invisible” Vita Sackville-West made a garden that launched ten-thousand gardening visions, John Levett’s among them. Ever thanks to you, John.

Originally posted by Julie

reBlogged to gardens on Mar 8, 2008, 4:27PM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to Gardens on 2008-03-10, 00:54:15

link to this

I guess its not technically finished but in the last 24 hours we picked up anywhere from 6 inches or so to over a foot with an average of about 10 inches of snow. Not nearly as much as a lot of places but the most we have had at our house from one [...]

reBlogged to weather on Mar 8, 2008, 9:33AM

Posted by kerry Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2008-03-10, 00:51:57

link to this

So I had to take a few days before writing this to calm down and write rationally. I’m rational now (as rational as I’ll ever be), and I’m going to to three things here: tell you a personal story about pesticides, tell you some of the other problems with herbicides and pesticides, and give you some alternatives for your garden. So please bear with me - don’t go away - this is important!. . .

reBlogged to environment organic on Mar 8, 2008, 3:00AM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to environment, organic on 2008-03-10, 00:22:36

link to this

reBlogged to master_gardener

Posted by Susan Reblogged by Old Roses to Master_Gardener on 2008-03-10, 00:20:48

link to this

reBlogged to environment organic

Posted by Colleen Vanderlinden (nospam@example.com) Reblogged by Old Roses to environment, organic on 2008-03-10, 00:20:18

link to this

With spring fastly approaching, it is time to start thinking about your lawn and garden. Here is an idea to make your lawn work for you, rather than the other way around. Watch this video by Jay and Ryanne of Ryan is Hungry who turned a small area of lawn into an edible adventure so at least their water bills are attributable to their health.

reBlogged to lawn on Mar 8, 2008, 3:10AM

Posted by Green Talk Reblogged by Old Roses to lawn on 2008-03-10, 00:19:10

link to this