Squash

When it comes to color, no one beats Mother Nature!

Grapes

Friends in Western New York have realized their dream of owning a vineyard.  Grapes are one of my fondest fall memories from my years there.  Everything from the beauty of the vineyards to the intoxicating scent and taste make them special.

Japanese Garden

I love Japanese style gardens.  Their beauty stems from the marriage of simplicity and organization. 

Sun Drenched

The plants on our back deck have a few more weeks of growing before they are ready to eat, but I’m already dreaming of biting into a juicy, sun-drenched tomato.  Does anything taste better?

Gardening Is Child's Play

This post brought to you by Miracle-Gro. All opinions are 100% mine.

 Miracle-Gro wants to encourage and inspire new gardeners of all ages.  Check out their video below, then continue reading to learn how to make this picket fence garden.  Even the youngest gardeners can help with this project and I'm betting that you'll have fun too.

Lawn Time

This post brought to you by Scotts®. All opinions are 100% mine.

Although we've had some cool nights lately, there is no denying that spring is here.  Already the pots that line the front porch are starting to flower.  In another month, we should have an abundance of pink, white and purple blossoms to brighten the time spent on our porch.  I'm always amazed at how little care is required to create this beauty and have frequently wished that the lawn could be maintained that easily.

Seeds

We've had some relief from cold weather for the past few days. Just enough to get me thinking about gardening. The mail no longer brings a plentiful supply of seed catalogs and I'm sure that the digital ones are a greener option. Still I miss the days of purusing the catalogs, almost feeling summer warmth as I paged through the seed collections. January is too soon for planting, but by February, we can justify ordering some seeds. When life gets hectic, I've resorted to buying seedlings at the garden shop, but nothing beats planting seeds and watching them grow.

Public Relations Expert

I've heard squirrels described as rodents with fluffy tails and good PR skills. I can testify to that.

I missed a fresh vegetable garden, when living in the city. Eventually, I turned the entirety of the small back lawn into a garden. I took particular pride in two small rows of corn stalks. I watched closely as they grew and the ears began to ripen on the stalks. Then I came home from work and found all the ears missing. A neighbor had watched in amazement as squirrels climbed the stalks and removed the ripened ears. Later I saw one climbing a stalk to check things out. As disappointed as I was to lose the corn, I couldn't help but enjoy their antics. Now that's good PR.