tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806Thu, 12 Sep 2024 06:13:38 +0000Featuring free gardening tips, including organic gardening tips, landscape gardening tips, vegetable gardening tips and more.http://ciamc.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Blogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-6913640409922369031Mon, 12 Nov 2007 06:20:00 +00002007-11-11T23:08:07.120-08:00Garden ReflectionsAs I walked through the Fall garden this morning, my mind wandered back to how the garden season commenced this year. A whiff of warm Spring breezes brought forth bright green leaves and plants full of vigor, only to be ambushed by the unmerciful late frosts that rolled across the region. Several plants were lost and those that weren't had to fight throughout the whole of Summerhttp://ciamc.blogspot.com/2007/11/garden-reflections.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-3051692787252106619Mon, 05 Nov 2007 05:06:00 +00002013-11-22T01:08:35.646-08:00Yellow Magnolia Tree Flowers Some of our favorite trees for beautiful Spring flowers are the deciduous magnolia trees. While some common magnolia trees like the star magnolia are more popular, there are a few less well-known magnolia trees than the star magnolia that can be used quite successfully in most landscapes. And they require as little care as the popular magnolia trees. Magnolia trees http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2007/11/yellow-magnolia-tree-flowers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-6554527467017645048Tue, 27 Mar 2007 19:48:00 +00002007-10-29T02:58:50.825-07:00Make Tree and Plant Labels Last LongerI explained in an earlier post about how to make homemade plant labels. Now I'm going to tell you how to make your plant labels last longer no matter what type of label you use. Go outside and locate the plants you wish to label. If you know where the sun comes up, you'll know that is the eastern horizon. Stand up straight now, and put your arms straight out http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2007/03/make-tree-and-plant-labels-last-longer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-2267842787436506820Thu, 15 Feb 2007 10:55:00 +00002013-10-27T02:37:10.372-07:002007 Perennial Plant of the Year - Nepeta 'Walker's Low' The Perennial Plant Association has granted Nepeta 'Walker's Low' with the befitting 2007 Perennial Plant of the Year award. I've been an admirer of this plant since its release. Does a wonderful job of attracting bees, butterflies and other beneficials to the garden. And the normal pests in the garden, deer and rabbit, tend to dislike http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2007/02/2007-perennial-plant-of-year-nepeta.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-5502175832663533878Wed, 07 Feb 2007 02:57:00 +00002007-10-29T03:00:48.286-07:00Garden GazebosThere was a time when a garden gazebo was only available to those who could afford to spend an extravagant amount of money. Gazebos have not only become affordable, the styles are varied and widely available. No matter what size area you have to devote to your gazebo building project, you can find the perfect size and style gazebo that will fit your personal landscape needs. Beforehttp://ciamc.blogspot.com/2007/02/garden-gazebos.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116961602959054614Wed, 24 Jan 2007 05:20:00 +00002007-10-29T03:01:39.470-07:00Switchgrass and Ethanol Where are we headed with biofuels? Time and time again you hear about ethanol and corn, ethanol and sugar cane. Then there's biodiesel - The McDonald's greasepit of biofuels. Now it's ethanol and switchgrass. So are we going to find a biofuel and run with it? Is switchgrass the answer, really? If it is, let's get on with it. Ethanol has been around as long as the http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2007/01/switchgrass-and-ethanol.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116720918246270992Wed, 27 Dec 2006 07:58:00 +00002007-10-29T03:02:41.062-07:00Recycling Christmas Trees | Christmas Tree Disposal TipsChristmas has come and gone and many folks are trying to make room for their New Year events. In doing so you may want to dispose of your Christmas tree quickly. Instead of placing your Christmas tree out on the curb for disposal, there are a few ways you can use the tree around your home. Making mulch out of your Christmas tree is the firsthttp://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/12/recycling-christmas-trees-christmas.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116678420587294369Fri, 22 Dec 2006 09:34:00 +00002012-08-09T17:12:42.319-07:00Garden Pictures on a Rainy Day On days like this when it's rainy out and I get to feeling blue, there's no better medicine for me than to browse through pictures of the garden taken in the past. I guess I live for playing in the garden. I started planning for next Spring when the leaves began to fall in Autumn. I'm working on building a bigger vegetable garden every year. We started canning [http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/12/garden-pictures-on-rainy-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116666337488860390Thu, 21 Dec 2006 01:07:00 +00002013-10-27T02:10:49.882-07:00Mimosa Tree | Silk Tree A beautiful tree, whether in bloom or not, the mimosa tree, also known as the silk tree to some, creates quite a spectacle in landscapes across the country. The mimosa tree's biggest drawback is it's a little too prolific in propagating itself by means of seed. The mimosa trees can be seen in bloom in our part of the country along the Interstate 65 in central Kentucky http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/12/mimosa-tree-silk-tree.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116651526724884709Tue, 19 Dec 2006 07:24:00 +00002011-11-29T04:56:11.910-08:00Recycling Sod | Reusing Lawn SodSince it was so nice outside I went ahead and planted a few trees and plants today. Whenever I dig a new hole for a tree or plant, I'll remove the lawn sod first and recycle it by either filling in bare spots or dips in the lawn or tossing the sod into the compost pile. You can do the same thing when digging a new garden bed. Just stick the shovel into the sod and http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/12/recycling-sod-reusing-lawn-sod.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116565174826656873Sat, 09 Dec 2006 07:20:00 +00002011-11-29T04:50:31.960-08:00Weed Control | Corn Gluten Meal The organic weed control we know as corn gluten meal has been around for several years now. Corn gluten meal is used organically to control sprouting garden weeds. It will not suppress established weeds. Corn gluten meal works by drying out emerging weed seedlings as soon as they begin to grow. Corn gluten meal will work for about 4 - 6 weeks before http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/12/weed-control-corn-gluten-meal.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116564290229792793Sat, 09 Dec 2006 05:20:00 +00002011-11-29T04:50:06.895-08:00Use for Old Halloween MasksHere's a great use for your old Halloween masks. When the crows are snitching your freshly planted corn from the garden next Spring, put your scary Halloween mask over the face of your scarecrow. Be creative! Throw an old straw hat over the head of the Halloween mask. If this doesn't scare the critters, it will surely have them laughing so hard that they forget where http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/12/use-for-old-halloween-masks.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116548740320392368Thu, 07 Dec 2006 09:56:00 +00002014-01-08T17:35:32.340-08:00Benefits of Landscape LightingThere are many considerable benefits of landscape lighting. Landscape lighting reveals the hidden architectural aspects of your home in the darkness of night. They cast dramatic silhouettes of your trees and plants against the walls of your home creating a spectacular show for the curious passerby. Landscape lighting also acts as a security measure in your overall http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/12/benefits-of-landscape-lighting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116538929311134318Wed, 06 Dec 2006 06:37:00 +00002013-10-27T02:17:21.377-07:00Cooperative Extension PDF Files Many cooperative extension publications available online are sometimes available only as PDF files. This is especially true when searching through agricultural cooperative extension sites. For some people using older computers with little memory and small processors, these PDF files can put a serious strain on your computer resources, sometimes bringing about the http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/12/cooperative-extension-pdf-files.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116538653788693763Wed, 06 Dec 2006 05:58:00 +00002013-10-27T02:18:05.902-07:00Organic Pest Control What chemicals, if any, do you use in your garden? When you are presented with a pest control problem on your plants, do you reach for a bottle of toxic chemicals or opt for a more ecologically responsible alternative? Granted, there may be more work involved with organic methods. Picking bugs off your prized plants can be tedious and time consuming. But don't you really http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/12/organic-pest-control.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116485618192235526Thu, 30 Nov 2006 01:28:00 +00002011-11-29T04:47:26.223-08:002007 All American Daylily - Lavender Vista Daylily The All American Daylily Selection Council has released their All American Daylily Winner for 2007. With its 5 - 6" fragrant, re-blooming lavender blooms, Lavender Vista Daylily has been awarded All American Daylily for 2007 Exhibition. Lavender Vista Daylily now ranks among the other 14 daylilies awarded with this distinction. Lavender Vistahttp://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/11/2007-all-american-daylily-lavender.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116485001194737162Thu, 30 Nov 2006 00:42:00 +00002011-11-29T04:45:24.844-08:00Svalbard Global Seed VaultOur distant offspring may have to fight polar bears to get to an Arctic seed storage, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, that is being built on the Svalbard Archipelago, 300 miles north of Norway. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is being built to house seeds from around the world in case of global disaster; such as nuclear war, plant epidemics, or even another Ice Age. The http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/11/svalbard-global-seed-vault.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116452139093578218Sun, 26 Nov 2006 06:08:00 +00002014-01-08T17:37:40.214-08:00Garden Tiller MaintenanceIf you've put off your annual garden tiller maintenance until now, you can still get the old tiller back into shape for breaking up some dirt early next Spring. I'll confess, I got a late start on this gardening chore this year. Plants needed planting. Brush needed clearing. And every other chore seemed so much more important than getting the garden tiller ready for http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/11/garden-tiller-maintenance-garden-tillers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116375018221751334Fri, 17 Nov 2006 07:26:00 +00002013-10-27T02:18:58.593-07:00Make a Snowflake - Send a Snowflake I remember this from a few years ago: Make a Snowflake I really thought I had lost the URL. It's a great way to spread your holiday cheers. It will take a few seconds to load, but is a great thing to do with the kids, even let them make their own snowflake. You could even email the URL to friends and family and give them your snowflake number and they'll be http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/11/make-snowflake-send-snowflake.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116305831025290898Thu, 09 Nov 2006 07:05:00 +00002013-10-27T02:19:42.444-07:00Sowbugs & Pillbugs - The Difference What's the difference between sowbugs and pillbugs? Not much, mind you. But the main difference between the two little creatures is the fact that the pillbug can roll up into a ball when confronted by curious onlookers such as humans and it also lacks the tail "appendages" which the sowbugs do inherit. Probably seen more often are the pillbugs, also known as http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/11/sowbugs-pillbugs-difference-gardening.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116280956166771226Mon, 06 Nov 2006 10:09:00 +00002013-10-27T02:20:53.475-07:00Kentucky Snakes - Identification Pictures We cross paths with a lot of snakes here in Kentucky during the growing season. As I was brushing up on Kentucky hunting laws, I came across this excellent resource (PDF) for identifying Kentucky snakes. The colorful pictures make for easy identification between venomous and non-venomous snakes. I'll be printing this off in the next few days for future http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/11/kentucky-snakes-identification.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116280732312931161Mon, 06 Nov 2006 09:30:00 +00002011-11-29T04:40:57.540-08:00It was so cold that...The funniest thing happened a couple of nights ago. We have several outdoor cats that sleep in the garden shed. They bundle together tightly in their straw bed when the temperatures take a dive. I took a notion to go and check on them and make sure they were okay. As I came upon them in the shed, I noticed something dark and shiny on the back of one of the cats. It threw me http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/11/it-was-so-cold-that.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116255676027191889Fri, 03 Nov 2006 11:34:00 +00002014-01-08T17:41:19.526-08:00Time to Make More Leaf Mold It's that time of year again. We'll be starting about 5 more leaf mold bins this weekend. Raking up the leaves is the fun part for me. There's just something peaceful about raking leaves on a cool fall day. Last year's leaf mold bins will be emptied and the finished leaf mold will be taken from the bottom of the pile. What was left on top that hadn't broken http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/11/time-to-make-more-leaf-mold-leaf-mold.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116255027008884610Fri, 03 Nov 2006 09:28:00 +00002011-11-29T05:24:02.954-08:00Treatment for Poison Ivy So what's the best treatment for poison ivy rash? I am horribly allergic to poison ivy. I itch. I scratch. The stuff just drives me crazy when it gets out of control. But in the last few years, I've found the best way to control poison ivy is to prevent it before the rash gets a hold on you. Now I've found that I can rip the ivy vines out of the ground with my bare hands http://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/11/treatment-for-poison-ivy-gardening.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32932806.post-116242405754424170Wed, 01 Nov 2006 23:32:00 +00002011-11-29T05:24:21.560-08:00Homemade Vegetable Plant SupportsWith this simple vegetable gardening tip you can keep your vegetable plants from falling over and lying on the ground. Simply buy or scavenge for an old cattle panel. Use some lengths of rebar or T-posts and drive them into the garden bed or rows and attach the cattle panels with wire. This plant support works well for climbing plants such as cucumbers, melons andhttp://ciamc.blogspot.com/2006/11/homemade-vegetable-plant-supports.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0