tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77222941943124488682009-11-11T14:38:56.586-05:00Small spaces, small victories, large blundersrachel bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02671612483066080619noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722294194312448868.post-9311539567353972652009-11-11T11:33:00.001-05:002009-11-11T11:36:19.270-05:00

As a Jewish girl married to a Catholic boy,  Christmas is still - after 12 years - something of a mystery and a delight to me. The first year we had a tree, we picked it up at the last minute on the side Oregon Avenue here in South Philly. I remember wondering what the relevant attributes of a "good" tree were. I didn't realize then that floppy branches were bad (too weak to hold ornaments), and

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So we've been renovating and renovating and renovating. Years of renovation. Tearing down and building back up. And in that process, we've tossed debris left and right. But something about the bathtub ... the concavity, the depth and width and height - it sparked an idea. So we hauled out to the back, and voila! An extra one-third of my planting space is born. One thing nags though - is

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Woot! Just look at that Bleeding Heart! I am declaring this year a success already, even though I've done just about nothing. And it's all due to this Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis - thanks Wikipedia), that I put in last year, and some other comebacks:The luscious Lithidora (Grace Ward variety)Always-reliable Clematis (White and Purple)And an assortment of spring bulbs.

rachel bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02671612483066080619noreply@blogger.com2http://adventuresinurbangardening.blogspot.com/2008/04/pleased-with-perennials.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722294194312448868.post-88917424280358683752008-03-28T18:49:00.003-04:002008-03-28T18:54:03.004-04:00

So a big "thank you" to people who have commented on this blog. You've gotten me to come back and even do a bit 'o the old posty posty. The way I am with the blogging? It's about the way I am with everything, including the garden. The poor poor garden - it's a good thing I've been replacing high maintenance plants with low maintenance stuff, because I am all about the benign neglect. Anyway,

rachel bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02671612483066080619noreply@blogger.com2http://adventuresinurbangardening.blogspot.com/2008/03/thanks-and-more-to-come.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722294194312448868.post-81970361525933998652007-08-28T10:15:00.000-04:002007-08-28T10:23:23.403-04:00

My block in Pennsport is, like many other Philadelphia blocks, tree-lined and shady. It's beautiful in spring, and keeps the houses cool and, until recently, I thought all of my neighbors shared my affection for our hardy neighborhood trees.So I come home a month or so ago and my neighbors had taken down a lovely mature tree that was in front of their house. Why, you might ask (and we did).

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Some of you may notice that the name of the blog has changed slightly. This is to prevent confusion with a different and long-established blog called Adventures in my Urban Garden.

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I've been reading Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier and I came across the description of my dream garden:"The daffodils were in bloom, stirring in the evening breeze, golden heads cupped upon lean stalks, and however many you might pick there would be no thinning of the ranks, they were massed like an army, shoulder to shoulder. On a bank below the lawns, crocuses were planted, golden, pink, and

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Yesterday, another nearly ripe tomato was stolen and gnawed by my furry nemesis (nemesi?). They're getting brazen - the remains of this tomato were left between the loops of my hose where there is no way I could miss it. Here's the tally:5 Tomatoes3 CucumbersThis morning I was despondent, but now? I have hope. Just a little bit of hope, delivered by this article."One of my most successful

rachel bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02671612483066080619noreply@blogger.com1http://adventuresinurbangardening.blogspot.com/2007/08/squirrel-cure.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722294194312448868.post-82868470997667322402007-08-14T11:42:00.001-04:002007-08-14T11:47:21.145-04:00

DSC00314Originally uploaded by ruggerfish A poor defenseless, immature cucumber - victim of squirrel violence.

rachel bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02671612483066080619noreply@blogger.com0http://adventuresinurbangardening.blogspot.com/2007/08/another-victim-of-squirrel-ferocity.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722294194312448868.post-58504210394601070852007-08-14T11:40:00.001-04:002007-08-14T11:45:25.025-04:00

DSC00308 Originally uploaded by ruggerfish See that tomato? The furry minions of the dark lord only ate about three bites, then just tossed it aside next to the oregano.

rachel bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02671612483066080619noreply@blogger.com1http://adventuresinurbangardening.blogspot.com/2007/08/squirrel-food-harrumph.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722294194312448868.post-4047725090024639112007-08-13T16:37:00.000-04:002007-08-13T16:41:44.670-04:00

Yesterday, I went out onto the deck to water my vegetables and pick a few ripe ones, and to my horror I discovered that I had been robbed. The bastard squirrels stole two tomatoes and a half-grown cuke. NOT FAIR. Adding insult to injury, the bastards took a bite or two of each tomato before dumping them in other pots, and didn't even touch the cucumber. Pictures of the damage to come later.

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Red AdmirableIt's been a buggy summer. The heat and humidity combined with a wet spring have given us a plentitude of crawly things here in Philly. It's not just bees, flies, spiders and aphids. This year, I've got unidentified nasties munching away on my basil, webbing on my tomatoes but no spiders, and some pretty butterflies flittering around my butterfly bush. But what are they? Should I

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The shoots kept growing and growing. Upwards. And not exactly looking like the pictures. And by “not exactly” I mean not even in the slightest way, except that both plants are green and tend to grow. I dug up a few to check out the bulbs. They were shiny with a yellowy cast, not white and papery you see in the supermarket.“Guess they’re not ready yet,” I figured. In the meantime, I continued

rachel bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02671612483066080619noreply@blogger.com1http://adventuresinurbangardening.blogspot.com/2007/08/garlic-files-part-ii.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722294194312448868.post-5226261126662554012007-08-06T16:17:00.000-04:002007-08-06T17:09:03.158-04:00

Slap. Slap slap. “Crap.” Scritch. Scritch scritch scritch. Ah, the sweet sounds of summer. I am a mosquito magnet. I am the mosquito mall – one stop shopping for all your stinging needs. Want to go bite-free in the summer? Stand near me. And when I get bitten, it’s misery. The bites swell up like goiters and by the end of summer, I have to cover my arms and legs or withstand stares and comments

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It’s summertime, and the living is easy, as Billie Holiday sang. Summer in the garden is the time to relax and enjoy the fruits (literal and figurative) of your gardening labors. Plants are growing, flowers are blooming, and your vegetables should be in the ground and growing like mad. So sit back in your chair, sip a cool beverage and enjoy the sights and smells.Feel relaxed yet? Yes? Ok, jump

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