-
Creating a Lizard Habitat
We have managed to attracted a diversity of birds and pollinators to our garden, but I’ve only seen one or two lizards in the past year. There are several benefits to having lizards in your home garden. Lizards prey on insects and rodents They help propagate native plants by aiding in pollination and spreading seeds They typically don’t feed on the vegetation but on the pests that may be eating your vegetation They are one more critter for kids to…
-
Growing Habitat
The first time I saw a male cardinal perched in the peach tree I had planted in the back yard, I couldn’t help feeling a little light-hearted. I was actually so excited that for a moment I contemplated interrupting Joe at work to tell him there was a bird in my tree. What made me most excited was seeing that this tree, which I had planted to commemorate a baby lost to miscarriage, was no longer my tree. It had…
-
Bee and Butterfly Garden Revamp
Our fenced kitchen garden was designed with pollinators in mind. In the southeastern corner, there is a bee and butterfly garden planted with Liatra Spicata, purple Echinacea, red gladiolas and daffodils (primarily for me), and several other potted perennial flowers I picked up during the summer. The Kniphofia (Traffic Lights) didn’t blossom this summer, but I think they did at least grow plants. The real problem with the bee and butterfly garden is that its location in the corner makes…
-
Upcycled Sink to Garden Water Bowl
Every time go to garden stores, I can’t help but stop by the water plants and wish I had a place to plant some. Water features are almost always my favorite spots in gardens, and for awhile now the Man and I have been thinking about putting in a fountain. Well, we still haven’t installed a fountain, but we do have a water bowl! Thanks to a trip to the Habitat ReUse Store, we acquired a free sink, sans plug.…
-
Nifty, Thrifty & Free
This week I came across some great finds for gardening projects. First, I stopped by This Just In Consignments where I picked up an arm load of $1 shirts and shorts for the Baby, and this nifty lantern. I’ve been talking to Michelle Smith over at Feminine Modern about writing a guest post on building a terrarium. This lantern is on the smallish side and needs some tender love and care, but might be a great size for the Man-child…
-
10 Weeks of Vegetable Gardening: Week 4
Each Friday I am posting a weekly guide for prepping your home vegetable garden. In Raleigh, the last killing frost date is April 11 (on average, give or take a week), so my first weekend for planting outdoors is April 9. Do you have a cold frame? Joe built me one last year so I could move my plants outside and our family could once again eat in our dining room. A cold frame isn’t essential, but it does have…