Starting seeds indoors is a great way to get a head start on your growing season.  Once your seeds have sprouted having enjoyed the luxury of growing in a controlled environment, the time will come to introduce them to the hardening process which prepares them for their outdoor existence. Artificial lighting is no match for true sunlight, so slowly expose your young plants by placing them in shaded areas for short periods of time.  Within a few days you can began to expose them to direct sunlight for limited periods of time.  Do not leave your seedlings in adverse conditions like rain showers or wind.  A proper hardening process will ensure that your plants are ruff and tuff!     Cheers

Spring has finally arrived but you wouldn’t know it here in zone 4 due to 4 inches of fresh wet snow on the ground.  It’s time to put pondered garden plans into action.  You can begin to harden plants started indoors and remove debris from flowers beds, clearing the way for early blooming bulbs like tulips and daffodils. Take an inventory of your Garden Essentials including tools making certain they are ready for the task at hand.  Spring preparation takes careful planning and consideration.  Creating a plan of your intentions and expectations is a sure way to guarantee a successful growing season. Cheers

A magnificent garden starts with great soil conditions.  A solid foundation for your garden can be obtained by creating a garden floor that is well drained and rich in soil nutrients.  To achieve this goal I like to utilize a combination of compost and mulch in my gardens landscape.  Adding a layer of compost gives my plants the nutrients they require to help them thrive in different types of conditions. The addition of Marvelous Mulch will retain moisture during dry conditions and insure a continuous abundance of richly colored blossoms that will remain spectacular throughout the season.  Cheers

As we approach the end of winter, now is the time to start growing our featured flower of the month, the Aster.  Asters (Callistephus chinenis) are an annual flower native to China and Korea. I’ve cultivated this flower for many years and it has always been a delightful addition to my garden’s landscape.  We experience a long winter season in zone 4 so I start my aster seeds indoors during the late winter months because aster is a slow developing plant.  It thrives in full sun and blooms from spring through summer adding a burst of radiant color wherever it is planted.  Cheers

Arctic air is moving through zone 4 and it is a bitter reminder that winter is still here.  With limited outdoor time due to frigid temperatures I am getting a jump start on the growing season by starting seeds indoors.  Utilizing a seed starter kit which can be obtained here, Shop

  I can use indoor planting methods to start vegetables like jalapenos, cayenne peppers and tomatoes in addition to annual flowers like cosmos and zinnias.  Utilizing your time wisely during the winter months will be a key component to a successful growing season.  Cheers

People have asked me how I came by the nick name “zinnia boy”.  Many years ago I had the desire to start a floral growing operation.  I did not have the capitol for a traditional brick and mortar establishment so after careful consideration I thought the best approach for me to begin my floral odyssey would be to utilize my local farmers market.  I am fortunate to have space in my garden and began to focus on the decision as to which flowers I would grow to sell for profit.  My selections had to be beautiful, hardy, long lasting, well suited for a bouquet and easy to grow in my zone.  My choice was the zinnia. One day I was discussing my decision with my sister-in-law Pamela.  While we were reviewing the numerous varieties of zinnia’s I’d planted she then dubbed me “zinnia boy”.  Eureka! I loved it!  Please enjoy the video below, it shows my zinnia garden and features a humming bird moth!   Cheers

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Did you know that there are several varieties of Shasta daisies?  One of my favorite varieties is called banana cream.  I stumbled upon this flower at the Jensen-Olson Arboretum in Juneau Alaska.  The petals are lemon colored florets that surround a densely packed solid yellow center.  It is a magnificent perennial flower that performs well in zones 5-9 and blooms during the summer months.  The flowers I saw were at their maximum height of about 18 inches.  They are a breeze to grow as they adapt well to both full sun and partial shade conditions.  Cheers

It is difficult to be silent about our featured flower of the month, the chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemums also known as mums are native to East Asia and Northern Europe.  The flowers are rows of florets that come in white, yellow and red and start to bloom in early autumn. Chrysanthemums come in two groups, garden hardy and exhibition. I prefer the garden hardy variety because it can produce a multitude of flowers on stalks that are capable of withstanding cool environments.  They are long standing in my garden and long lasting in a cut floral arrangement.  Cheers

Over the course of several years I have written about flowers, food, recipes and all things related to the great outdoors.  As I looked through my website this morning I realized that I have covered hundreds of topics that are still relevant today and want to open the archives to share a few links from the past.  Enjoy!

Fall is here but it feels like winter. Normally temperatures are in the mid sixties this time of year, it is twelve degrees today.  We are experiencing a year of extremes.  Record heat and dry conditions in   spring and summer sparked fires and rendered the air quality hazardous to our health but I must stay hopeful that winter will bring the moisture we desperately need.  I experienced that hope while shoveling this morning.  Among a sea of white snow I saw a flash of yellow which turned out to be a snap dragon.  This prompted me to write about and feature this hardy, tough as nails flower this month.  They are one of the most durable flowers you can plant.  Snap Dragons bloom throughout the year surviving many diverse conditions.  They have been a year around staple throughout my garden.  They are magnificent flowers and are easily propagated by tossing a handful of seeds just about anywhere.        Cheers