Mother Earth's Garden

Holly is a traditional Christmas plant. It adds it’s beauty to outdoor gardens, and indoor decorations this time of year. I’ts one of my favorite plants this time of year. I love holly’s waxy leaves and beautiful berries.

Legend has it that holly helps to ward of bad spirits, that’s where the tradition to add holly to holiday decorations began. Many believed that a sprig or two of holly added to the door, or entryway would help keep evil out of the house. So add a couple sprigs of holly to a wreath, a vase, or a table centerpiece for beautiful …read more

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Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to honor trees for all the products they provide us. You can find wood components in ice cream, salad dressing, shampoo, and toothpaste, just to name a few products. According to research by Rita Hassert, of the Morton Arboretum’s Sterling Morton Library, wood chemicals can also be found in cosmetics, photographic films, food additives, and fillers for many types of plastics.

Wow! I didn’t know wood was used in so many of our products! There are even wood components in our clothes from shirts, ties, to dresses, and suits.
Of course I do know that wood pulp …read more

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The Columbus Dispatch newspaper in Columbus, Ohio, will soon be hosting the 2010 Central Ohio Home & Garden Show, presented by PNC.
The 2010 Garden Show will be held February 27 – March 7, 2010 at the Ohio Expo Center on the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus Ohio. The theme of the show will be “Art in Bloom” and the display will include living landscapes inspired by masterpiece works of art, and feature stunning sculptures, paintings and other pieces within the gardens.

There will be fourteen full-sized gardens on display for visitors to enjoy, and experts will be on hand to …read more

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I love planters and container gardens. They’re fun for patios and decks, and even to add right to the garden as a focal point. If you have a gardener on your gift list, a planter would make a great gift, add a gift card for them to buy some plants in the spring and you’ve got a gift any gardener would love. Today I have some fun planters to share with you from Montgomery Ward.
Tractor Planter $119.99 — This one is my favorite! You’re sure to appreciate the rustic charm of this vintage tractor planter. It has working wheels and …read more

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Fall is a great time to plan your outdoor spaces for next year. If you’d like to create an outdoor living space now is a great time to move walkways, create patios and decks, or map out ponds.

We’ve been planning a new patio for a couple years now, but we still haven’t taken the plunge. I do have a plan, and I know exactly what I want. It’s just a matter of getting it started.
I’ve always thought an outdoor kitchen would be fun. We love to grill out during the summer, so I think an outdoor kitchen would make everything …read more

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If you’re already pining for your garden, and you can’t wait for spring, here’s a little something you can add to your planner. The 2010 Nashville Lawn and Garden Show will be held Thursday, March 4, through Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds.

The theme of the 2010 Nashville Lawn and Garden Show is Artistic by Nature. The 2010 show will celebrate the beauty that’s created when natural artistry and man made artistry are combined in the garden.
The show will offer inspiration, ideas and information for gardeners and garden lovers. Some of the gardens at the 2010 show …read more

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I love Mother Nature’s colors of fall. I think that’s why fall is one of my favorite times of year. I love checking out the beautiful fall colors on the trees, so I’m partial to fabulous fall photos.

Morton’s Arboretum sent me some fabulous images of their fall color show, going on now.

Mother Nature has begun painting The Morton Arboretum landscape with the very first hints of rich, autumnal reds, purples, golds, oranges, and bronzes.

Thousands of visitors enjoy the annual fall color “art show,” not only for its delightful native trees, but in particular, the fabulous exotic species from 40 countries …read more

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Fall is a great time for landscaping. Most trees, shrubs, and perennials will do very well if you plant them in the fall, and water them in well for a couple weeks before the cold weather sets in for winter.

Do it Yourself (DIY) landscapers can get some great deals at nurseries and greenhouses this time of year. Many perennials, and some trees and shrubs are marked down so they don’t have to store them through the winter.
A large nursery near our house has a huge tree, shrub and perennial auction every fall where you can find some …read more

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Fall is a great time to plant new grass. The weather is perfect in most areas during September and October for new grass to get a good start before the winter months set in.

You want to make sure when you plant your grass you give it enough time to germinate, and start a root system before the weather turns cold and stays below freezing for any extended time. Once the grass has a basic root system it can make it through the cold winter without a problem.
In the southern zones 7 and higher you can even get by …read more

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Scarecrows are out in full force this time of year, and when you look at them pre-maid they can cost a fortune. You don’t need to invest any money to have a really cool scarecrow hanging out in your garden for the fall season.
Here are two prize winning scarecrows at our local fair a couple weeks ago.

Just take a look around you and see what have on hand to build a scarecrow. Chances are you have plenty of materials. Here are some things you could use, but think outside the box, because there are also good substitutes …read more

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