Another new year is here, and for thousands of us gardeners, that means a flood of exciting new garden catalogs for the 2019 growing season. And for those of us who are more inclined to buy online, a new gardening year means lots of great websites to peruse for new seeds and plants. The early part of the year is an ideal time for garden planning. The quiet days of winter are perfect for making lists, charting new garden beds and calculating sowing times. The early weeks of the year is also the time when mail-order garden catalogs arrive and online catalogs are posted, enticing us with dreams of a new growing season. Garden Catalogs in 2019 There are dozens of seed and plant catalogs and websites to choose from. If you don’t already have a stack of printed catalogs or a full email inbox with tantalizing new offers, here’s a list of some of our favorite places to buy heirlooms, hybrids, and everything that’s new and trending: Burpee Established in 1876, Burpee is one of the nation’s … [Read more...] about 9 Great Garden Catalogs in 2019
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Six Lessons I Learned from Garden Failure
Garden failure happens. I know, because it was a rough season for my garden. Between hailstorms, squirrels and an energetic toddler with a stick, I have witnessed some epic garden casualties. It’s times like these that I have to remember patience and acceptance-- and embrace every garden failure as a learning opportunity. It’s a harsh reality, but it’s true: failing can teach you a lot. Plants die sometimes for no apparent reason. And sometimes you’ll make a mistake-- like the time I planted a hydrangea in my New Mexico garden. That poor plant failed SPECTACULARLY. (It did not like the climate AT ALL.) Just remember that every mistake is a learning opportunity that will help you become a better gardener in the long run. Here’s a list of my failures this year: Garden Failure #1: Sowed seeds too late. The ideal time to sow seeds outside in spring can be a very narrow window, and it varies from year to year. This year, we had a very early warm, dry spring. By planting way too … [Read more...] about Six Lessons I Learned from Garden Failure