“Re-Magic Your Piece of Earth!”
Hi! I’m Katrina. I am a landscape designer in central Kentucky, zone 6b.
This blog is here to help you create a garden you love – and so you can learn how to create a garden that influences the environment in a positive way, instead of a negative one.
Historical Home Garden Tour
THE GARDEN DESIGN INSTALLATION The garden at this historical home was give a new landscape update this late summer. We removed the old roses and boxwoods and installed a whole new native plant landscape. A garden bed planted near the corner of the property was added for several functions. First, it will help mitigate storm…
Native Plant Series: Ironweed
Ironweed is a common name of 25 species of Vernonia which are native to North America. Many of these species are native to the midwest and southeastern regions. Some species are as short as 2′ tall, while others can reach 10′ tall! It is an upright plant with tough stems, in which it is named…
Invasive Plant Spotlight: Vinca
Periwinkle (Vinca minor and Vinca major) is a vining groundcover that is native to parts of central and southern Europe in the regions of France, Portugal, and Turkey. It is believed to have been introduced to North America in the 1700s. It is an evergreen plant with thick glossy leaves that grow opposite of each…
Native Plant Series: Blue Flag Iris
Blue Flag (Iris versicolor) is a native perennial iris to the North Eastern United States and Canada. It is naturally found in wetland areas, marshes, and wet meadows. It likes moisture, so it can be planted in wet/moist sunny areas in a home garden or on the edge of a pond up to 6″ deep.…
Resource Links
This page consists of useful links you will find for sustainable and ecological gardening. If any of these links are broken, please email me. If you have suggestions for useful links you may email them to me and I will consider adding them to this page. This page will be updated over time.…
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Recommended Garden Tools
These are tool and supplies I have actually used as a landscape professional. I would buy these products again if I needed to (and do!)
Recommended Garden Books
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More Blog Posts
Spring: What Can I Plant & When?
These are general gardening tips, please use your intuition when deciding what the plant and when! For information on when spring is, see this previous blog post: When Is Spring? Very Early Spring. When the ground is workable, it is no longer frozen or too wet. You can plant: Trees as long as they are…
What is Frost? What Gardeners Need to Know
What is Frost? Frost is a thin layer of ice on a surface. It begins as water vapor (water in gas form) in the air at an above freezing temperature. It becomes frost when the water vapor meets a surface that is below freezing. The water vapor condenses, freezes, and becomes solid. There are different…
When is the Average Last Frost Date?
Judging when it’s safe to plant plants in the spring can be tricky all due to freeze and frost. The average last frost date is a date gardeners look forward to because it means it’s time to start planting! Even with knowing the average last frost date there’s still uncertainty. As we face climate change…
When is Spring?
Today is the first day of March. To some, today is the first day of spring! There isn’t a one-and-only true way to mark the beginning of spring. It depends on who you ask. For meteorologists, the first day of spring is on March 1st. This is because it is based on climate patterns. The…
Toxic Dyed Mulch
Dyed mulches seem to be a common material used among homeowners and commercial landscapes today. Unfortunately, dyed mulches in black, red, and even brown is what is most available for purchase at big box stores, gas stations, and sometimes local nurseries. It can be more difficult to find mulch that has not been dyed, but…
The Annual Christmas Bird Count
The annual Christmas bird count happens every year from December 14th-January 5th. The Audubon Society hosts the nationwide/worldwide event, but the counts are done by local groups that convene on their own. You can search for a group near you on the Audubon website, or consider developing your own! Each group does one count on…
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Winter Leaves on Trees: Marcescence
If you’ve seen trees hold onto some brown leaves during the winter, this adaptation is called marcescence. We all know it’s normal for trees to loose their leaves in the fall. Cold weather signals the tree to do so. When this happens, the cells around the vein of the leaf stem, which carries the water…
Put the Gardens to Bed: Fall Tips
Let it Stand… …for the bugs. The more you leave the garden ‘as is’, the better it will provide habitat to all the good bugs and wildlife over the winter. Ladybugs love to nest in leaves and around the base of plants during the winter. Let them be, and they’ll eat the aphids next year.…
The Street Tree Ordinance in Lexington KY
In the city of Lexington, it is an ordinance that the property owner must have a permit to remove or replace a street tree. If a street tree is removed, a replacement tree must be planted within one year. The following are clips from the LFUCG Street Tree website. Sited Links LFUCG Street Tree Website…
Recipe: Mashed Cauliflower
Why would you ever want to make mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes? Mashed potatoes are great, but lately I’ve been making mashed cauliflower, and it’s great too! Mashed cauliflower… Is easy and quick to makeHas a lower glycemic index, which means it doesn’t spike blood sugar as high. Potatoes have a very high glycemic…
Growing Strawberries
In years past, I haven’t had too much luck growing strawberries. I’ve tried growing them in containers this year and have had a lot better luck. Strawberry plants grow great in the ground, but when I did this I didn’t get any strawberries! I realize now it was because the chipmunks were eating them all.…
Turn Off LIghts During Bird Migrations
Each spring billions of birds migrate back north to the upper parts of the United States and Canada. Many are traveling from Mexico, South and Central America, or the southern US. Birds migrate at night and they use the sky and the stars as their navigation map. Artificial lighting from buildings, street lights, and towers…
The effects of late cold snaps
There’s a joke in Kentucky that goes something like this, “If you don’t like the weather just wait a day”. Yesterday I worked outside in a t-shirt and got hot (and a sunburn!) This morning I’m wearing my winter coat and hat! While most of the time, it’s just a blip to our fashion choices,…
A Guest At The Wallis House
Last week I was a guest at the Wallis House, which is the home of The Garden Club of Kentucky. I got to speak with a lovely group of ladies on how to attract birds to your landscape. Hopefully I inspired them to plant some new plants in their gardens that the birds will appreciate.…
Free Virtual Garden Tours
2020 was a tough year to get out and do anything, and it looks like the beginning of 2021 (at least) is going to be about the same. I know many parks and hiking trails have been closed, which has made it difficult to enjoy the outdoors beyond the backyard. Thankfully, many gardens have created…
Gardening new years resolutions
I recently heard on a news story that the biggest resolution Americans make is to get healthy. It was also noted, that of any country, American’s are the least likely to keep their resolutions! They attributed this fault to creating too large of a goal. There are many ways to become healthy such as: exercising,…
Your First Garden: The only 6 tools you’ll need
These are the basic 6 gardening tools I couldn’t live without. I’ve tested a lot of tools out there, and as a professional landscaper and avid home gardener, these are the ones that I recommend. Buying quality items up front will save money in the long run and reduce the amount of waste going into…
Easy Christmas Decorating
Every year after Thanksgiving I trudge up the attic and get down a few boxes of Christmas decorations. Once I start getting everything out, I always say to myself, “Surely I can have less of this stuff!” I feel guilty if I don’t set it all out, which creates unneeded stress. By the end of…
Chive & Allium Species + Egg Salad Recipe
Egg salad is good at anytime of the day, but I think it makes for a perfect brunch. It’s a seasonally appropriate dish in the spring as well. When people lived off the land more than they do now, eggs were usually in over abundance in the spring. Egg salad is a good way to…
Fertilize Spring Flowering Bulbs
Here in my area of Kentucky, daffodils, crocus, and spring Iris are flowering! Tulips and hyacinths are also on the rise. Spring flowering bulbs are hungry harbingers of spring. They will benefit from being fertilized in the spring while the green is emerging or when they just start to flower. Tulips in particular can be…
Book Review: New Small Garden by Noel Kingsbury
New Small Garden by Noel Kingsbury published in 2016 published by Frances Lincoln. This is one of my favorite garden design books. I’ve checked it out several times from my local library. Noel Kingsbury is a famous British garden designer and has written quite a few books. He is largely known for his naturalistic planting…
Egg Carton Easter Wreath DIY
If you eat eggs, you’re likely to get egg cartons you throw away or don’t know what to do with. There are many crafty ideas out there on how to reuse egg cartons, from using as organizational storage boxes to small crafts. Click Image for Pinterest Board In a magazine I saw an egg carton…
The Potager: Kitchen Gardens
A kitchen garden is a space to grow food with herbs and edible and non-edible flowers mixed in. In France, a kitchen garden is called a ‘potager’
Book Review: Crops in Tight Spots
Crops in Tight Spots book review on the EARTHeim Garden Blog
Book Review: Gardenista
Gardenista, written by Michelle Slatalla. Published 2016 by Artisan. Gardenista is a catchy name. This self titled book is a physical publication written by the editors of the Gardenista blog, a website all about stylish outdoor spaces. It is a sister site to Remodelista, which has a physical book too. This photo centric hardback book…
Restore Your Land with a Pocket Prairie
Take a moment to look outside your window, or take a stroll in your backyard. Imagine what that very land used to look like before it was ever settled on or used for agriculture or development. The land may have been any type of landscape such as; a meadow/prairie full of grasses, a wetland with…
Book Review: Terrain
“Terrain: Ideas and Inspiration for Decorating the Home and Garden”. Edited by Greg Lehmkuhl and the gardeners of TERRAIN Terrain is a beautiful book. Aptly named, it’s named after a garden nursery located in southeastern Pennsylvania. The Terrain nursery took root in 2008, but its location is at a historical nursery once called Styer’s, which…
Book Review: Garden Design by Heidi Howcroft & Marianne Majerus
Garden Design by Heidi Howcroft & Marianne Majerus, is a substantial book that qualifies as a coffee table book. The cover caught my eye with its colors and a close up shot of Joe Pye, one of my favorite native plants! There are six chapters in the book, and each one breaks down garden design…
Book Review: Creating Sanctuary by Jessi Bloom
I really like this book, Creating Sanctuary: Sacred Garden Spaces, Plant Based Medicine, and Daily Practices to Achieve Happiness and Well-Being by Jessie Bloom. Not only do I think the format and its colorful cover is really nice, but the contents is fun to read as well. The book is broken down into many categories…
Blue Winged Wasp: A biological control for Japanese Beetles
Did you know that most wasp species aren’t aggressive? When we hear ‘wasp’ we tend to think of the aggressive species, living in nests, that swarm us. Wasp are carnivores, and actually can do a lot to help control pests in our gardens. Today I saw a blue winged wasp, Scolia dubia, in my yard.…
Five Spotted Hawkmoth
Every evening as the last rays of sun dwindle down in the sky, I look out from my back patio door. What I see visiting my nicotiana’s every night, looks like a hummingbird, but it’s actually a moth! Every day at about dusk, a Five Spotted Hawkmoth visits the nicotiana by my back patio. It…
National Honey Bee Day
Today is national Honey Bee Day! Honey bees are not native to the America’s, but they provide a great resource to us; honey, propolis, beeswax, and royal jelly. They also help pollinate food and flowers! In my garden, I don’t see honey bees too often. However, this is the first year I’ve had mountain mint…
Leave Coneflowers for Goldfinches
The pink petals on Purple Coneflowers are starting to fade away for the summer. The gold colored seed heads will start to mature and turn dark, as the seed becomes ripe for picking. The American Goldfinches will soon be sitting atop the seed heads picking away at the seeds. Adult goldfinches are seed eaters; and…
Native Asters
It’s getting to the time of the year here in Central Kentucky where many summer perennials are dwindling. The purple coneflowers and blazing stars are nearly done flowering in my yard. However, I know there is still some perennial color yet to look forward to, as the days get shorter and temperatures begin to drop.…
Black Eyed Susans & Microclimates
When out shopping for plants, a plant label (when written well!) will tell you how tall and wide a plant will mature to. However, there is no guarantee a plant will be that size. (One reason is lack of fully testing the size of a newly released cultivated plant, but that’s another story!) Usually the…
Sewing Tutorial: Pie Tote Carrier
I’m not sure how many times I’ve made a pie and couldn’t find a bag good enough to carry it in. No one wants to see a beautiful pie on the ground! This pie tote is the perfect way to carry your pie to potlucks and parties. It also is an eye catcher and everyone…
Starting Seeds Indoors Pt 2: Lighting
In my last post, Starting Seeds Indoors Pt 1: When?, I covered what plants are best to start indoors and when. But now, how do we start seeds indoors? In this post I will cover lighting. It took a lot of research to figure out what type of lighting I wanted to use. I found…
Starting Seeds Indoors Pt 1: What & When?
Knowing when to start seeds indoors can be quite confusing! Simply keep this in mind. Starting plants from seed indoors breaks down to 2 factors: The typical frost free date in your area.The plant you want to start from seed. Here in Kentucky, our first frost free date is supposed to be April 15th. But…
March Garden Chores
Weather in March can be quite unpredictable! It’s like going on vacation as a kid and asking, “Are we there yet?!” For gardening in March, you want to be nimble and quick for certain tasks, but patient with others. Don’t be fooled by abnormal warm days. Start too soon, and work/expense may be lost due…
Thyme Tea for Colds, Flu, Bronchitis, Strep
If you’re ill with a type of respiratory infection, try this herbal tea remedy. This week, several counties in our area called off school because so many kids were sick. I’m ill myself for 2 weeks now with bronchitis. The worst parts is the cough, especially when it comes to sleeping. Once I started drinking…
Witch hazel
On the list of winter flowering shrubs, is witch-hazel (Hamamelis sp.). In the US we have two native witch hazels, Hamamelis virginiana and Hamamelis vernalis. Virginiana starts flowering in October to November. Vernalis flowers later starting in December. Vernalis also holds onto its leaves. My witch hazel shown in the photo is vernalis. This photo was taken…
January’s Garden Chores
If you’re a gardener, there’s always some kind of gardening that can be done any time of the year. While I won’t be doing any kind of outdoor gardening in January, I will be doing lots of garden planning and designing sitting inside by the heater. Here is the list for January’s Garden Chores. 1.…
Made to Order Holiday Outdoor Container
Are you ready for the holidays! I’m now taking orders for made-to-order holiday outdoor containers. I’d love to make you a holiday container like this one! The cost for the container includes the pot, soil, live greenery, some extras like lotus pods, red dogwood twigs, and/or dried hydrangea blooms, a ribbon in your choice of…
DIY Foaming Handsoap
I use natural soaps and cleaning supplies around my house, but many pre-made natural soaps can be costly. Some of these I’ve seen are $5 and $7 a bottle or more. Some also claim to be ‘green’ while still containing harmful ingredients. The best part is when you can easily make your own natural products…
Plant By Numbers Project & Art Exhibit
This summer LFUCG released the ‘Plant By Numbers’ program for citizens who want beautiful, pollinator friendly garden along a stream bank. There are 12 gardens to choose from and are divided by sunlight requirements, garden dimensions, and color palettes. They all feature native plants which are better suited for the environment, stabilize banks with their…
Tree Care Means Healthy Trees
Some trees can live healthy lives even with some damage to them. Certain species can be more resilient than others, like oak trees for example. Some trees can receive only slight damage and decline very easily. There are often clear indicators that a tree is unhealthy. This can be evident with obvious damage to the…
Storing Strawberries for Long Shelf Life
I’m not sure how many times I’ve bought strawberries, only to discover they’ve started to mold in a day to two. Sometimes even the next morning! Strawberries can be one of the more expensive fruits to purchase and we want to make sure they stay fresh as possible. Moisture increases the chance of mold. So…
Redbud Lemonade
The redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a native tree to Kentucky and it’s a common flowering tree found in urban landscapes too. Likely you may have one in your own yard! Bees love the flowers, and did you know the flowers are edible too? The redbud is in the pea family, which you may recognize a…
Book Review: The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
‘The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate’ by Peter Wohlleben This book has been a top seller on many book lists, including the New York Times. It’s wonderful this type of book is that popular! The book presents scientific research and observations by Wohlleben himself of trees and forests. His observations are…
Violet Jelly
I get questions all the time on how to get rid of common blue violets (viola sororia) in the lawn. I know they are very pervasive and disturbing in a lawn, but they do have a variety of purposes for wildlife and humans! The flowers are edible and can be candied for decorations on cakes The…
Book Review: The Humane Gardener
“The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife” by Nancy Lawson, 2017. This book only took me a few nights to read, but it is full of interesting information. The book has six chapters and covers topics like native plants, letting nature guide your garden, gardening for pollinators and birds, our relationship with wildlife…
Spring Hike at Mammoth Cave
This past weekend I had the opportunity to travel to western Kentucky to speak about garden design at the Barren County Extension Office. The horticulture agent was able to have the event sponsored by local businesses so the event was free to the public. The master gardeners also put together a table of refreshments and…
Natural Dye Easter Eggs
I don’t ever recall dyeing Easter eggs in my life, even as a kid! So I thought this year I’d give it a try. Of course, I wanted to use natural dyes made from food. I looked up different natural dyes to make and thought I’d try: Beet Red cabbage Parsley Turmeric Coffee Step 1-…
3 Lawn Weeds for Bees & Pollinators
Spring is just a week away! I’ve been seeing daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, spring wildflowers, pussy willows, and some cherry trees flowering already. The perfect spring temperatures and rainfall are making lawns turn greener and greener each day and before we know it, it’ll be time to mow! As we start to draw more attention to…
What is Garden Coaching?
To learn more about my personal Garden Coaching Service click here Who is a Garden Coach? A garden coach is a knowledgeable professional who can help guide clients in their gardening project with an array of tasks. A garden coach is just like a music lesson teacher, cooking teacher, or personal lifestyle coach, but applied…
The Great Backyard Bird Count Feb 16-19th
Thursday, February 16th- Monday February 19th Every year this time of year there is the Great Backyard Bird Count! It is sponsored by Audubon, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Bird Studies Canada. You will be taking part of citizen science, which is helping scientist study birds. All you need to do is count birds…
Cleaning & Oiling Wood Cutting Boards
After my last post on How to Freeze Onions, my cutting board needing some cleaning and deodorizing. Taking care of wood cutting boards will extend their life for many years. Anyone who has left a wood cutting board sitting in water, knows how quickly it can warp. Oiling wood cutting boards is quick, easy, and…
Snow Day for the Birds
With all the snow and very cold temperates this January we’ve had, my bird feeders have been full of birds looking for some good nutrition to keep them warm! Please remember: Do Not feed birds any form of bread. It starves them to death by filling them up with food that offers no nutrition. They…
EARTHeim Seeds Now Available
I am now able to offer seeds from some of my favorite annuals, herbs, and tomatoes! Last fall I worked many diligent hours collecting seed, cleaning it, and storing it. Now these seeds are available and ready to go in packets! Purchase ONLINE HERE Packets range from $2-$3. If you’re local and would like to…
Freezing Onions
I love growing onions, a homegrown onion is a lot fresher than store bought ones. Once cured, onions can last quite a while in a dark, cool pantry. I use onions quite a bit in cooking and as fresh, but I often find some will begin to sprout or rot before I can get to…
The Winter Garden As Habitat
It may not seem like it, but gardens are still full of life even in winter and fall. Most if it is hibernating, but if you look close enough you can find evidence. I got out in my garden last November and played detective, finding a few fun things in the garden. This lady bug…
Homemade Marshmallows & Hot Chocolate
Who loves smores, or hot chocolate with marshmallows? Marshmallows isn’t something I consume very often, but homemade ones are a real treat and taste so fresh. Plus you get to miss out on TETRASODIUM PYROPHOSPHATE and BLUE1 when you make your own. They’re inexpensive to make, and once you’ve made them a few times, you can…
Beat the Winter Blues
It’s already the second week into November and we’re about to get into the holiday season. The days are growing shorter and with the time change, it’s getting dark a lot earlier. I don’t know about you, but in the winter I’m ready to go to bed early and it’s harder to get up while…
Herbal Fall Harvest
I like to call herbs ‘domesticated plants’ because they’ll flourish when we give them regular attention. They want to be harvested! Pruning them back at least once a year will keep them maintained and encourage good looking fresh foliage. You know how mint and lemon balm get pretty crazy in the garden? I’m ok with…
Happy Halloween
Happy Halloween! I love Halloween decorations and costumes- creativity has no limits when it comes to Halloween. Find some Halloween inspiration on my Pinterest board.
Early Fall Garden Harvest
With cold weather approaching, I took some last days of t-shirt weather and did some tidying up in the garden. I completely advocate being a ‘lazy’ gardener when it comes fall time to create winter wildlife habitat. There are some things I do before winter gets here though and it mainly has to do with…
Bulb Planting Season
It’s a month into fall and that means there’s one last chance to get spring bulbs planted in Kentucky! November is nearing and so are chances of frost, so we have a couple of weeks left to get bulbs in the ground. This year for my own garden I picked out some snowdrops and a…
10 Easy Steps to Save Tomato Seeds
Some plants are easier to save seed than others. Tomato seed is easy to collect, but there are a few more steps to getting viable seed than just allowing the seed to try. Just follow these simple steps and you’ll be saving seed in no time! Why Save Seed? Save the cost and time of…
A ‘Messy’ Winter Garden Sustains Wildlife
Wintertime is a dormant time and fall is the time to prepare. But what if preparing meant this was the time to do nothing? Besides cleaning the gutters, putting the rain barrels up, the fall garden requires little to no work and leaving the garden be is the best thing that can be done. Gardens…
Crows, Blackbirds, & Ravens
What’s that black bird over there? There are several species of birds that have all black feathers. Crows are a familiar bird that can be found nearly everywhere in America. They are a very adaptable bird, which allows them to live in various environments. It may be one reason why humans have given crows some type of…
Effects of Light Pollution on Wildlife
It was an October night, I was standing outside on the second floor of a motel looking out to the ocean of Myrtle Beach. Out there I saw true darkness, but it was still hard to see the complete darkness for the glare of a motel light. Bugs and moths were buzzing all around it.…
Take Houseplants Outside
Taking your houseplants outdoors can keep them healthy throughout the year. Here are some helpful tips!
Butterfly Milkweed- Plant of the Year
Butterfly Milkweed has been listed as plant of the year 2017 by the Perennial Plant Association. I’m not surprised, this ‘weed’ is a beauty. Despite it’s name, it doesn’t act weedy in the garden, so don’t be afraid to add it to your landscape. It’s just starting to bloom here in Kentucky, with its orange…
Kentucky Heirloom Green Beans & Tomatoes: Berea Sustainable Agriculture Center
I love growing green beans; they produce a lot of food in a small space. If you don’t have a vegetable garden, they’re easy to grow even in an ornamental garden bed on a nice looking trellis, and it’s unlikely anyone would even realize you’re growing food. By growing your own beans, you’ll be getting…
How Fresh Are Those Eggs?
Fresh food usually equals better taste and better nutrition. The word ‘fresh’ shows up a lot when advertising produce, eggs, and meat. But, how fresh is all that food? Today we’ll look at how ‘fresh’ supermarket eggs can really be. When it comes to supermarket eggs, there are two time frames determining its freshness on the shelf.…
No Compost Heap? Easy Composting with Coffee Grounds & Eggshells
If you’ve thought about composting, but have been apprehensive to try it, there a couple of very easy ways to improve your soil (for free!) without having a compost heap. (Although composting is very easy, easier than dealing with stinky trash!) These easy things simply begin with two magic things… Eggshells Coffee & Tea Grounds These two…
Valentines Garden & Porch
Valentine decorating doesn’t have to be cheesy, it can be quite classy and cute! Spread love around your garden and front porch this year with some of these cute ideas on my Pinterest board.
Feeding Birds in Winter
If you enjoy birding as much as I do, you must also enjoy feeding and watching birds in the winter. Birds stand out in the landscape of leafless trees and white snow, making them easier to watch. They’re likely spending a lot more time at your feeders trying to stay fat to keep warm all winter. There…
Birding with Cats
Have outdoor cats, but love birding? You and I are in the same boat. Sylvester the cat and Tweety the bird aren’t just a cliche in the animal world. Cats can kill between 1.4- 3.7 Billion birds annually in the continental US This number tells us that bird deaths due to cats is a serious issue.…
DIY Insecticidal Soap for Houseplants
Every winter spider mites seem to get worse on my indoor plants. However it’s easy and inexpensive to keep them at bay! You can make a simple insecticidal soap that will kill only soft-bodied insects such as spider mites, aphids, and mealybugs. In my home, my Croton and Arrowhead plants fall victim to spider mites.…
Happy New Year
We hope that you have a great new year going from 2016 to 2017. I think this was a whirlwind of a year for a lot of people and our world. We can simply appreciate all that 2016 gave and showed us, and make positive goals and plan for growth in 2017. To appreciate 2016…
Red Pepper Jelly
Have you ever had sweet red pepper jelly? If you have, you may know that it’s a southern thing! It can be odd to think that you can make jelly out of a pepper, but trust me, it is delicious! Whether you grow lots of red sweet peppers and want to preserve them, or if…
DIY Marker, Pencil & Pen Storage Cubby
Working out of a home office can be difficult, especially when you’re confined to a 10’x 10′ room and on a budget! I’m on a tight budget, so I haven’t invested in any kind of organization or even furniture. My desk is simply a fold out table. There are so many decisions when it comes…
Yew Dell Gardens Hummingbird Festival
Yew Dell gardens is just northeast of Louisville, about an hour and a half away from Lexington. Every August they have a small hummingbird festival with some speakers and other activities. We hadn’t been to Yew Dell before, so we thought it would be the perfect time to go since we love hummingbirds! Yew Dell…
Is Mosquito Spraying Affecting our Pollinators?
The following article was written for Wild Ones Lexington newsletter September 2016 We seem to be seeing an increasing amount of advertising for mosquito spraying services in our area. We are also noticing lower numbers of pollinators, especially butterflies. While populations of our pollinators are suffering due to many factors, could the chemicals used to kill…
Raising Spicebush Swallowtail Butterflies
Raising caterpillars to butterflies isn’t something I’ve done before, but I finally did a little research on how to go about it. About a week ago we saw a Spicebush Swallowtail flying around our 2 Spicebush shrubs. We knew it was laying eggs on the shrubs! We looked, and there they were on the underside…
The Robber Fly
Once you start planting a garden, you start witnessing fun things, especially when you plant native plants, edible plants, and pollinator loving annuals (all without pesticides on them of course!). As I was looking at the flowers on my hanging basket, I saw this guy fly up and land. Its giant green eyes were nearly…
Carter Caves State Park
A few weeks ago we took a small vacation to Carter Caves, a Kentucky state park located in Olive Hill, just east of Morehead. When looking for a place to go a couple months ago, we chose Carter Caves because there was so much to do there! One of the best things they have to…
The Bad Butterfly Bush
Butterfly Bush is a flowering shrub lots of people think of when they think of creating a butterfly garden. I admit, their flowers are pretty! They do attract butterflies! But… There are a lot more beneficial plants you can use in a butterfly garden than a butterfly bush. Butterfly Bush is not a native plant,…
Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden
Hummingbirds are amazing creatures! They have long beaks, are tiny, and flutter their wings 60 to 90 times per second! They are even more amazing birds because of their migration pattern. In fall, the hummingbirds from Kentucky travel south down to Florida along the Gulf coast. They spend about a week here and gain about…
A Flourishing Spring
Spring has been great in the Bluegrass this year! Although it’s been raining a lot lately, we’ve had great temperatures and plants are flourishing even better than normal this year. How does this happen? There are probably several factors that has made this spring vibrant Spring arrived about 6 weeks early this year, so warmer temperatures earlier, which…
Providence High School & Arbor Day
This past week I packed up my display boards and went to set up a table at Providence School in Wilmore. Their school was hosting ‘Envision Day’, where professionals came in to represent their business and talk with kids about what it’s like to work in a field you enjoy working in. Joining me was…
What Is a Host Plant?
There’s been a lot of buzz lately about pollinators and native plants, which is awesome! Awareness in anything is the first step in creating change to those things which no longer serve us. Our pollinators are very important to our ecosystem, they’re the building block to our food chain and pollinate our food and flowers! A…
The 11 Ways to Create a Greener World
Start recycling more. The first step in recycling more is to be aware of what items your local recycling center takes. Generally you can recycle plastics #1-4, which is likely to be plastic bottles from drinks and toiletries, and some food containers. Lexington does not take #5 plastics, which is thicker plastics like yogurt, sour…
Beneficial Insects in the Garden
A healthy garden begins with a diversity of native plants, good soil full of organic matter, and not using pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. If you have a vegetable garden, you probably have experienced some type of pest eating your food. Planting native plants and annuals near your vegetable garden can attract many beneficial insects that…
Monarch Waystations: Certify Your Garden
What is it about butterflies that we love? Their colors and patterns are striking, they fly elegantly in the air and drink nectar from colorful flowers. Not only do they bring a lot of joy, pollinators are an important part of our ecosystem. They pollinate flowers and food, and they are a building block of the food…
A DIY Kitchen Update- Part 2
Learn how we removed the vinyl flooring in Kitchen Update Part 1 Part 2 of this kitchen update was to paint the concrete floor. In the adjacent dining room I had already removed the carpet and painted the concrete over 3 years ago. I planned to continue the same process in the kitchen! Prepping the Floor…
A Kitchen Update Part 1
Over a year ago I had an idea to make an industrial pipe table, sorta like the one below I saw from Anythingology. I thought it would help in the kitchen to have more workspace and storage. But as much as people say making one saved them a lot of money cause it’s so DIY, it’s…
Ways a Gardener Can Help You
When clients come to me for help they often express they just want to enjoy their garden and landscape and not have to work on it all the time. I completely understand, it’s hard to enjoy your garden when the only time spent in it is pulling weeds or stressing over what to exactly do.…
Wintergold Mugo Pine
If you’re looking for some winter interest in your yard, evergreens are a great way to do so. It can be hard to find unique evergreens however! You can find unique evergreens at our local nurseries, but they often go fast and they are limited in quantity. Habit One of these evergreens is the Mugo…
Emerald Ash Borer: Threat to Our Native Landscape
If you haven’t heard about the Emerald Ash Borer, it is important to be aware of this invasive pest, especially if you own an Ash tree or are concerned with preserving our native natural Kentucky landscape and our Lexington streetscape. Ash Trees in Our Landscape Many varieties of ash trees are native to Kentucky and…
Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts for Chicken Keepers
Home & Kitchen Accessories A sturdy sealable egg carton is a very practical and useful gift to store all those eggs! Krups Egg Cooker is a great gift for the busy chicken keeper who eggs a lot of hard boiled or poached eggs. The best gift is life made easier! For the tidy and fashionable…
Butterflies During Wintertime
We almost forget about our colorful friends of summer as we’re lured inside by our furnaces and fireplaces. Where do butterflies go during wintertime? They are still in our gardens! Most of our butterflies hibernate in our gardens throughout winter. They are just hiding out very well. There are some species that do migrate to warmer…
Frosty December Mornings
One reason of several I love leaving perennials standing during the wintertime is because of the interest they create, especially during frost and snow! The heavy frosts we’ve had in early December created really neat effects in the garden!
Krohn Conservatory & Union Station in Cincinnati
Instead of exchanging gifts for Christmas this year, my boyfriend and I decided to take a day trip to Cincinnati. Last year we took this same trip, except it was for my birthday, which is next week. We enjoyed it so much we decided to go again this year but as our Christmas gift in…
Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata)
This spectacular shrub is a must in the winter garden. Winterberry is a native deciduous holly. This holly does not have the common prickly leaves, but are oval shaped and soft. After its leaves fall, this shrub becomes covered in these amazing red berries that makes it a show stopper. Only the female plants form these…
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EARTHeim Landscape Design Lexington Kentucky 