tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89081266542173014632024-03-13T08:45:42.245-06:00PassAlong Plants<center>A PassAlong Plant is a growing gift from a garden friend, relative or mentor. <br>It is bad luck to thank the gardener giving the gift; it is a sin not to be thankful.</center>Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-40703461690126176342020-05-19T17:06:00.000-06:002020-05-19T17:07:07.726-06:00Pea Trellis out of Old GateI know it's been a loooooong time since my last post. A lot has happened - important to know - we moved house. We bought a house that had more weeds than grass, and concrete - concrete everywhere! It was horrible. So I slowly started to clean it up. I didn't have a garden the first year, but by the second year I had a small patch prepared. So, I started Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-54189903046263036072012-04-27T19:23:00.000-06:002012-04-27T19:23:14.755-06:00Potted Semps
I love sempervivums and sedums and have been growing a lot of them and trying out different combinations in pots for fun. Here are a couple I really like. See what you think...
Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-85070059412945776512011-11-23T08:59:00.000-07:002011-11-23T08:59:25.780-07:00Be Gone You Pesky Fruit Flies!Are you tired of those pesky fruit flies that buzz around your kitchen - or any other part of your house?
Have you tried smooshing them with your hand or, swatting them with a fly swatter with no success? And, they just keep on coming back! Ugghhh! - I hate it when that happens!
I don't want to use any of those chemical pesticides - that should be labelled Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-5419705212417342402011-09-15T19:38:00.000-06:002011-09-15T19:38:18.729-06:00Are You Getting Your Daily Allowance of Pesticides?The Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes an annual shopper's guide detailing the fruits and vegetables that contain the most and least amounts of pesticides.
How sad is it that we even need a guide like this???
Anyway, they call it the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen. The Dirty Dozen are the twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables that you need to avoid if Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-6035178455280307562011-09-05T18:15:00.000-06:002011-09-05T18:15:42.992-06:00Duck's Day OutThe ducks got a vacation in the back yard today!
We got the ducks when they were a day old. Some of the nice people I work with found them without a mother and pitched in for food while I built them a duck house for the winter. I've heard contrasting viewpoints as to whether or not they will fly south for the winter - better safe than sorry!
We put in a small pool and, as I said, Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-65864159698715285112011-05-07T11:08:00.000-06:002011-05-07T11:08:35.868-06:00Planting the PineappleThe roots grew to a length that I thought was adequate so I planted the pineapple in a pot. I maybe should have let the roots get a little longer, but I think as long as I keep it watered it will be ok. I will follow up with future posts to let you know!
Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-35413646383906112882011-05-06T14:41:00.000-06:002011-05-06T14:41:33.903-06:00Phriday Fotos - WildflowersMatthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-42999612830812777332011-05-04T19:50:00.000-06:002011-05-04T19:50:35.569-06:00Latest Hypertufa Projects
New designs and shapes are really working well! I especially like the long planter...
I am experimenting with different textures and doing some carving on the next ones. Stay tuned for more!
Get your hands dirty!
Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-12073813421603676482011-04-20T17:50:00.000-06:002011-04-20T17:50:13.233-06:00Rooting a Pineapple TopYears ago I read that you could grow a pineapple plant from the top of a pineapple you get at the grocery store. I tried it and got a mushy, moldy mess. Yuch!
Last week my daughter was home from college and we had some family over. We splurged and bought a pineapple - yummm!!! I cut it up and we all enjoyed it very much. Well, I decided to give it another go - and Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-25624708826801375032011-04-18T17:39:00.001-06:002011-04-18T17:41:07.552-06:00To Peat, or Not To PeatI have noticed as of late that there is a debate ensuing on whether Peat Moss is earth friendly or not. The Anti-Peat-Ites are promoting the use of coir in place of peat and say that the peat is a non-renewable resource.
The Pro-Peats are saying that it is a renewable resource and is just fine.
I think coir is a great product - but unless you live in an area with a lot ofMatthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-23839027531464301252011-04-16T19:07:00.000-06:002011-04-16T19:07:09.818-06:00Salvaged Redwood PlanterMy mother-in-law had some old redwood planters that she was going to throw away and I asked if I could have them. They were in pretty poor condition - but I hate to waste.
So I took them and used some scrap lumber to give them a new life:
Add a little stain, some plastic inside and this old planter has a new lease on life. Now all I need is some potting soil and a few plants!
Get Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-88388490167965692162011-04-07T19:01:00.000-06:002011-04-07T19:01:23.009-06:00It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...Another beautiful snow storm - Yuchh. Here is my Egyptian Onions covered with snow - they don't mind the snow - tough little onions!
Here are some of my garlic - they are also tough little guys! Mmm mmm mmm - fresh garlic!
And here are some of our Daffodils - poor little things. No more snow please. We want spring now!!
Get your hands dirty!!Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-74495044358282233302011-04-04T18:52:00.000-06:002011-04-04T18:52:53.469-06:00Rock and Wire FenceI saw this fence and had to take a picture of it. They had built it with reilroad ties, two layers of wire mesh - one smaller than the other, and filled it with rocks. What a great idea - and I'm sure it will last for a long time!
Get your hands dirty!
Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-56672631669615915272011-04-03T16:35:00.001-06:002011-04-03T16:36:10.327-06:00Strawberry TowerI built and planted a strawberry tower this weekend.
I drilled 2" holes with a hole saw and staggered them along all four sides. I buried it about a foot deep. I took a 3/4" pipe and drilled small holes in it and placed it down the center of the post to use for watering (the cap comes off to get to the pipe). I added soil from the garden and as I came to each hole IMatthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-50745614958778864862011-03-27T15:41:00.000-06:002011-03-27T15:41:50.682-06:00Gourd PlanterI made my first gourd planter this weekend.
Last year I sold almost all of the gourds I grew to other people to make into fun, interesting crafts. This year I will still sell a lot of my gourds but decided to try my hand at making a planter.
I coated the inside with wax so it will last longer. I think it looks great with one of my semps in it!
Get your hands dirty!
Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-87952667907877576762011-03-26T18:10:00.000-06:002011-03-26T18:10:13.742-06:00Hot Chicks for 2011My wife and I have been raising chickens for about eight years now and have really enjoyed it. We've lost a few chickens over the years to disease, neighborhood dogs, etc. and have found ourselves down to only three chickens this year. Wendy, our oldest chicken, is actually eight years old; she was one of our very first chickens. She is an Aracauna - the ones that lay the Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-66158906674804446832011-03-24T06:42:00.000-06:002011-03-24T06:42:43.456-06:00Help WantedMatthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-56585914847275787462011-03-21T16:51:00.000-06:002011-03-21T16:51:33.697-06:00My Latest HypertufaI know it's been a while since I posted - life can tend to get in the way...
Happy Spring!! A day late, I know, but happy spring anyway.
Here are a couple pictures of my latest Hypertufa. I am getting the hang of it - I think. The month of waiting is the worst part - I am not a patient person.
The last one is not hypertufa - I made it out of a scrap post cover made by Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-24376025658305468982011-02-16T07:19:00.002-07:002011-02-18T05:49:10.976-07:00Stylish Blogger AwardSouthern Meadows awared me the Stylish Blogger Award. I am honored that she would think of my blog as deserving of an award. Southern Meadows has been one of my favorite blogs, with beautiful photos.
The Stylish Blogger Award is an award given by fellow bloggers to blogs that they feel offer a little something more... Here is how it works:
You post a link back to the person Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-69950084103305134102011-02-04T01:00:00.002-07:002011-02-18T05:49:19.161-07:00Phriday Fotos - February 4, 2011Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-382077894741899232011-01-30T16:47:00.002-07:002011-02-18T05:50:25.736-07:00A Growing InsoleMy mother's favorite thing was shoes. She was a sweet, kind woman who never complained and really never asked for anything. But when she had the opportunity - she loved new shoes. My father on the other hand did not really care for shoes all that much, but was a die-hard gardener. Put them together and you get a wonderfully whimsical shoe planter!
Garden Walk Garden Talk had a&Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-55426165805955729022011-01-28T07:56:00.000-07:002011-02-18T05:51:11.355-07:00Phriday Fotos - January 28, 2011Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-86140474801228805682011-01-25T16:12:00.002-07:002011-03-29T05:54:46.526-06:00The Cure for the DoldrumsThe overcast and snowy days of winter can cause many people to suffer from the doldrums. Even depression can set in when you go days, weeks - even months without the sun.
There is a solution...
Many of our favorite spring and summer nurseries are still up and running in the middle of the winter and have gone the extra mile to become a botanical getaway...
You can feel Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-5071856927984347822011-01-18T07:09:00.001-07:002011-02-18T05:52:11.231-07:00Using Willow as a Root StimulatorAny of you who have worked with willows (Salix) before know that they root very easily. In fact many people who have Globe Willows in their yard got them from friends who handed them a stick and told them to stick it in a bucket of water. There is a reason that they root so easily - they contain a natural chemical called indolebutyric acid (IBA). IBA is a natural growth Matthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908126654217301463.post-83101426197911847322011-01-16T09:29:00.000-07:002011-01-22T06:13:35.916-07:00My Recent Hypertufa ProjectsI've been practicing different recipes, forms and color additives and trying to get the technique down. It is harder than I thought it would be - but I am really enjoying it!
I tried some smaller ones and added some different textures.
I used a wire brush on this one.
Tried to give a "broken pottery" type look.
Tried to make this one look more like stone - more rustic.
This isMatthew Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13023917090686170340noreply@blogger.com5