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Sustainability

Patience is the Key

  By Sandra Nelson   One of my favorite things to do this summer is to quietly sit on my deck, watching dozens of bees and butterflies flitting through the yard enjoying the nectar buffet I’ve planted. This is the first year that I’ve had a steady stream of visitors and it feels like the …

Preparing For Pollinators

  With all the Buzz about pollinators in the news lately (sorry, just couldn’t resist it), I thought that this might be a good time to think about adding a pollinator garden to the landscape.       For the past few years, flower and gardening magazines, websites and even home improvement television shows have …

Keepin' Things Humming

By Sandra Nelson  

My neighbor two houses down routinely has 4 or 5 hummingbirds flitting around her two feeders every day. (I have to admit that I have been known to “check” occasionally.) I, on the other hand, have one diehard who comes once a day, drinks and then flies off to the neighbor’s …

Vegetable Gardening 101

By Sandra Nelson  

With the days all seeming to melt together, it’s hard to realize that today is already May 7th. In another week or so it will be time to begin planting the bulk of my vegetable garden  —  the warm season plants like tomatoes and cucumbers and zucchini, and some seeds like …

Butterfly Bush: A Must Have For Your Garden

Brilliant color, delightful fragrance and easy care  — a winning combination!   Butterfly bush, also known as summer lilac, is a perfect addition to a Midwestern summer garden. Although it absolutely requires full sun, 8 hours a …

Celandine Poppy: A Must Have For Your Garden

By Sandra Nelson   This week’s pick by Sandra Nelson,  Blog Writer   Celandine Poppy   The perfect plant to brighten up a dark corner of the yard.     Anything from dappled sunlight to deep shade suits this luminescent native wildflower! The Celandine Poppy, or commonly called  wood poppy, blooms profusely from early April until the …

Designing Beds That Delight

By Sandra Nelson   I don’t know how you are handling stress these days, but I find myself drawn more and more to my yard. When I feel anxiety building, I stroll through the yard, stopping every few seconds to discover the changes from the day before and to soak in the calming power of …

Connect To The Past With Heirloom Plants

By Sandra Nelson      

  My grandmother was famous in our neighborhood for her rambunctiously beautiful flower gardens. To my knowledge, she never purchased a commercially produced seed or plant. Instead, each fall she carefully collected and saved seeds from her favorite flowers, dug summer bulbs and took some cuttings to grow on …