The Inside Dirt @ iloveplants.com - May 2008

This past month more regional gardening information has been added to our Regional Directory. For your convenience, you can now access a link for your state in the right hand column of our blog. Gardeners located in Texas, Utah, Washington state and Virginia will find a number of new links with information for their particular state. Visit our See What's New page to find these links as well as others for nurseries and garden blogs. In the coming month, I will be adding more links for a number of other states as well. If you have a favorite you'd like to share with others, please send it me via e-mail. I hope you enjoy the many links we have featured this month on sustainable gardening this month.

FEATURED WEBSITES

The Basics of Sustainable Gardening
Since “being green” is so popular these days, it seems appropriate to feature information on sustainable gardening. The term “sustainable gardening” is a fancy term for natural gardening - working in tandem with Mother Nature. The Basics of Sustainable Gardening written by Julie M. Young at do-it-yourself.com is a great basic introduction to this new term but old-time successful gardening practice.

Here are more links that cover the four basic concepts of sustainable gardening:
* Composting by the EPA
* Mulching for a Healthy Landscape by the Virginia Cooperative Extension
* Practice Smart Watering for Healthier Plants by King County.
* Natural Garden Pest Control by Earth Easy.

GARDEN NEWS

Win a garden makeover in Preen Garden Makeover Sweepstakes
This is the third annual Preen Garden Makeover Sweepstakes. The Grand Prize is a $2,500 garden makeover. What a great prize that would be to win! In addition, there will be 3 first place prizes of $500 each also awarded. Visit Preen to submit an official online entry form. Entries must be submitted by July 1st.

GARDEN BARGAINS ONLINE

Jackson & Perkins is featuring their annual Rose Tag Sale. During the month of May you can save up to 54% on your favorite roses. Check out their Knock-out rose. It is beautiful and practically care-free.

FEATURED GARDEN BLOGS

In Keeping with our “green theme” this month, we’re featuring blogs that feature sustainable gardening practices.

Blooms and Bees
Kristi in Los Angeles, California is a garden designer and writer who refers to herself as “The Green Garden Girl.” She chronicles the joys of environmentally responsible gardening in her blog.

The Compost Bin
A self-confessed “compost addict,” Anthony grows vegetables with his homemade compost. Lots of great information here for anyone who is interested in composting and growing organic vegetables.

The Manic Gardener
An ex-New Yorker now living in Montana, Katie Gardner started her organic gardening blog in November of 2007. She’s off to a good start, and while she’s busy gardening and building her blog, you can check out the 50 Tips & Tricks and the Glossary of sustainable gardening terms.

THE LATEST GARDEN BOOKS

Rosalind Creasy's Recipes from the Garden by Rosalind Creasy. More than 200 recipes from appetizers to desserts using your local or homegrown harvest.

The Informed Gardener by Linda Chalker-Scott. The most common myths and misconceptions regarding sustainable landscaping practices.

Why do Violets Shrink? by Caroline Holmes. Answers to 250 thorny questions on the world of plants.

Great Landscape Evergreens by Vincent A. Simeone. Information on more than 80 species of evergreens for landscaping purposes.

For more great horticultural websites, please visit iloveplants.com – your online garden resource!

The Inside Dirt @ iloveplants.com - February 2008

We’re still firmly entrenched in the middle of winter across the nation, but it won’t be long before our hope is rekindled with the first blooms of hyacinths, daffodils and other spring blooming bulbs. It is already beginning in my zone 9 garden. As I look out the window this dreary morning, I see the neighbor’s Laurel oak is alight with brand new spring green leaves. I stand in amazement of this overnight occurrence, and I quickly check my own tree to discover that teensy baby leaves are well on their way too. Hurray! I wish an early spring for all of you out there.

This past month I added lots of regional gardening web sites, and have loads more to add in the upcoming months - so stay tuned! Hopefully, I will have something for all 50 states. Please feel free to help me out by e-mailing your favorites to me.

Many new butterfly gardening links were added, including the humorously named Butterfly Gardening for Ninnies and the Horticulturally Challenged. You’ll find they keep it simple on this site and, personally speaking, I like simple. One that received a 5-star rating from viewers is Butterflies of North America which offers something for everyone regardless of what state you live in.

Now for some new blogs. We all love blogs and here are some good ones. Dee in Oklahoma rambles on in her Red Dirt Ramblings, and Betsy’s Garden delivers the goods for gardeners in Minnesota, Wisconsin and surrounding areas. I couldn’t resist including this next blog in my newsletter because I love its name - Plant Whatever Brings you Joy. Already the name provides some great advice. You’ll find these sites mentioned above, along with more blogs and Web sites on our What’s New page.

Looking for a Bargain?

In this day and age when gas prices are soaring ever-higher and food costs keep steadily rising, who isn’t in search of a bargain. Our sister-site, Garden Bargains Online keeps tally of the latest coupons, discounts, sales and special offers from nurseries and garden product companies.
Our Garden Bargains blog digs a little deeper by featuring individual products that will save you $$$’s. This blog is interactive, and I am inviting everyone to participate. How? By leaving a comment (positive or negative) on featured products you’ve used, and also by sharing with all of us your latest garden find.

Garden News -

The Great Backyard Bird Count is scheduled for February 15 - 18th. For more information visit BirdSource.org.

Elizabeth Bickford wants everyone to know they are invited to Historic Garden Week in Virginia (April 19th) which is sponsored by The Ashland Garden Club. For more details, visit Virginia is for Lover’s.

The Perennial Plant Association has named Geranium ‘Rozanne' as the 2008 Perennial Plant of the Year.

John Valleau at Perennials.com is creating lists of outstanding plant performers across the U.S. To participate you can send him an e-mail with your best performing perennials.

March 1st is the deadline to apply for the 2008 Youth Garden Grants from the National Gardening Association.

The Latest Regional Gardening Books -

The Rhode Island Gardener’s Companion: An Insider’s Guide to Gardening in the Ocean State by Barbara Gee starting at $10.38

The Michigan Gardener’s Companion: An Insider’s Guide to Gardening in the Great Lakes State by Rita C. Henehan starting at $8.96.

Container Gardening for Washington and Oregon by Marianne Binetti and Don Williamson starting at $13.06.

Herb Gardening for Washington and Oregon by Marianne Binetti and Laura Peters starting at $13.57

As I wrap this post up, the sun is beginning to peak through the clouds and I’m headed outdoors to enjoy the first new leaves of spring on my neighbor’s tree. I hope you enjoyed the featured Web sites and blogs this month. Please email me a link to your garden blog, so I can include it in our Regional Directory.

For more great horticultural websites, please visit iloveplants.com – your online garden resource!

The Inside Dirt @ iloveplants

Discovering new Web sites and blogs to add to the iloveplants.com directory is one of the tasks I enjoy the most. There are so many interesting garden blogs, that I wish I had more time to visit them on a regular basis. This past month I added quite a few blogs from newspapers around the country. If you don’t subscribe to your local paper, you can still read the garden information for your region of the country.

One of the most interesting blogs I discovered is The Daily Dirt which cleverly purports to “dishing out a healthy serving of “green gardening” how-to each weekday morning.” It offers gardeners a fresh perspective on eco-friendly gardening. My Garden Guide - a plant encyclopedia of 40,000 plants created by Connecticut college is a great resource for gardeners in all 50 states. You’ll find these along with more blogs and Web sites on our What’s New page.

Seed Ordering -
The 2008 garden catalogues are arriving in the mail, and soon we computer-savvy gardeners will be placing our orders online. If you’re ordering from a company you haven’t ordered from in the past, you may want to check out our Mail-Order Tips to avoid a disappointing experience. Some of my favorite companies are Park Seed (for flower and vegetable seeds) and Blooming Bulb (for tropical bulbs). They offer great service and good value.

According to the Mailorder Gardening Association they project that orders will be split 50% each for mail and Internet ordering. People still love receiving the colorful and descriptive catalogues, but find online ordering quick and easy. Money saving coupons are abundant at this time of year, and you can find a current listing of them at Garden Bargains Online.

Garden News -
Congrats to Carol at May Dream’s Gardens (featured in our February 2007 newsletter) on her Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day’s one year anniversary. Everyone is welcome to join her and the many other bloggers who participate in this fun monthly blogging event.

Pam at Digging is getting the word out on the first official Garden Bloggers Spring Fling 2008 which will be hosted by the Austin bloggers. It sounds like a fun event for garden bloggers that will include garden tours and a chance to meet and chat about (what else) gardening.

The National Garden Bureau has deemed 2008 the Year of the Rudbeckia and Eggplant, and if you’re looking for the latest information on the newest plant introductions you’ll find those at All-America Selections.

And, now as I finish publishing this new post, I’m off to the couch on this rainy January day to peruse all of those catalogues that are piling up on the floor. It’s just the perfect day for this, and besides the laundry can wait another day! I hope you found this information helpful. Please email me a link to your garden blog, so I can include it in our Regional Directory.

For more great horticultural websites, please visit iloveplants.com – your online garden resource!

The Inside Dirt @ iloveplants.com - October 2007

iloveplants.com - YOUR ONLINE RESOURCE FOR THE BEST GARDENING INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET!

In This Issue:
Featured Web Site: Learn2Grow
Garden News: Billion Tree Campaign
New Book: Backyard Giants
Garden Bargain: Save at Gardener’s Supply Fall Clean Up Sale
Garden Blogs: My Serenity Garden * Gardens by the Lake * Muum’s Musings * Bert’s Bloomers
From my Garden…Simply Susan!

Greetings fellow gardeners, and a warm welcome to all of our new subscribers!

Thank you for subscribing to The Inside Dirt @ iloveplants.com. Each month I bring you the “inside dirt” on garden Web sites and blogs, keep you up-to-date on the latest garden news and bargains, and give you an insider’s look at new Web sites and blogs added to iloveplants.com during the last month.

I hope you enjoy this month's newsletter. Drop me a line anytime you like with requests for future information or just to say hi and let me know what's growing in your garden. And, if you have a garden blog, please email the “url” to me. Thanks.

Susan

“A Garden is a thing of beauty and a job forever.” - Anonymous


FEATURED WEBSITES:

A LESSON IN GARDENING - Learn2Grow

It doesn’t matter whether you have a green or black thumb, at Learn2Grow you can find the latest gardening information, projects, problem solvers, forums and plenty of inspiration. They even offer online courses.

GARDEN NEWS - PLANT FOR THE PLANET “Billion Tree Campaign”

The United Nations Environment Programme has launched a worldwide tree planting campaign to encourage gardeners to plant trees. Their 2007 goal is to plant 1,000,000 trees to benefit the planet, and so far only 302,971,416 have been planted. If you’ve planted a tree or plan to this fall, drop by their site and get it recorded as they work toward meeting their gallant goal.

BOOK REVIEW - Backyard Giants

Backyard Giants written by Susan Warren is “The Passionate, heartbreaking, and glorious quest to grow the biggest pumpkin ever.” I know that there are gardeners out there that grow record size vegetables, but what I didn’t know is how serious they are about it. I figured they threw a little extra Miracle Gro on them, and voila’ a super-sized vegetable was a result. Boy, was I wrong. The Rhode Island gardeners that Warren features in her new book are what I would call “extreme gardeners.” They eat, drink and (don’t) sleep “extreme” pumpkins, sometimes at the expense of their relationships. This book will attest to the fact that prize winning pumpkins do not happen by accident. In fact, a ton of planning and cultivation goes into producing the next winner. Warren describes the heart-moving account of these gardeners in a humorous and delightful way. You can’t help but be intrigued by these passionate and dedicated gardeners.

GARDEN BARGAINS ONLINE: Fall Clean-up Sale at Gardener’s Supply Co.

It's Autumn, which means it's time to clean-up the yard! From leaf shredders and burlap wraps to garage organization - Gardener’s Supply has smart tools and timesaving solutions for your yard. And right now, you can save 10% on your order of $50 or more!



For more garden bargains, visit Garden Bargains Online.

FEATURED GARDEN BLOGS

My Serenity Garden
Becky‘s woodland garden is located in the Pacific Northwest. You’ll enjoy the crisp photos of her garden and the wildlife that visits. She’s also got a second blog that houses photos of her flowers.

Gardens by the Lake
Minnesota (zone 4) gardener, Kris shares her thoughts, ideas, successes and failures in her garden by the lake on her blog. Lots of roses and colorful perennials adorn this cottage-style garden.

Muum’s Musings
Summer is a short season for Muum who gardens at an elevation of 5000 feet in Utah. Already having received their first snow fall, she’s busy harvesting the vegetable garden and preserving the bounty.

Bert’s Bloomers!
I saved Bert’s blog for last because this semi-retired and “slightly eccentric” (as he describes himself) Canadian horticulturist has 3 interesting blogs - Bert’s Bloomers, Bert’s Herbs and Garden Coach. You’ll find plenty to read here, and lots of helpful information from this gardening expert.

NOTE: Just a reminder that you are more than welcome to leave comments on gardener’s blogs should you wish to do so. Be sure to check back to see if they left a reply to your comment.


FROM MY GARDEN…Simply Susan!
I have now taken to the cultivation of my own garden blog. Please visit Simply Susan! to see what’s happening in my zone 9 garden and please be sure to leave your footprints by posting a comment. I would love to hear from you!

For more great horticultural websites, please visit iloveplants.com – your online garden resource!

The Inside Dirt @ iloveplants.com - September 2007

iloveplants.com - YOUR ONLINE RESOURCE FOR THE BEST GARDENING INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET!

In This Issue:
Featured Web Site: Wikipedia
Seasonal Web Site: Autumn Folklore
Garden News: Healthy Sprouts Grant Program Deadline
Garden Bargain: Gardener's Supply Co.'s Hot Summer Sale!
Garden Blogs: My Sister’s Garden * Hoe and Shovel * Leave Me Alone, I’m Digging * A Larrapin Garden
From my Garden…Simply Susan!

Greetings fellow gardeners, and a warm welcome to all of our new subscribers! Thank you for subscribing to The Inside Dirt @ iloveplants.com. Each month I bring you the “inside dirt” on garden Web sites and blogs, keep you up-to-date on the latest garden news and bargains, and give you an insider’s look at new Web sites and blogs added to iloveplants.com during the last month.

I hope you enjoy this month's newsletter. Drop me a line anytime you like with requests for future information or just to say hi and let me know what's growing in your garden. And, if you have a garden blog, please email the “url” to me. Thanks. Susan


FEATURED WEBSITES

A GARDEN REFERENCE - Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia. Many of you may not realize that it is packed with fabulous plant and garden information. Use their search box to enter a plant/tree name or garden term to find a plethora of information.

FALL IS IN THE AIR - Autumn Folklore
In my eyes, autumn is one of the best seasons. At Ottawa Plus - Autumn Folklore you will find some interesting history on the equinox, the symbols of autumn, and many folklore sayings connected with the season - some you’re familiar with and others not.

GARDEN NEWS - Healthy Sprouts Grant Program
The National Gardening Association & Gardener’s Supply Co. is encouraging schools and organizations through their Healthy Sprouts Award Program to plant health-focused youth gardens that provide healthy foods and nutrition information. This year 20 schools or organizations will be recognized and will receive an award of products to continue their good works. The deadline to submit an application is October 15, 2007.

GARDEN BARGAINS ONLINE: Gardener’s Supply Co.‘s Hot Summer Sale
Save up to 63% at Gardener’s Supply co.’s Hot Summer Sale! Sizzling offers you can’t resist on self-watering planters, pest controls, landscaping supplies, patio sets and more!

FEATURED GARDEN BLOGS

My Sister’s Garden
Two sisters, Country Girl and Apple, share with others their gardens located at the east end of Lake Ontario. This is a unique blog in which the two of them use one blog to write about each of their gardens - one located in zone 4 and the other in zone 5. It’s a very inviting blog with plenty of colorful photos and advice mixed in. You’ll feel like part of the family as you read along.

Hoe & Shovel
When you visit this central Florida gardener’s blog, I guarantee you will be adding it to your favorites list. Meems has created a stunning (words pale in comparison) shade garden awash in soft shades of magenta, deep purple, green and white. Just be warned - the photos are intoxicating!

Leave Me Alone, I’m Digging
David in Greensboro, North Carolina shares his garden experiences in his online “gardener’s notebook.” He’s only been blogging since 2006, but has managed to amass a very thick notebook about his garden - birds, butterflies, plants, problems, and even his archeological garden finds. It’s obvious how much he enjoys digging in his garden!

A Larrapin GardenAccording to Leigh in Fayettevile, Arkansas, “"Larrapin" is an old hill term that means delicious, yummy.” And that term describes her one year old organic garden which contains yummy treats for people, birds, wildlife, and the barnyard critters.

FROM MY GARDEN…Simply Susan!
I have now taken to the cultivation of my own garden blog. Please visit Simply Susan! to see what’s happening in my zone 9 garden and please be sure to leave your footprints by posting a comment. I would love to hear from you!

For more great horticultural websites, please visit iloveplants.com – your online garden resource!

The Inside Dirt @ iloveplants.com - August 2007

iloveplants.com - YOUR ONLINE RESOURCE FOR THE BEST GARDENING INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET!

In This Issue:
Featured Web Site: Green Gardening by WWF
Featured Web Site: 163 Things You Can Compost by Marion Owen
Garden Book Review: The Massachusetts Gardener's Companion
Garden Bargain: Plow & Hearth Summer Clearance
Garden Blogs: A Study in Contrasts * Robin’s Nesting Place * Bliss
From my Garden…Simply Susan!

Greetings fellow gardeners, and a warm welcome to all of our new subscribers! Thank you for subscribing to The Inside Dirt @ iloveplants.com. Each month I bring you the “inside dirt” on a couple of garden Web sites and blogs, keep you up-to-date on the latest garden news and bargains, and give you an insider’s look at new Web sites and blogs added to iloveplants.com during the last month.

I hope you enjoy this month's newsletter. Drop me a line anytime you like with requests for future information or just to say hi and let me know what's growing in your garden. And, if you have a garden blog, please email the “url” to me. Thanks.Susan

“No garden is without weeds.” - Thomas Fuller

FEATURED WEBSITES

GOING GREEN IN THE GARDEN - World Wildlife Federation Green Tips
Going green in the garden is easier than you think, especially with these 16 helpful tips from the World Wildlife Federation. Get involved today by incorporating some of these ideas into your garden, and suggesting some of your own green tips.

COMPOST HAPPENS - 163 Things You Can Compost
Alaskan garden writer, Marion Owen, shares her long list of items you can successfully compost. The list seems endless and some of the items will be ones you never thought of. Turn your everyday trash into rich compost for your garden.

GARDEN BOOK REVIEW: The Massachusetts Gardener's Companion: An Insider's Guide to Gardening from the Berkshires to the Islands

This book is a must have for those who garden in the New England area. Barbara Gee, a regional editor of People, Places and Plants magazine provides a bounty of valuable information and helpful tips in her new book. The book is arranged in three categories:

* Firm Foundations - soils, the site and water.
* Green Things - annuals, perennials, vegetables, trees, shrubs, lawns, invasive plants.
* Garden Solutions - pests & diseases, special challenges for city & seaside gardens, resources.

Gardeners will find that she packs a lot of information into the 185 pages of her book. Everything from water-wise tips, lists of desirable and invasive plants, garden definitions, local and Internet sources, tips to extend your growing season and much more.

Gee feels like a friend and mentor disseminating practical and down-to-earth advice learned from many years of personal trowel and experience. It is a timeless garden book that should be on every New England gardener's bookshelf.

GARDEN BARGAINS ONLINE: Summer Clearance sale at Plow & Hearth

Save up to 60% on in-season items at the Plow & Hearth Summer Clearance Sale. Choose from a great selection of garden (planters, globes, furniture) and home (lamps, clocks) items.

FEATURED GARDEN BLOGS

A Study in Contrasts
Kim, who grew up in the Black Swamp in Ohio now gardens on the sandy shores of Lake Erie in Ohio. Her goals for her urban yard is to turn a small garden into one that thinks big, is environmentally sensitive, and one that marries form with function.

Robin’s Nesting Place
This central Indiana gardener is a southern transplant who has learned how to garden in a totally different climate. She adds new posts to her blog frequently, along with lots of beautiful photos of her flowers.

Bliss
Yolanda gardens in the tiny 400 year old village of Dinteloord in the Netherlands, where she has created a fairytale-like kitchen and cottage garden. You will enjoy not only the pictures of her garden, but also those of her beautiful (and many) cats.

FROM MY GARDEN…Simply Susan!
I have now taken to the cultivation of my own garden blog. Please visit Simply Susan! to see what’s happening in my zone 9 garden and please be sure to leave your footprints by posting a comment. I would love to hear from you!

For more great horticultural websites, please visit iloveplants.com – your online garden resource!

The Insider Dirt @ iloveplants.com - June 2007

iloveplants.com - YOUR ONLINE RESOURCE FOR THE BEST GARDENING INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET!

In This Issue:
Featured Web Sites: Gardening With Kids
Featured Plant: Endless Summer Hydrangea
Garden News: The Pollinator Partnership
Garden Bargain: Get 15% off your Order at Park Seed Co.
Garden Blogs: Life in Sugar Hollow * Lean and Green * A Salsa Garden
From my Garden…Simply Susan!

Greetings fellow gardeners, and a warm welcome to all of our new subscribers! Thank you for subscribing to The Inside Dirt @ iloveplants.com. Each month I bring you the “inside dirt” on a couple of garden Web sites and blogs, keep you up-to-date on the latest garden news and bargains, and give you an insider’s look at new Web sites and blogs added to iloveplants.com during the last month.

I hope you enjoy this month's newsletter. Drop me a line anytime you like with requests for future information or just to say hi and let me know what's growing in your garden. And, if you have a garden blog, please email the “url” to me. Thanks. Susan

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It is what sunflowers do!”
- Helen Keller

FEATURED WEBSITE

NEVER TOO YOUNG TO GARDEN - Gardening with Kids
You will find a ton of wonderful ideas for getting kids involved in the garden at Gardening with Kids. A few projects include a kid’s garden party, a nose garden, Lilliputian gardens, the world of make-believe to an odd behavior garden, and much, much more! Spending some time outdoors in the garden teaching kids about plants and nature will make for a fun summer for you and the kids.

FEATURED PLANT

A Summer of blooms with ENDLESS SUMMERÒ HYDRANGEA
Endless SummerÒ (Hydrangea macrophylla Ballmer) owes its success to its ability to bloom on both new and old wood. This mophead ( 8 to 10 inch flowers) begins bearing blooms when the weather warms up in summer and continues through the fall. It is hardy to zone 4. Endless SummerÒ is a standout in any garden with it’s beautiful large pink or blue (depending on your soil) flower. You can purchase Endless Summer hydrangea at Wayside Gardens.


GARDEN NEWS: The Pollinator Partnership
June 24 - 30th has been proclaimed the first annual International Pollinator Week. The U.S. Postal Service will be releasing a booklet of 20 commemorative stamps entitled “Pollination” on June 26th. According to a 2006 report by The National Academy of Sciences, “There is direct evidence of decline of some pollinator species in North America.” The Pollinator Partnership provides news, resources, programs and a digital library to support you in helping pollinators in your own backyard as well as the world. Check their Web site for events scheduled for Pollinator Week.

GARDEN BARGAINS ONLINE: Get 15% off your total order at Park Seed Co.
Place your order at Park Seed Co. and receive 15% off your total order now through the end of June. Choose from a nice selection of bulbs, perennials, roses, shrubs and trees. Enter the following coupon code at checkout: JUNE15

FEATURED GARDEN BLOGS

Life in Sugar Hollow
Located deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Charlottesville, Virginia lives Tracey who gardens on 5 acres of beautiful countryside. Not so long ago, while working in her Manhattan, New York office she dreamed of the life she lives now in sugar hollow. Her blog chronicles the many learning and humbling experiences that have occurred since moving to Virginia.

Lean and Green
This New York gardener shares her tips for “gardening on the cheap“ from her Brooklyn rooftop garden. You’ll be amazed at how many plants you can grow in a small space.

A Salsa Garden
For all of you who love to grow chile and sweet peppers, you will enjoy visiting this Los Angeles garden in southern California. In her first blog entry in 2004, she writes that she began growing peppers several years ago because “I find that home grown peppers are sweeter and firmer and make my home cooking into a true joy.”

FROM MY GARDEN…Simply Susan!
I have now taken to the cultivation of my own garden blog. Please visit Simply Susan! to see what’s happening in my zone 9 garden and please be sure to leave your footprints by posting a comment. I would love to hear from you!

For more great horticultural websites, please visit iloveplants.com – your online garden resource!