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!