I found the following to be interesting and informative. It is a nice collection of tips for the gardener. Many of these tips are similar to things I have posted in the past.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/Plant-Care-Summer-Garden.aspx

I’ll see you in the backyard!

The mosquitoes seem to be out in full force already this season. I was amazed at the number of those critters that came after me today.

Now is the time to be certain there is no unnecessary standing water in your yard and garden. Weeds and brush that supply them with areas of cover need to be controlled as well. Bird and bat houses are ways to encourage the natural predators of mosquitoes.

I will be adding more detailed information on this subject very soon.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I try to make it a point to be chemical free in my yard and garden. Controlling Poison Ivy is where I allow myself some leeway. I just came in from spraying a chemical marketed specifically for controlling this backyard pest.

I expect to have good success with the application. The spray works best on young growth. The growth was still young and tender and will readily absorb the spray. The ivy was growing around a couple of trees in the yard and along the north wall of my garage. I was especially concerned about controlling the growth along the garage because I plan on a landscape project in that area this season.

There was one other spot that was an area of concern. There was some ivy that had sprouted up around my trellis in the front landscape bed. This was a perfect time to control it. The trellis will be supporting Morning Glory and Sweet Pea vines this season. The seeds have been planted and should germinate soon. I allowed the ivy time to show itself so it could be controlled. The seeds have not yet sprouted so they will not be harmed by the spray since it only kills on contact. I expect to see results very soon.

I would love to find an organic control for this pesky adversary. I have not yet found one that offers the results I am looking for. Does anyone have an organic remedy they use with success? Feel free to share with us. Thanks in advance.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I have mentioned this before but I think it is worth repeating.

Dryer lint makes a wonderful fire starter. We save the lint in a large zipper bag when cleaning out the dryer lint trap. A handful in the fire pit is all you need to get the kindling started. It works very well and it is free.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

It seems there are always things that need to be tied down, tied up, or just secured tightly. The link below gives instructions on tying ten different knots that can be very useful around the home and garden.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-Homesteading/1979-05-01/How-to-Tie-Useful-Knots.aspx

This a great rainy day activity. Practicing tying knots. You don’t need anything more than a length of rope.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I received this in an email just yesterday. There is a lot of great information of planting. Just follow the link below and click on your area.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/What-To-Plant-Now.aspx?utm_content=3.27.09+FG&utm_campaign=Food+%26+Gardening&utm_source=iPost&utm_medium=email

I hope you find this helpful. I found it to be quite thorough.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

Spring is right around the corner, and the need to drag out the garden hoses will not be far behind.

The problem is, some people who try to garden in small spaces may not have access to an outdoor faucet. I have outdoor faucets, but I like this tip because I do not have a hot water faucet outside.

Some kitchen sinks and wash tubs have a garden hose thread right on them. (There may be a standard faucet end screwed onto it.) If there is not one present, most hardware stores and home centers have an adapter available.

A garden hose can be attached to the sink and run outside to aid in some projects. I find this to be a great way to have hot water for outdoor cleaning projects. Just remember to have a shutoff on the end of your hose, since it would be impractical to go back inside to turn the water on and off.

I keep a short piece of hose handy in the house to aid in filling buckets and any other large items without having to try fit the large containers in the sink, and under the faucet. This will still be handy if I ever add an outdoor hot water spigot.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

Seed starting time is nearly upon us. I will be adding my personal thoughts and experiences on this subject very soon. I want to take a moment to get everyone thinking about starting seeds right now.

Perhaps you want to try starting seeds indoors for the first time. Below you will find some helpful links. This will give you a general idea of the process and what is involved. Soon I will be adding some “real world” experiences I have had, as well as a few tips.

I hope these will give you a head start on deciding if starting your own seeds is something you want to try.

http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/modzz/00001573.html
This is an overview of seed starting.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/uploadedFiles/articles/issues/2006-12-01/Seed-Starting-chart.pdf
This is a chart to calculate seed starting dates.

http://www.planetnatural.com/site/xdpy/kb/starting-seed.html
This site shows some of the tools and equipment available.

http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/Hobby-Greenhouses/departments/1001/
And for all the dreamers, including myself, greenhouse options. Someday I’ll have one.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I found a helpful tool for figuring out seed starting dates.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/uploadedFiles/articles/issues/2006-12-01/Seed-Starting-chart.pdf

This should be an asset to new and seasoned gardeners alike. It is time to start thinking spring!

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I made a quick fix to a snow shovel today.

I was clearing off the end of the driveway after the road scraper came through. The plastic collar that held the shovel to the handle cracked. It was noticeable when I had weight on the shovel. The shovel was breaking away from the handle.

I simply drove three screws through the collar and into the handle. This secured the two pieces tightly together again.

The shovel seems to be working fine now. How long will the repair last? I can not be certain, but it will certainly give me more use out of the shovel than if it had not been repaired.

I’ll see you in the backyard!