These are strange times we live in. But, like we said last week, gardening hasn’t been cancelled and we are safe at home. We saw a pair of Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) at the feeder the other day (March 24, to be exact). Coupling this with a Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) sighting on March 17, the…
In case you haven’t noticed, the weather is getting warmer. Not that it was a bad winter (until the darned COVID-19 hit), it’s just getting warmer. The sun is higher and we have more hours of daylight. Look at your calendar. Spring is here – it officially arrived at 11:49 p.m. March 19. The Equinox…
We are still talking about bulbs. We’ve already talked about sun-loving bloomers. It’s time to talk about bulbs planted for their foliage. Remember, plants have leaves too, and sometimes those leaves can add a dramatic effect in the garden. Caladium One of the best known foliage bulbs is the Caladium, a tuber from the tropical…
The madman has been talking about bulbs lately. Why? Because he spent the last few days at the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show. Yes, he entered plants in the Standard Flower Show. And, yes, he spent time visiting with people at the Maine Garden Booth. And yes, he manned the club table for the…
Time to order our seeds. In our last blog we told you about our new night garden on the side. We are still hashing the design out, but if we want to have plants ready for spring, we’d better get some seeds ordered. Not just for the new garden, but for all the gardens….
Time to put the holidays behind us because we have to start planning our garden. Actually, the holidays aren’t quite over. Due to sickness around Christmas, we had to push our family celebration into the new year. Mike and Harley are bringing Teddy down from Maine. They will be joined by Chris, Jenn, Liam…
Julia Child once said, “It is hard to imagine civilization without onions.” Who doesn’t like onions? Certainly one of the madman’s favorite vegetables. I have to keep reminding him that the dish is called chicken and onions, not onions and chicken. Because he likes them so much, it’s only natural that he should grow…
Road trip again, to Texas. The first leg of our trip saw us in San Antonio, Texas. Instead of a downtown hotel, we decided to stay in a neighborhood and booked a tiny house on a local street. The place was charming and gave us a chance to experience minimalist living. The madman said…
The perfect Christmas tree – a concept that strikes terror in the hearts of otherwise fearless people. When thinking of Christmas trees, the madman’s memories drift back to his childhood. His dad would load the young madman and his sister into the family Buick for a tour of Christmas tree lots. The goal? –…