 The Frustrated Gardener by Jarad Johnson Commentary by Julie and Morty Readers, I am frustrated. Flummoxed. Disconcerted with my garden. The soil seems unhappy with me, and I with it. Because I planted little seedlings over a month ago, and they have done nothing. Zilch. They have sat there, alive at least, staring at me as weeds have grown around them. You see, we have had some unseasonably cool weather, and it has stunted the growth of my annuals. And how does one enjoy the garden when it. Just. Does. Nothing. It’s a little discouraging, and the connection with nature I seek to foster seems to flounder. Or, at least, stagnate. O mother earth, why can I not enjoy the growth of the seedlings that I hath planted? Hast thou forsaken me?
Morty: A bit dramatic are we?
0 Comments
 Gardening in the Heat by Julie Carpenter It’s June and while northern gardeners are just reaching the dizzying peak of summer blooms, here in the south we’re rapidly creeping towards sunstroke territory. My hydrangeas are already acting like drama queens. I firmly believe they droop their leaves a little lower if they see me looking at them. We’ve had a fairly wet early summer with afternoon thunderstorms that leave the garden feeling more like a steam bath than a garden, fogging up windows and the gardener’s glasses. As bad as it is, I have to remind myself that it will get worse. By July around here an afternoon thunderstorm will feel like the sauna on the devil’s back porch.
Review: Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother And Other Botanical Atrocities5/29/2020  Wicked Plants Author Amy Stewart By Jarad Johnson Nature is something that the gardener must revere. In many ways, it is our greatest teacher. Nature can be beautiful, wondrous, fascinating and otherworldly. It can also be violent, dangerous, and mischievous. All of that encompasses the general term of nature, and it’s much more complex than many people make it out to be. When people go for a walk or a hike, they are generally seeking a peaceful retreat. Nature can be peaceful, but as Amy Stewart points out, you might not want to relax too much. On a walk through the woods (a favorite activity of mine to do) there are many mischievous plants, some that can harm you, some that can intoxicate you, and some that might even kill you given the chance.
 Don't Garden Barefoot! by Jarad Johnson I consider myself a generally intelligent person, but on rare (or, according to some, frequent) occasions, my decision-making skills fall short of what most people would call, “smart.” One such occasion occurred last week, when I was sowing seeds in one of my front garden beds. You see, since I was a child, I’ve despised shoes, and when I was very little, I used to run around the yard in nothing but my birthday suit. You can be sure my mom was mortified, and my neighbors were wondering why a naked toddler was screaming and running in circles. But don’t worry, I don’t do that very often anymore, except on the Harvest Moon.
 The Isolated Gardener by Julie Carpenter Since I’ve been in isolation, my world has become much smaller. I am fortunate enough to have a yard where I can plant things and a local nursery with a good no-contact, curbside pickup plan. So, I have planted some vegetables in raised beds and put some flowers in the front of the house. Even though I’m doing my best to distract myself with gardening, my world has quite suddenly become much smaller. As a writer, I work from home, and now I also entertain myself at home. The most I get out is to walk around the neighborhood, which fortunately has wide streets and residents who politely cross the street to make sure they don’t break social distancing.  Things to do While Quarantined by Jarad Johnson Most if not all of us are self-isolating right now – if not under outright quarantine. That means that we are all stuck at home, with our loved ones, who we may or may not be about to strangle if we have to spend another second with them. Everyone goes stir crazy eventually, and if hasn’t happened to yet…..it will. So here are some things that I have been doing to keep myself from climbing the walls! Reading- You might be saying to yourself, “duh,” as this seems like a no- brainer given the fact that we are a literary website, BUT I’ve been reading, wait for it, outside. The great outdoors, god’s country, or, as it’s more commonly known, my back porch. I’m exploring the forest and becoming one with nature, from the comfort of our outdoor couch. The days have been nice here, even if the news hasn’t, and a cup of tea and a little escapist literature never hurt anyone. And if you ever find yourself a bit down and in your own head a bit of a sit or walk outside clears the head if you can manage it. If you are truly stuck inside trade bouts of reading with any kind of exercise – even walking in place!  Gardens From Garbage by Kathy Melton Hello, all! Kathy here. Julie and I have been friends for quite some time and have had many exciting adventures together. (Someday I will have to tell the story of the plant sale, the wheelchair, and the overpacked car.) Over the years, I’ve learned lots of tidbits and wisdoms from Julie and I would like to think she has learned a few from me. One thing I learned early about Julie, and if you’ve spent much time with her, I imagine you know this too- she loves onions! I shared a photo on Facebook a few days ago, and it involved onions; it caught her eye so here I am with tips about growing your own
 The Injured Gardener by Jarad Johnson I’m sure every gardener has at some point pulled a muscle or strained something in the middle of a big project. I have reached that point in my gardening career, but it requires a bit of backstory. I decided in January, when everything was still normal, that my front garden needed expanding. So, I set about removing sod from the existing flower bed, expanding it from 1x10 to 4x 20. I also decided, in my infinite wisdom, to do it all in one day. Oh, and get this, it had rained the day previously, so it was mud. Yeah, I’m smart. So naturally, I was sore after, but I was experiencing pain that was worse than normal in my lower back. That’s when I started to worry because I know people with back problems and being injured is never any fun…but the biggest problem…it puts a real damper on gardening! Nevertheless, I got through it in about two days with plenty of Tylenol.
 Gardening After Hours by Jarad Johnson One of the many things that I don’t enjoy about living at school is that I have no opportunity to garden. There’s no garden bed to tend, no weeds to pull, and no flowers to enjoy. So, I started taking horticulture-based classes a few semesters ago, and that has saved my sanity, what little I had. At least I have something that I can do that’s related to plants.
 Seeds! Seeds! Seeds! by Julie Carpenter and Jarad Johnson We're just sharing a list of the seeds we bought today, but we thought the garden nuts out there might enjoy it! Don't ask us how much we spent! What are you planting? |
Click Photo above to buy ebook or paperback from Amazon. Or order through your favorite independent bookstore! Categories
All
Archives
August 2025
|
RSS Feed