One of these things is not like the other…

POSTED BY KIM — Cabbage and kale are cool-season standards in St. Louis gardens and containers, and they’re also very popular with the *varmint population.*  In the photo above, you see two purple kale.  The one on the left has been a). chopped up by a weed-eater; b). torn apart by the hands of a [...]

What is that Weed, and how did it get into my garden?

I’ve been a very good weeder the last couple of years.  I’m determined to eliminate all of the unwanted weeds from my backyard.  First it was the morning glory seedlings. They were everywhere.  I started the whole thing a few years ago.  In an attemt to hide a chain link fence, I planted Morning Glory [...]

I have trillium envy

POSTED BY KIM — I love trillium.  I love that they’re one of the first flowers to appear in spring, then disappear in the heat of summer, only here to be enjoyed for a short time.  I love that they’re a woodland flower, a bright spot in an otherwise shady place.
I HATE that they won’t [...]

My own garden looks like heck, but at least I can get something done at work

POSTED BY KIM — At the moment, I have the ugliest yard in the neighborhood.  I haven’t had a free moment to get
outside and start cleaning, but I made up for that at work today. 
The bed that’s on the east side of the gift shop was in sore need of a little TLC — I’m [...]

Dante’s inner circle of hell features rabbits and kinky hoses

POSTED BY KIM — I was going to take a picture of my blooming pussy willow for today’s blog, but it started raining, so forget that.
Instead, I’m going to talk about my two greatest gardening pet peeves: 1). rabbits, and 2). hoses that kink.
I have a fenced backyard. I have seen a full-grown rabbit miraculously [...]

Moving houseplants indoors: beware the cat

POSTED BY KIM — The worst part of moving houseplants back indoors in the fall isn’t the mess, the danger of traveling pests, or the hassle of lifting heavy pots back and forth.  It’s the cat puke.
Oh, I love my cats, don’t get me wrong.  But they eat my plants.  And if it just ended there, [...]

I’m sick of my garden

POSTED BY KIM — Summer is over and fall isn’t quite here yet, at least not in spirit, and I am really, really sick of my garden.  I think most people tend to view their own gardens with a more critical eye.  But I look outside and see perennials that need dividing, plants that should be moved, and flowers [...]