Dobbies’ Havant store will welcome visitors to its Grow How session on Saturday, October 1 at 10.30am.

Hosted by local Dobbies’ gardening experts, the session will showcase the perfect plants for autumn tubs and baskets, how customers can create an instant colour display, and top maintenance tips as we approach the cooler months.

Marcus Eyles, horticultural director at Dobbies.

Marcus Eyles, horticultural director at Dobbies, said: “Autumn is one of our favourite seasons of the year at Dobbies and it’s a prime time for gardening.

‘Not only can you add bursts of colour to brighten your garden, but it’s also a great chance to get ahead and prepare for spring.

‘We’re committed to sustainable gardening, and we hope our free autumn gardening Grow How session will not only inspire Havant gardeners to carry on with their efforts as the season changes, but also encourage more people to take up gardening for a blooming 2023.’

Originally Appeared Here

Photo: Contributed

Rudbeckia “Goldsturm? is just one of a wide variety of drought-tolerant plants that will be available Saturday at the first fall plant sale to be held by the Okanagan Xeriscape Association in Kelowna.

In welcoming autumn planting of perennials, the Okanagan Xeriscape Association will hold its first fall plant sale this weekend.

OXA recently expanded its extensive plant database at www.okanaganxeriscape.org to include many more plants suitable for use in our arid Okanagan Valley. On our website and in our social media you’ll also find fantastic photos of inspiring xeriscape gardens from around the valley, which dispel the myth that xeriscape is simply rocks and cacti.

Many of the stars of the fall garden will be included for purchase and will include, but are not limited to, ornamental grasses, sedums, and asters.

For instance, we will have Schizachrium scoparium “Blue Heaven” available for purchase which has been chosen as plant of the year by the Perennial Plant Association. This ornamental grass features steel-blue foliage during the summer that slowly transitions to purple, red and orange shades and is extremely forgiving of poor soil and drought conditions.

Also available will be Panicum virgatum “Blood Brothers,” which is featured on our website right now as Plant of the Month. As a lover of red plants, I am absolutely enthralled with its foliage which transitions to a deep wine colour as the temperature dips.

We will also have a variety of sedums available, both tall—such as the cultivars “Autumn Joy” and “Matrona”—and ground covers, such as Sedum rupestre “Angelina” and “Blue spruce,” as well as “Dragon’s Blood.”

All of these sedums attract pollinators and the tall sedums are fall bloomers and good choices for extending interest in the garden—for people and insects alike. Both tall sedums and ground cover sedums are excellent choices for sunny, dry areas of your garden and are especially well-suited for planting in rock gardens.

It has been said nature abhors a vacuum, and if you have a sedum somewhere in your garden, you won’t have a weed in its place.

Asters serve as some of the brightest colours in the fall garden and none are better, in my opinion, than Aster frikartii “Monch.” This Aster starts blooming in July and continues its delightful pale purple blossoms through to fall without the usual need for time-consuming deadheading. Aster frikartii is a star in a mixed perennial bed where its cool-coloured blooms contrast nicely with all of the warm yellow, golden and red hues which are typically associated with the autumn garden.

These and many other perennials will be offered at the sale, which also serves as the primary fundraiser for our non-profit organization. Stop by the sale and add some xeric choices to your garden. A full list of available plants will be posted on our website prior to sale day.

OXA’s bright, yellow t-shirts, in both long-sleeve and short-sleeve styles, will also available.

The sale will be held at the UnH2O Xeriscape Demonstration Garden, 4075 Gordon Drive, Kelowna Oct. 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Okanagan Xeriscape Association is extremely grateful for the ongoing financial support of the Okanagan Basin Water Board and is proud to collaborate with its Make Water Work program.

Watch for me at nurseries this season promoting their plant collection.

Sigrie Kendrick is a master gardener and executive-director of the Okanagan Xeriscape Association and can be reached at 778-363-8360 or by email at [email protected].

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

Originally Appeared Here

By Ryan Yuenger 
ryany@wsjm.com

One of the most polluted waterways in the Michigan is on its way to increased health and sustainability.

In an effort to improve the water quality in Ox Creek and support pollinators that are critical for local agriculture, Meijer partnered with the Berrien County Drain Commission and the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission on the installation of four rain gardens throughout its Benton Harbor Meijer parking lot. The groups came together Wednesday for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the project, which used $1.2 million in grant funds and nearly $500,000 in donated funds from Meijer.

The Ox Creek Watershed is located in the far west part of the larger St. Joseph River Watershed. It flows into the Paw Paw River, then to the St. Joseph River, and out to Lake Michigan. Marcy Hamilton, Senior Planning & Deputy Executive Director Program Director for the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission, said Ox Creek is one of the most polluted waterways in the state.

“Ox Creek does not meet state water quality standards because of sediment and flashy flows, which cause erosion and destroy habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms,” Hamilton said. “A rain garden not only brings beauty to an area filled with many parking lots, but also soaks water into the ground, cleanses the water and slows it down, lessening the impact to Ox Creek.”

The project is comprised of three small rain gardens in the Meijer’s main parking lot, and a fourth – nearly a ½ acre in size – on property located next to the store. The property was donated by Meijer, whose founder Fred Meijer was passionate about environmentalism. He even spoke at the first Earth Day in Grand Rapids in 1970.

“Fred said he wanted to leave the world a better place than when he entered it,” said Erik Petrovskis, Director of Environmental Compliance and Sustainability at Meijer. “I think if he was here, he would be very proud of the sort of work that went into this project.”

Installation of the half-acre main garden, which had previously been used for overflow parking, began this summer when crews dug up the parking lot. It was then filled with compost soil to help infiltrate storm water and grow native plants, and finally, planted with about 20 different species of trees, shrubs, grasses and flowers, including purple coneflower, butterfly weed and goldenrod, which will support pollinators.

“We’re lucky to live in the Great Lakes,” Petrovskis said. “It’s a resource that provides not only economic value to us here in Berrien County, but it provides recreation and biodiversity. These are privileges we can’t take for granted, and it’s really our responsibility to improve water quality in the area.”

Along those lines, Hamilton says the SWMPC and the City of Benton Harbor are working on additional projects to improve Ox Creek.

“I know the city and the township are committed to continuing to improve Ox Creek,” Hamilton said. “We’re working on a big grant right now with the city to do some habitat restoration along Ox Creek, continue this down into the city and really make a difference. If we improve this creek, we improve the Paw Paw and St. Joe [rivers], and ultimately Lake Michigan.”

With all the rain over the last week or so, Berrien County Drain Commissioner Christopher Quattrin said the rain gardens have had a chance to prove their worth.

“We are viewing this in full form and function,” he said. “Design is only a theory until it’s built and it works. Well, it’s built, and it works.”

Watch our video highlights of the event below:

 

Originally Appeared Here

The annual Harvest Home Weekend at Brookgreen Gardens has been postponed due to Hurricane Ian. The event is now set for Oct. 8-9. Provided.

MURRELLS INLET — Brookgreen Gardens has postponed its annual Harvest Home Weekend until Oct. 8-9 in Murrells Inlet.

“For the safety of our guests, we have changed the dates of Harvest Home Weekend. We continue to monitor Hurricane Ian’s forecast and impact on the area,” officials announced on the Brookgreen Gardens website.

The botanical gardens will offer fall activities including a hay maze, pumpkin patch, pumpkin painting and a family favorite, the scarecrow making contest.

Pumpkins will be for sale to decorate for $5 for small pumpkins and $9 for large ones. Additionally, the scarecrow making contest is a beloved tradition to many locals and visitors alike. Scarecrow making kits are available, and guests can also bring their own supplies from home.

Greg Rowles and other talented entertainers will be performing throughout the day, and Harvest Restaurant, Old Kitchen and the Courtyard Café will be open along with outside food vendors Let’s Ride BBQ, EZ Cheezy and Kona Ice. Brookgreen’s Plein Air Guild will display works in the Jennewein Gallery.

Admission is free for Brookgreen Gardens members, or included with garden admission for non-members.

The botanical gardens are located at 1931 Brookgreen Drive in Murrells Inlet.

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Randal Seyler is the editor of the Georgetown Times and the Myrtle Beach Post and Courier.

Originally Appeared Here

Friday, Sep. 30, 2022

By Marie Mischel

Intermountain Catholic

As I type this, I am nibbling on a piece of bread made with zucchini that I picked from my friend’s garden, mere hours after peaches from their tree provided the basis of the smoothie I had for breakfast.

To my mind, there is no more perfect fruit than the peach. A nice, crisp apple is wonderful, but given the choice I’d prefer it in a pie. Drinking a glass of orange juice is a whole sight easier than peeling the fruit, and while I’d never turn down raw, fresh pineapple, I also like to cook it up in a curry or stir-fry.

Peaches, though – peaches are best fresh and sliced, eaten either plain or, on a hot day, over ice cream. Don’t bother offering me peach pie, with its too-sweet sugar glaze. I’ve heard you can make peach soup, but what’s the point? I compromised this morning, making a peach smoothie, because blending all of my breakfast ingredients into a drink I could gulp was the quickest way to get out the door.

My friends who own the garden and peach tree have given me permission to share the produce I harvest. I’ve offered peaches to a couple of friends, warning them that they will have to peel the peaches and inspect them for worms. One friend all but turned green at the thought; two other friends welcomed the fresh fruit, bugs and all. I think those of us who grew up with a garden understand that insects are a natural part of the natural world that produces our food.

When we were in high school, my brother brought home a city-raised friend who walked into my mom’s vegetable garden and was amazed to find that green beans grow on bushes. I remember laughing at his ignorance, but more and more these days I hear of children and young adults who don’t know anything about the process by which their fruit, vegetables and meat arrive on the grocery store shelves. They have no experience with the cycle of growing things: preparing the soil, waiting for the weather to warm enough to plant the seeds, watering the garden regularly. One chore I hated was killing tomato horn worms – large, green, firm-bodied worms that chewed leaves down to the stem. We also had to squish the yellow eggs of bean bugs – a type of spotted beetle similar to a ladybug except it was light orange. If we missed any of the eggs, which were laid on the underside of the leaves, they hatched into a blob of a caterpillar covered with spikes that could defoliate a plant, preventing it from producing fruit.

These experiences, I think, make me more attentive to the parables Jesus tells about sowing and harvesting. When Christ speaks of seed that falls on good ground, I understand that must be soil that has been tilled, weeded and watered, and that it must continue to be tended if the seed is to bear fruit.

Sharing the fruit of my friend’s garden also reminded me of another lesson. When I brought a dozen ripe tomatoes into the office, one of my coworkers grabbed one, took a big bite, grinned and said, “Thank you!” I smiled back, and was reminded that several years ago, when I undertook the SNAP Challenge to learn what it’s like to live on the $4 a day provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (colloquially known as food stamps), the recommendation was that I not accept produce from my friends’ garden because many impoverished people don’t have access to homegrown fruits and vegetables. They and their children may never taste a homegrown peach or know the joy of biting into a fresh, juicy tomato pulled off the plant only a few hours before.

Harvesting my friend’s garden, enjoying its produce and sharing it with my coworkers are reminders of why we must protect our common home so that it can continue to sustain us.

Marie Mischel is editor of the Intermountain Catholic. Reach her at marie@icatholic.org.

Originally Appeared Here

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — In an effort to improve the water quality in Ox Creek and support pollinators that are critical for local agriculture, Meijer partnered with the Berrien County Drain Commission and the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission on the installation of four rain gardens throughout its Benton Harbor Meijer parking lot.

Today Meijer unveiled a new rain garden at its Benton Harbor, Mich. store to improve the water quality in Ox Creek and support pollinators that are critical for local agriculture.

The project is comprised of three small rain gardens in the retailer’s main parking lot, and a fourth – nearly a ½ acre in size – on property located next to the store and represents the largest retailer-led green infrastructure installation in the area.

“Meijer is committed to Great Lakes stewardship because our waterways are vital to our everyday lives,” said Erik Petrovskis, Director of Environmental Compliance and Sustainability for Meijer. “Improving the water quality in local watersheds, like Ox Creek, is not only the right thing to do from an environmental standpoint but will ultimately benefit everyone as it improves overall quality in the Great Lakes.”

Meijer donated a portion of its property to the Berrien County Drain Commission for the project, which is being managed by the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission. It was funded by EGLE and developed by Wightman, B&Z Company and Arcadia Gardens.

Installation of the main garden, which had previously been used for overflow parking, began this summer when crews dug up the parking lot. It was then filled with compost soil to help infiltrate stormwater and grow native plants, and finally, planted with about 20 different species of trees, shrubs, grasses and flowers, including purple coneflower, butterfly weed and goldenrod, which will support pollinators.

“Ox Creek does not meet state water quality standards because of sediment and flashy flows, which cause erosion and destroy habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms,” said Marcy Hamilton, Senior Planner/Deputy Executive Director of the SWMPC. “The Benton Harbor community is interested in improving Ox Creek and also improving the vitality of the retail area along Pipestone Road/Interstate 94. A rain garden not only brings beauty to an area filled with many parking lots, but also soaks water into the ground, cleanses the water and slows it down, lessening the impact to Ox Creek.”

This is the largest rain garden installed on any of the retailer’s properties, Petrovskis said. Rain gardens were previously installed at six other stores, and one more will be constructed this year at the Traverse City Meijer.

The project also represents the latest in a concerted effort the retailer is making to protect the Great Lakes and rid them of litter, specifically plastics. Earlier this month, Meijer was the first retailer to unveil innovative beach and water cleaning drones in the Great Lakes in partnership with the Council of the Great Lakes Region, and on Sept. 17, sponsored two Adopt-a-Beach cleanup events at Traverse City State Park near downtown Traverse City and at Headland Dunes State Park near Cleveland, Ohio.

About Meijer: Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 262 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. A privately-owned and family-operated company since 1934, Meijer pioneered the “one-stop shopping” concept and has evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive apparel departments, pet departments, garden centers, toys and electronics. For additional information on Meijer, please visit www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter at twitter.com/Meijer and twitter.com/MeijerPR or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer. 

SOURCE Meijer

Originally Appeared Here

Sprouting a garden from a bulb of an idea, the University of Indianapolis will be cultivating an interactive program that serves as a space for mindful gardening for students. Thanks to Staff Psychologist and Liaison for Diversity & Inclusion Alyssa Alonso and Professor of English Kevin McKelvey, who have been helping oversee the planting and overall care of the garden, started the program earlier in September. 

From Sept. 12 to Oct. 10, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., students can attend the community garden located on Standish Ave. The purpose of the program is to connect gardening with mental health, according to UIndy’s website. Alonso said she will speak for five to 10 minutes about health benefits from gardening, then attendees spend some time practicing mindfulness. Afterwards, 30 to 40 minutes will be spent gardening.

Alonso said she got the idea around three years ago while studying how nature impacts mental health at another university. The program was an inspiration to rectify nature’s health benefits to those who need it and can use it through the garden. Focus and attention spans, exposure to sunlight, mindfulness and stress reduction are all health benefits that gardening can promote, Alonso said.

Staff Psychologist and Liason for Diversity & Inclusion Alyssa Alonso stands in the
garden. She said that exposure to nature can restore and replenish a person’s attention.Photo by Gabe Eastridge

“Attention’s a limited resource, you can only have so much focus at one time. So exposure to nature replenishes that attention, it restores your attention. The theory is attention restoration theory,” Alonso said. “There’s lots of research supporting that idea. So not only does it help your attention, it also helps your focus. It can decrease stress, [and] contact with nature can also reduce depressive symptoms for some people.” 

In addition, Alonso said that volunteers are able to take some of the produce grown and harvested in the garden home. She said that another aspect of mental health is connecting with others, so a community garden promotes a connection to others at the university as well as a connection to nature. Alonso said that anyone on campus is welcome to attend Grounded Gardening. 

“Essentially, what I envision for the program is that it serves as a drop-in group. So people can use it without having to sign up,” Alonso said. “They don’t have to be a client here at the [Student Counseling] Center. They don’t have to have ever been in counseling before, but if they want to improve their attention, they think it’s going to be beneficial for them or it’s just something that they’re interested in and want to check out, they can drop by…”

Photo by Gabe Eastridge A student works in the garden on Sept. 19. Alonso said students can attend Grounded Gardening meetings without needing to sign up or prior counseling. The garden is located on Standish Ave. and students are free to visit if they are interested, according to Alonso.

Garden Intern and Senior Environmental Science and Environmental Sustainability double major Hannah Clere said the biggest benefit students gain from working at the garden is a connection with nature. She said that receiving food grown in the garden also connects students with where their food is coming from.   

“I would say, coming out here to the garden has been most helpful for me in managing my stress,” Clere said. “School is a lot sometimes, and so just being able to come out here and forget about that, but it’s so close too, so it’s not even an inconvenience. It has really helped me to manage that stress and anxiety surrounding everything else that I have going on.”

Originally Appeared Here

You could say gardening is in Tinisha Spain’s DNA. Raised in a family of avid gardeners, the former WCIA anchor and reporter jumped at the chance to produce and host WILL-TV’s Mid American Gardener in 2018. She also reports the news for the network and produces State of Change, an annual special highlighting the effects of climate change in Illinois. But Spain doesn’t mind being recognized as the gardening lady. 

Smile Politely: Tell me about your background in gardening.

Tinisha Spain: Growing up in Vermillion County, a lot of my family all lived on one street. It was this amazing thing where everybody gardened. It was really cool. That big garden is part of my earliest memories. I’ve always had a garden in some form or fashion. I think back on my early 20s and it was just disastrous, but every place I’ve lived, there’s been a garden. 

So when the opportunity came up to host Mid American Gardener, it was just going to be for fun, something to do once a week on a Thursday night. But it turned into this thing I love. It was just a creative outlet, but now if I’m out somewhere, people will stop me and be like, “How are your tomatoes?” It’s my identity now. 

SP: For those that don’t know, Mid American Gardener features a rotating panel of gardening, landscaping, and plant experts, answering viewer questions and sharing their own experiences and gardening best practices. What do you love about it, and why should people tune in?

Spain: The panelists are like rockstars to me. As the host, I represent the backyard gardener, so I get to nerd out and ask all my idols questions. Our panelists are mostly University of Illinois Extension specialists, but we have some private business owners, too. 

We try to help viewers steer clear of pitfalls in the garden. Folks will send in pictures of their failing broccoli or cauliflower, and the panelists will diagnose it and give feedback in real time. We also take you to the experts’ homes, so you can see the things they’re dealing with too. I really love how they’re relatable characters who will tell you, “My garden is full of weeds and I can’t find a single thing,” or, “I overwatered.” They’re approachable, but they can also help you. 

The biggest thing I noticed when I came on board was how seriously viewers take the advice of the panelists, and on the flip side of that, how seriously the panelists take that responsibility. They really want to make sure they’re helping people not give up, because gardening can be frustrating sometimes. 

SP: What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned about gardening from the show? 

Spain: When you’re dealing with nature, all bets are off. The seed packet might give you certain expectations, but once that plant starts to grow, you don’t always know what you’re going to get.

Nature will do what it wants. That’s probably one of my biggest lessons. And then sometimes plants die. That’s a hard lesson; we don’t like that one. And patience. Plants will grow on their own time; they have taught me to slow down.

SP: Mid American Gardener has been on the air for 30 years, one of the longest-running shows on WILL-TV. As the third host in 30 years and the first person of color to host the show, how significant is that for you? 

Spain: It’s definitely huge, because you don’t see a lot of people of color in this field. I love being the person that can look back and say, “That door’s open.” That’s big to me. Because who’s to say there aren’t kids out there who are into gardening, but just didn’t see themselves in it? Sometimes that can be the only barrier; you don’t feel like something is for you. I can tell you there have been times where I felt like that. It’s just a very white-centered field, so it’s nice to be able to build that bridge. 

SP: But gardening and growing food hasn’t always been so white, right? 

Spain: Yeah, exactly. Black people were agriculture for a long time. We talked about disparities with minority-owned farms for State of Change last year. But yeah, how do we get back to that? How do we make everyone feel comfortable, like they have a place here?

As far as the show, we want to create an environment where everyone feels like they are welcome. Getting into gardening can be intimidating. You might get a pack of seeds and they might die, you might kill them. But you know what? That doesn’t mean give up. I think that can be applicable to anybody. So don’t let gardening intimidate you, from the cultural perspective or otherwise. There’s room at the table for everybody.

SP: How are you passing the gardening tradition on with your sons?

Spain: My oldest is a teenager, so sports and friends are the center of his universe, not being in the garden with his mom. But my greatest hope is that once he reaches adulthood and he’s out shopping one day, he’ll pass the seed display and it’ll all come back. I know it’s in there. I just hope when he’s an adult, he’ll actually apply it. Now my youngest, he’s six, he’s right by my side out there. In fact, a lot of the sugar snap peas, they don’t even make it in the house. He’s just yanking them off the plants and down the hatch they go.

Another thing we do as a family every year is collect monarch caterpillars. Everybody helps to get fresh leaves and clean the poop out. We also tap maple trees to make our own syrup and make snow ice cream in the winter. I really do try to do something in every season to connect them with nature. Just remind them where things come from. Because it’s too important not to.

SP: I love that. Speaking of changing seasons, we’re heading into fall. What should readers be doing to make the most of our gardens right now?

Spain: Our panelists have been sharing a lot about fall gardening, including container gardening, growing lettuces and kale. We’ve got folks that are still digging up potatoes. For me, I want to go get some mums and just sort of transition into fall. I’ve been doing a lot of seed collecting, like from my lilies, milkweed, and poppies.

SP: Before we wrap up, tell us more about State of Change, your climate change special. Seems like a very different feel from Mid American Gardener.

Spain: Right. As a journalist, it’s a really pivotal time to ask tough questions. Everything just feels so much more intense and like there’s more on the line.

Last year, we really wanted to focus on the changes we’re seeing locally in Illinois. We talked to some folks along the Illinois River about changing ecosystems there. We talked to some African American farmers in the northern part of the state about unfair or racist lending practices in agriculture, and how people of color in farming are trying to catch up.

This year, we’re focusing on carbon. That’s the new buzzword. Everyone wants to talk about lowering their carbon footprint or their carbon emissions. Well, what does that mean in application? How can I, as just a regular person, offset my carbon? Does that mean solar panels on our home? Are we talking electric cars? How do I do that? What does that look like moving forward? We’re going to introduce people to terms and concepts around what carbon is and how you can work to reduce it in your own life.

SP: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

Spain: I’m just really lucky. I come from a corporate fast-paced, high-stress life. To now have this opportunity where I get to wake up and go outside and take a 30-second video of bees buzzing, that’s awesome. My goal is to continue to grow our audience, because there’s truly room for everyone. As we try to bring in a newer audience and blend that with our established audience, we’ll keep creating really good content where people can learn and have fun and just be in that space where everybody likes to grow things.

Mid American Gardener airs Thursdays at 7 p.m. Thursdays on WILL-TV.

State of Change will air in November; date TBA. You can watch last year’s special here.

Top photo from Mid American Gardener Facebook page.

Originally Appeared Here

Gardening sim Bunhouse coming to Switch eShop next year

Posted on September 28, 2022 by Dawn in News, Switch eShop

Publisher Digerati have announced today that they will be bringing Bunhouse to Switch via the eShop in Spring 2023. The game is a rabbit-based gardening sim in which you will manage both plants and rabbits in a greenhouse. The game launched on Steam in October 2021 after a successful Kickstarter, and is now making its way to Nintendo’s console.

Here’s an overview of the game and a trailer:

About the game

Bunhouse is a cute, simple, bunny-filled game focused on growing plants and managing a greenhouse with fellow buns. Take care of your leafy plant buddies by balancing the amount of water and light they get. Play with friends and upgrade your greenhouse for wholesome, relaxing fun.

Sometimes life is hectic. Sometimes we just need to take a breather and relax in a happy little world filled with bunnies. This is the core vision of Bunhouse – a game you can play solo or with up to four friends to relax and be happy. There is nothing to kill, no one to be better than, no quests or debt to pay off, just some plants that need watering and a greenhouse full of possibility.

Key Features

Grow and sell plants
Take care of your plants
Order new decorations for your garden and greenhouse
Upgrade your greenhouse
Couch co-op with up to four friends

Bunhouse will arrive on Switch eShop next year. We’ll let you know when a release date is announced.

Source: Digerati PR

Related

Originally Appeared Here

Fall is Jay Flaherty’s favorite garden time. The cooler weather and changing light “sharpen” the colors of the crimson cannas and Hot Lips Salvia, pink and orange zinnias, and purple phlox.

Jay’s neighbors in Chestnut Hill would agree. There, as everywhere during the pandemic, people wanted to be outdoors, and a favorite place to stroll became his corner property.

From the sidewalk, neighbors viewed bright floral displays framed by sculptural tree trunks and branches.

Jay said he and his wife, Nanie, “never wanted to wall the garden. We wanted to share it with the public.”

The Flahertys bought their French-country style home in 1985. The two-story house, built in 1961 on an acre of land, had been empty for six years and required a new roof, plumbing, and wiring.

Previous owners planted a lawn, roses, holly bushes and beech trees, several of which were storm-damaged and had to be cut down.

Back then, the Flahertys were busy working and raising three young children. They had moved from Center City and had little garden experience. Jay remembered, “I went to Kmart and bought a lawn mower.”

The couple became serious gardeners after their children were grown, and they retired — Jay in 2011 as a partner with an energy site development company and Nanie in 2012 as a psychologist at the Child Study Institute at Bryn Mawr College.

Jay collected gardening books and visited nurseries, asking questions. The two-car garage became a potting shed and storage space for gardening equipment.

Nanie said her husband, who comes from a family of artists, approaches gardening as an artist, working with color, form, and texture. Paintings by Jay’s grandmother and aunt are displayed in the house. Outside, his grandmother’s sculptor’s stands display flower-filled containers.

Jay found a broken sculpture of the god Pan in the yard and repaired it. Now Pan blows streams of water from his pipes surrounded by plant-filled pots. Blue pots complement the blue window trim and shutters on the cream-colored stucco house.

The over-80 holly bushes are the “bones” of the refurbished garden, Jay said. He “bonsaied” the hollies to clean out fungus. Their now treelike branches add sculptural interest.

Several wooden benches and a stone bench installed by Jay and his son Doyle “free me to sit, smell, feel and listen,” Jay said.

Oak-leaf hydrangeas, blue plumbagos, cardinal flowers, which attract hummingbirds, and other perennials have replaced the rose bushes, which required pesticides and continuous maintenance.

A fountain ringed with Japanese maples replaced the children’s swing set. An old sandbox mounted on the side of the house frames two wooden roosters, a fish, and a thermostat the Flahertys purchased on vacation in Key West.

When the couple installed central air 15 years ago, they used their children’s playhouse to cover the compressor adjacent to the house.

For her vegetable and herb garden, Nanie starts seeds in her basement. She grows beans, peas, arugula, cucumbers, honey-colored koginut squash, and a variety of heirloom tomatoes. Fox urine keeps away squirrels.

Jay prefers shredded leaves to mulch. They hold moisture and have more nutrients than wood chips, he said. Wissahickon schist interspersed among plantings slow down runoff from heavy rains.

The landscape features the unexpected. Two pots of fat cotton bolls are near a vine of gold beer hops climbing a basketball pole. The hops need lots of sun and can withstand the grandsons’ errant basketball shots, Jay said. The Flahertys have seven grandchildren ranging in age from 1 to 12.

Nanie was at Vassar and Jay was at Yale when they were introduced by their fathers who were tennis partners at the Jersey Shore. They married in 1969.

The Flahertys, who are in their 70s, want to stay in their home and continue to garden. “Our kids are OK with that as long as I get help when I need it,” Jay said.

Nanie finds it “incredibly soothing” to listen to audiobooks while she weeds.

Jay prefers to “listen to the crunch of leaves, birds, and insects” as he works.

When the couple travels, they visit gardens and chat with gardeners. “Unlike global warming or politics,” Jay said, “people don’t feel threatened when you talk about trees.”

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Originally Appeared Here