.

At first I thought I was witness to an amazing amphibious rescue effort. I’ve fished drowned frogs out of my pond…]]> The Dirt 2011-06-02T16:00:29+00:00 http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/life/comments/liatris-spicata-you-have-some-issues-we-all-do-but-you-are-my-new-friend/

I first met liatris spicata, aka gayfeather, aka blazing star, on a visit to a native-plants landscape designer’s personal garden a few years ago. Troy Springer had it planted en masse, across a portion of his…]]> The Dirt 2011-05-29T19:14:43+00:00 http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/life/comments/everyone-on-the-bus-time-for-a-field-trip-to-becky-perrys-lakeside-summer-c/

I’ve had the privilege of visiting a lot of gardens in the past few years, and one thing I learned early on, you have to tame the ugly green monster of envy if you’re gonna be a voyeur.

The best strategy for me:…]]> The Dirt 2011-05-24T02:06:56+00:00 http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/life/comments/working-at-a-new-clip-thanks-to-hedge-shears/

I found an exciting new gardening tool this week!

Hedge shears!

OK, they’re not new. But I’ve never used them.

For one thing, we don’t have that many hedges in our yard. Shrubs, yes; hedges, no.  I guess the three thryallis plants…]]> The Dirt 2011-05-18T21:52:17+00:00 http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/life/comments/off-to-laura-barbers-garden-to-steal-ideas-and-anything-else-we-can-get-our/

Kim and I were thrilled to snag an invite to one of Friends of Plant Park’s members-only shindigs last weekend. Their “Conversations in a Garden” is a twice-a-year thing where one member hosts the club for a…]]> The Dirt 2011-05-09T01:21:13+00:00 http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/life/comments/taming-the-big-bad-bougainvillea-...-again-with-a-homemade-arbor-made-in-a-/

Some gardeners probably read gardening magazines to ooh and aah over the pictures. Not me. I’m always hoping to steal an idea or find a solution to a problem I’m having.

And the other day, I was thrilled to finally find a picture…]]> The Dirt 2011-05-03T22:40:27+00:00 http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/life/comments/ode-to-blanketflower-i-heart-gaillardia/

I got my first blanketflower (Gaillardia) at a USF plant fair three years ago. It was a bedraggled little mess that the vendor gave me for free – “It’ll never sell,” he said.

Lesson 1: Bedraggled blanketflower can almost always…]]> The Dirt 2011-04-30T00:48:45+00:00 http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/life/comments/most-transformations-dont-happen-in-a-day-even-in-pumpkins-garden/

Every time I visit Janis “Pumpkin” Vogt’s graceful cottage garden in Tampa’s old Seminole Heights neighborhood, I walk away inspired – and intimidated. I would love to have the cascades of blossoms (that’s Prosperity, above, tumbling…]]> The Dirt 2011-04-24T17:27:01+00:00 http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/life/comments/every-garden-has-a-back-story-heres-mine/ This week at work, two co-workers – both young women, one with an infant son – told me they were overwhelmed by their big, empty yards.

The one with the baby has a front yard in need of—something. The other is a twenty-something, Daniela, who’s living with her boyfriend and…]]> The Dirt 2011-04-17T23:46:16+00:00 http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/life/comments/in-my-garden-its-diy-or-idgd-it-dont-get-done-my-weekends-diys/ I am STILL in spring garden recovery mode. And I started in February! On Saturday, I did a mud, wet and shears marathon. And I’m pretty happy now.

It started in the morning when I went out back to putter and putz. I’ve been moaning and groaning about all the…]]> The Dirt 2011-04-11T02:33:59+00:00