Good Natured Gardening: It’s surprising how deep grief can go
On Sunday, March 2, at 11:26 p.m. my wife ed away. Rebecca was my best friend, my Valentine…my beloved wife of 43 years.
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Good Natured Gardening: Gardening to-dos in April
Most gardeners have been out in their gardens for several weeks already. The rest are still searching for their gardens somewhere in their tall, inescapable maze of weeds. So that...
Good Natured Gardening: How to create a magical moonlight garden
There are many different types of gardens…water gardens, butterfly gardens, herb gardens, rose gardens and moon gardens. You read that right…moon gardens.
Good Natured Gardening: The popularity of poinsettia
Poinsettia are commercially grown in all 50 states, but California is the top poinsettia-producing state.
Good Natured Gardening: Mary’s Gold in your garden
Marigolds thrive in full sun in spring, summer, and autumn. However, they are sensitive to winter’s cold and frost. Plant directly in the garden, after the danger of frost, glaciers,...
Good Natured Gardening: So, what’s the difference?
To better understand the gardening world, it’s important to understand some key differences.
Good Natured Gardening: It’s not dirt, it’s soil
Dirt is not an ecosystem and doesn't contain nutrients or minerals, Clarence Scmidt writes.
Good Natured Gardening: Why leaf tips turn brown
There will come a day when your gardening labor, time, money and emotional attachment will be a blow to your ego. I can already hear you guys muttering “Those days...
Good Natured Gardening: Put yourself to my gardening test
You know the drill…get out a piece of paper, put your name on it…
Good Natured Gardening: Everything you need to know about leaf curl
Curls can be cute on a person’s hair, on poodles, sheep, and, of course, on a pig’s tail. But they’re not so cute on trees or plants. When leaves start...
Good Natured Gardening: Can potting soil go bad?
You notice an old bag of potting soil in the corner of your garage…next to a pitchfork, dried-up paint cans, and the transmission from your old ’57 Rambler, and wonder…is...
Good Natured Gardening: A dying plant can be saved, and here are some ways to do it
Some plants, such as a cactus, bamboo or a money tree are nearly impossible to kill. It’s unfortunate when a plant kicks the bucket, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that...
Good Natured Gardening: Plants that deter mosquitoes
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls mosquitoes the “world's deadliest animal.” It's a weighty moniker for an insect that weighs just 2.5 milligrams, but it's well deserved...
Good Natured Gardening: Here are some plants that deter mosquitoes
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls mosquitoes the “world's deadliest animal.” It's a weighty moniker for an insect that weighs just 2.5 milligrams, but it's well deserved...
Good Natured Gardening: Cheers to fruit cocktail trees
I interrupt today’s cocktail hour to talk about…cocktails.After naming, renaming, classifying plants, and pondering the meaning of life, our friends at Botanists ‘R Us, probably needed a good stiff drink....
Good Natured Gardening: How to get an amaryllis to bloom after Christmas
This morning I said to myself, “Self,” (and I knew it was me, because I recognized my voice, and I was wearing my pajamas) “today is going to be a...
Good Natured Gardening: We all need to palm down
For me, palm trees evoke thoughts of white sandy beaches, warm tropical breezes, and those little umbrella drinks.Widely swaying palm trees are featured in almost every hurricane scene on the...
Good Natured Gardening: Gardening in December
‘Tis the season when Christmas appears on the horizon, and opportunities for gardening are fewer. It’s a great time to ire the remaining autumn colors, sit in front of a...
Good Natured Gardening: Save your garden leftovers
Don’t discard them.And, I’m not talking about table scraps in this case.Even though you may have been picking your crops throughout the year when they were ripe, the Fall season...
Good Natured Gardening: Gardenias, king of fragrances
Good King Solomon…or was it, King Wenceslas?...(doesn’t really matter, I’m making up this story anyway) supposedly “offered a gardenia each morning to each woman in his harem.” That’s according to...
Good Natured Gardening: The Cutting Garden – Let’s Vase It
Gone are the days when the price of a dozen roses was $7.50 (in 1960). Gone are the days when I can that far back. Maybe it’s true…you do...
Good Natured Gardening: How important is water quality to plants?
You’ve done everything you’re supposed to do and your plants are still underperforming. Water quality and factors such as salts, pH, and alkalinity can determine the suitability of water for...
Good Natured Gardening: Potato Patato
You spell potato, Dan Quayle spells it P-O-T-A-T-O-E. Some of you may recall the Vice President’s 1992 gaffe making a 6th-grader misspell “Potato.” In the VP’s defense, however, he was...
Good Natured Gardening: Why bees are disappearing
Many people get apprehensive at the sight of bees, for fear of getting stung. I usually make a beeline out of the area.Actually, I don’t fully understand what all the...
Good Natured Gardening: Why insects matter
Wait! Don’t turn the page. This won’t be too gross or disgusting, I promise.When many people hear the word “insect,” their first thought is often of pests and nuisances. While...
Good Natured Gardening: Lily of the Nile is a flower of love
According to Garden Guides, Agapanthus is derived from the Greek words: agape, which means love, and anthos, which means flower. Taken together, the agapanthus is the flower of love. It’s...
Good Natured Gardening: For the love of raspberries
True or False: Raspberries are berries?True.Sorry, but that’s incorrect. But thanks for playing.In the botanical sense (here we go again), raspberries are an aggregate fruit. According to Britannica, “aggregate fruits...
Good Natured Gardening: Adaptive gardening eases tasks for those with physical limitations
While gardening is an enjoyable activity for many people, it can be difficult for those of us with temporary or lasting limitations. Adaptive gardening offers ways for gardeners to identify...
Good Natured Gardening: Plants your pets should not eat
Ever wonder why little Fifi…Fofo…Fumfum, or whatever you call your pooch, comes into the house and barfs all over your prized Persian rug?Possible causes: car sickness, an infection, food allergies...
Good Natured Gardening: Beware the poisonous plants
Did Snow White eat a poisonous apple or a poisoned one?If you can’t what you had for dinner two nights ago, you might not recall that it was the...
Good Natured Gardening: High-tech gifts can make gardening a breeze
T-minus 17 days and counting until Christmas. When making your list, check it twice to make sure it includes the latest technologically advanced items to simplify your garden life.Consider or, at...
Good Natured Gardening: Irritating irrigation, Part 2
Now, about that rain dance … that’s just not going to happen today. Or ever.According to Fine Gardening, “rules of thumb — for example, Apply 1 inch per week —...
Good Natured Gardening: Irritating irrigation, Part 1
What should I water? How should I water? When should I water? How much should I water? Will the Padres make the playoffs? They are just a few of the...
Good Natured Gardening: Diatomaceous earth in the garden
Today’s spelling bee word is diatomaceous. Definition: “consisting of or abounding in diatoms or their siliceous remains diatomaceous silica” (according to Merriam-Webster). Language of origin: ancient Greek. Used in a...
Good Natured Gardening: Fruit trees for small spaces
So how do trees access the internet? Obviously, they . With that pathetic attempt at humor, you now have your first clue about what this article is about.container treesIt’s...
Good Natured Gardening: Think twice about growing these plants
Gardeners have their preferences…even when it comes to plants. Only 11% of the world likes the Rabbit’s Foot Fern. The Happy Alien plant (14%) and the Brain Cactus (6%) are...
Good Natured Gardening: Colorful, fragrant lilacs
It was my mom’s favorite flower. She loved the vibrant colors, the prolific blooms, and especially the far-reaching, sweet fragrance of the lilac.In Michigan, we had cold winters, sunny, warm...
Good Natured Gardening: Why aren’t my seeds germinating?
Many of our ancestors saved seeds and planted them in their gardens the following year. They had much success, but not everything came up roses. This was due largely to...
Good-natured Gardening: So, what’s the difference?
What’s the difference between a flower and a weed? It’s obvious. The flowers are the easiest ones to pull out of the ground.So, what’s the difference between nectarines and peaches?I...
Good-natured Gardening: The ‘days to harvest’ mystery
Your seed packet said your radishes should’ve been ready for picking in 21 days. But, it’s now day 31.What’s the deal? Bad seeds? Bad luck? Bad mojo?, in gardening, there...
Good-natured Gardening: Gardening in February is unpredictable but necessary
February is my favorite month. And…the lie detector test determined that’s a lie. February can be one big, long Monday.The winter weather is blah with intermittent yukFor me, there are...
Gardening: Making the cut
So, what’s in your wallet? Whatever you have in there, keep it there.I have two words for you: free cuttings.Just try it, you’ll like it.Growing plants from cuttings is free...
Gardening: Some snippets for you
Every so often, some of us gardeners mutter: “I sure hope this works.” Snippets are small bits of information that are sometimes helpful, sometimes not. Forget about planting bottle corks...
Gardening: Decoding a seed catalog
Many of us receive plant and seed catalogs in the mail or view them online. The color pictures are vivid. The descriptions are detailed. The terminology would stump any “Jeopardy!”...
Gardening: The ‘Great Pumpkin’ is real
The mornings are cool. The days are shorter. The leaves are putting on a spectacular display of orange and crimson. Linus is sitting in the pumpkin patch. ‘Tis the season...
Gardening: Figs are not what you’d think
Only four more months and it will be yuletide figgy pudding time. Chefs around the world will be donning their “toques blanche” (tall, white hats). The term sounds French, and...
Gardening: Daylilies – the perfect perennials
If I were to ever write a book about the lazy person’s way to garden, I would devote a section to daylilies. I’ve grown them for decades; they’ve had the...
Gardening: Rotten bottoms
RottenTomatoes.com reviews and rates movies and shows using it Tomatometer.A “red tomato” means a positive review and a “green splat tomato” signifies a rotten one.Back in my days, the audience...
Gardening: What is organic gardening? (Part 2 of 2)
There’s organic wine, organic dog food, organic hair color and organic pumpkin spice latte-flavored beer. It’s a great, big organic world. And it’s getting bigger.Organic gardening is growing fruits, herbs...
Gardening: What does organic mean? (Part 1 of 2)
Today’s assignment: buy watermelon.You grab a hand basket and set your GPS for the produce aisle. Suspect apprehended.Within 10 seconds, however, all blood flow to your arm has stopped and...
Gardening: July means blueberries
I know — it’s only the end of March. But that’s almost April, and July is only a couple of months after that. That’s so very close to National Blueberry...
Gardening: What’s the real story?
Many of us who are just barely past the age of 40 might recall Paul Harvey and his radio broadcasts, “And now from the ‘For-what-it’s-worth’ department. Stand byyy for Newwws!”The...
Gardening: Discovering one’s roots
For millions of fellow gardeners around the world, our favorite month is January. Actually, maybe that number is closer to six … people.Anyway …It’s the time when garden centers stock...
Gardening: Amaryllis – a story of the heart
When one hears the word “amaryllis” one immediately thinks of other names for it, like belladonna, Jersey lily, Hippeastrum and, of course, naked lady.As the world of botany continues to...
Gardening: The exotic plumeria
Plumeria, aka frangipani, is a card-carrying member of the well-known dogbane family, called Apocynaceae, which also includes oleanders and periwinkles.Plumeria is a shrub or small tree native to the Caribbean...
Gardening: Avocados can be the pits
A fussy tree that hasn’t produced fruit in a decade likely has a problem, and there’s no better time to panic than the present.Let’s look at just 82 of the...
Gardening: Is your garden hose water safe?
You’ve been picking peas, harvesting herbs and watering watermelons all day.Really? It took you all day to do three simple tasks?It probably was the 100-degree heat — slows me down...
Gardening: Space invaders
What was the first thing that popped into your mind when you read the title? Alien cow abductors? A colony of prolific rabbits? New Zealand mud snails?Of course, not. Your...
Gardening: The Season of Gardening
Great news Padre fans — your team has not lost a game in four months.Neither have my Tigers. Will there be a rematch of the ’84 World Series?No.My team is...
Gardening: Fire-wise plants
Every once in a while, yard work requires the use of a measuring tape and some basic math skills — like those high school quadratic equations you thought you’d never...
Gardening: Getting your garden to grow up
Here, at Good-natured Gardening headquarters (actually, it’s just my house), we (actually, it’s just me) are feverishly (but my naps come first) working on discovering (stumbling onto) innovative ways of...
Gardening: Why I garden
You’re probably thinking that this article is about pandemic stress and how gardening is a perfect way to turn anxiety and boredom into calm productivity.Nope.This article is about the lack...
Gardening: Rainbow of color with irises
The iris is the birth flower of February, the month in which I was born.The Dwarf Lake Iris is the state wildflower of Michigan, where I’m from.There is an iris...
Gardening: How to grow super strawberries
Strawberries were invented for the sole purpose of being dipped in chocolate.When was the last time you saw any other fruit dressed up in a tuxedo? What a way to...
Gardening: Yes, we have bananas
“Yes! We Have No Bananas” was the rallying cry in the 1920s that kicked off the “Roaring ‘20s” and the “Jazz Age.”That song galvanized a nation that desperately wanted more...
Gardening: Your problems solved
The following questions have been on your minds. While I’m still refining my mind reading skills, I can tell that you have many more questions right this minute.Your questions are...
Gardening: Buy plants, then celebrate!
I recently saw a sign that said: “You can’t plant flowers if you haven’t botany.”Buying is easy. Just hop in the car, head to the nursery and buy a plant...
Good-natured gardening: The exotic orchid
The two most difficult things about orchids for me is getting them to re-bloom and pronouncing their names. Brassolaelia, paphiopedilum and oeceoclades are not rare diseases, but common orchid names...
Gardening: Things to do in October
October received its name from the Latin word “octo” meaning “eight,” which clearly explains why it’s the tenth (??) month of the year.That means only two more months until Christmas....
Gardening: Consider growing these fruit trees
When your money tree files for bankruptcy, it’s time to consider other varieties.Have you ever thought about growing a fig tree? OK then, how about a banana plant? Pomegranate tree...
Gardening: Once again, the answer is citrus
This is the dramatic conclusion of last month’s article. It contains no pop quizzes.Most citrus varieties are self-fertile, so only one tree is needed for fruit production. No dating or...
Gardening: The answer is citrus
(First of two parts.) I know how much everyone hates them, but I must start this article with a pop quiz. My sincerest apologies.1 - What are the following: amanatsu,...
Making your (raised) bed
Rise and shine, everybody. It’s time to get out of your bed and jump into a raised garden bed. For beginners and gardening veterans alike, raised garden beds are ideal...
Digging in the Garden of Weedin’
An article about weeds? I bet you didn’t see that coming.Weeds boldly grow where nothing has grown before. Their mission is world domination. These pesky plants tolerate poor soil, extreme...
Gardening: Here’s my pitch for perennials
You’ve spent big bucks at the nursery and now you’re tired of your pretty pretties lasting only one year. As we learned in a previous gripping episode of “Good-Natured Gardening,”...
Gardening: ‘Tomayto, tomahto’
George and Ira would have preferred me to use their spelling of “tomato, tomatoe.”However, a reader likely would have pronounced Gershwin’s words without any type of distinction. That’s why I...
Gardening: This is how my garden grows
Mary, Mary, quite contrary,How does your garden grow?With silver bells, and cockle shells,And pretty maids all in a row.What kind of garden nursery rhyme doesn’t mention fertilizer? How do you...
Gardening: That’s a good question
Even though we all have acquired deep and noble wisdom over the years, many critical questions remain:• Does our universe really exist?• How do I defend myself against a garden...
Enjoying our local native plants
As the valedictorian of my home school, I had learned a lot about the California natives. The people, not the plants. That didn’t come until much later when I explored...
Making the cut in your garden
It’s a myth that George Washington chopped down that poor cherry tree at age 6.He was 8.It’s also a myth that I saw it all happen. I was across the...
Gardening: Much ado about mulch
As we all know, do-it-yourself weekend projects take two months to complete. Add another month if “some assembly is required.”As long as there have been trees growing in the forest,...
Gardening: Some plants are harder to grow
I’ve learned so much from my mistakes that I’m thinking of making a few more.In our last episode, we successfully turned our tree stump into a perennial paradise. Now we...
Gardening: Hard and easy vegetables to grow
Nothing is as easy as growing weeds. No planting. No water. No love. Zilch. Zip. Nada.Unlike weeds, a vegetable garden is not low maintenance. To be successful, it takes some...
Gardening: Conversation with myself
Me #1: Is being a gardener really all good?Me #2: It’s hard, dirty work battling insects, diagnosing diseases, dealing with the weather and chasing critters. Fighting bears. Experimental flops that...
Gardening: Welcomed backyard visitors
In previous articles, we have learned how to effectively keep aardvarks, camels, gophers (no, that will never happen) and other wildlife out of our yards.In their place, we have invited...
Suggestions for your spring garden
My maternal grandparents, aunts and uncles were farmers. Today, seven of my cousins farm numerous sections (1 section = 640 acres) in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. They can (almost) see the...
Gardening: On the cutting edge
In my soon-to-be written thriller, “Lost Pruners of the North County, An Illustrated Guide,” I go into painful detail of how painful gardening pain really can be without the right...
Gardening: Five questions you are pondering
Between both of my life skills, I am most proud of my mind reading ability. In fact, I know exactly what questions readers are wondering at this very moment …What...
Gardening: Digging up facts about soil
Gardening takes patience, skill and a boatload of miracles. It also takes quality dirt.Garden centers carry a variety of products that look like soil. With names like topsoil, compost, potting...
Gardening: Life is a bowl of cherries
We are all familiar with berries: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and of course, bananas.Bananas? Yes. Botanically they are berries, but are not commonly described as such. When it comes to identifying...
Gift ideas for the gardener
It’s autumn. Time to hang up my full body beekeeping outfit, wash my striped bumble bee socks and assemble my holiday wish list.Thorn and leaf removal stripper. Be careful how...
Gardening is no laughing matter
You will not get a rash of good luck if you cross a four leaf clover with poison ivy. Pumpkin pie is not what you get when you divide the...
Go big or go home
Okay, you’re probably already at home. So, clearly your only other option is to go bold. Or, you could just do nothing at all, but that’s no fun.A huge variety...
This is only a (gardening) test
Besides reading, language, math and the optional essay writing, the College Board SATs have added a brand new section: gardening. I’ve been fortunate enough to have obtained a copy of...
Dreaming about plants, inside and out
Poway is blessed with fantabulous weather, except when the temp hits 103 degrees, the a/c is running on all cylinders and the gas and electric bill delves into advanced mathematics....
Succulents: Enduring and timeless love
In the language of flowers (and we know they are all talking behind our backs) succulents symbolize enduring and timeless love.First, a grammar lesson. Cactus is the singular word for...
Take the ‘Great Gardening Pop Quiz’
The following questions are taken from among the 1,001 fiendishly-hard gardening questions to be found in my forthcoming bestseller, “This Horticultural Stuff is Really Hard.”This is an open book test....
Get your hands in the dirt!
Are you willing to risk your reputation, the respect of your community and utter embarrassment and actually plant something?Okay, six people just said “I’m not so sure about this,” nine...
In search of the perfect front yard tree
I recently noticed that our almond, apple and peach trees are blooming. Then, a “Eureka!” moment - I should write this month’s article about genealogy. Yup, that was quite a...
Good-natured gardening: Try the buddy system
We all it just like it was yesterday - marching in pairs in our kindergarten class to go on a field trip.It was an effective, organized and peaceful method...