Month: August 2012
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Blue Moon, Farmer's Almanac, Full Moon, Moon
Once in a Blue Moon …
August’s Blue Moon —99% Full Last Night— Rises in the Dusty-Violet Twilight This month’s Blue Moon —also the last full moon of summer— will rise tonight at 7:08pm ET. Be sure to catch it, or you’ll have to wait almost three years to see another one! The next time two full moons will occur in […]
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Garden Art, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Garden Paths, Garden Rooms, Paths and Walkways, Stone Walkways, stonework
Endless Summer: A Garden Designed for Season-Spanning Beauty & Interest . . .
Late August in Susan & Bob’s Front Entryway Garden. Geranium ‘Rozanne’ Mass Planted for a Beautiful, Long-Blooming Lavender-Blue-Haze. A Background of Coreopsis, Heuchera micrantha, Echinacea purpurea, Eupatorium maculatum, E. rugosum & Thalictrum, Round Out the Late-Summer Color-Scheme. Ceramic Vessel: Stephen Procter. Endless summer. Yes, I realize the phrase might seem a bit odd for a […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Birds in the Garden
Singing for Their Supper: Gardening to Attract Migratory Songbirds . . .
Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum ‘Shasta’ Fruits in the Garden – A Cedar Waxwing Favorite Late in summer, when tall grass sways in golden light and crickets sing long into morning, the garden begins to ripen in shades of red, orange, violet and plum. In August, migratory birds —making their way to exotic, tropical destinations— flock […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Frogs and Toads, Organic Insect Control
A Surprise Visit from the Gray Treefrog: Musical Chameleon of the Native Forest
Wait… Is That Lichen on My Chair? Luckily, I Spotted This Tiny Member of the Arboreal Choir (Hyla versicolor), in the Nick of Time! If you live in North America, chances are you’re more familiar with the springtime song of gray treefrogs (Hyla versicolor), than you are with the colors and patterns of this amphibian’s […]
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Back in the Limelight Again …
The Dew-Kissed Blossoms of Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ Sparkle in My Garden at Dawn A Lightly Fragrant, Fresh-Cut Beauty for the Late Summer Vase, Limelight Hydrangea Blossoms also Dry Beautifully  (Perfect for Autumn Arrangements & Winter Wreaths) By October, Limelight has Morphed from Pale Pistachio to Strawberries and Crean and on to Honey-Drizzled Cherry Hues. Come […]
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Fresh Cut Flowers, Hydrangea, Indoor Eden, Indoor Table Arrangements
Casual, Late Summer Arrangements … Shadow, Light & Texture for the Vase
The Dark Centers of Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) and Fine Texture of Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota) Play with Light and Shadow on the Early Evening Dinner Table – Â Jar from Terrain I love fresh cut flowers, and at the end of a busy week, I find there’s nothing more relaxing than a stroll through […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Butterflies and Moths, Caterpillars
Friend or Foe? A Wise Gardener Knows
 Black Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio polyxenes) on Wild Carrot (Dacus carota) Fear can lead people to do foolish things. Human beings have an tendency to fear and strike out at things they do not know. At a certain level, fear is important to our survival. The human fight or flight response was designed to protect us, and […]
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Notes from the Mid-Summer Potager & A Home Remedy for Powdery Mildew …
The Verdant Hues of My Mid-Summer Potager Midsummer is a wonderful time in the vegetable garden. Daily harvests of squash, zucchini, beans, tomatoes, salad greens, herbs & fruit keep my pantry & kitchen well stocked with fresh ingredients for home-cooked meals. But the dog days can be tough on gardens, and gardeners as well. Scorching […]
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Into the August Haze …
Ladybells (Adenophora confusa) Spill, Languid Blossoms to the Lawn August is a languid month; hazy, verdant hills saturated with the weight of humid air. It’s mid-summer, and the fields are ripe. Come stroll with me through the blowzy gardens and wildflower meadow; gathering Black-eyed Susans, Ladybells and Queen Anne’s Lace for carefree bouquets. It’s time […]
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