Kylee Baumle's Blog, page 15

The Icterus Galbulas Are Back!

I hear them before I see them, and their bright, beautiful song is what announces their return.  One calls and the other answers.  I scour the trees, looking for their bright orange feathers.  And there they are, usually in a pair - the Baltimore Orioles.

We first spotted the orioles in one of the maple trees that gave us sap for syrup a couple of months ago.
They come every year and make their home in our trees, usually the half-oak in the back yard.  It's a very tall, very...

"You Want to Buy My WEEDS???"

After attending the Garden Blogger's Fling in Seattle in 2011, Mom and I stayed an extra week with a family friend. Jim, who has a home on Whidbey Island, was a first-time Pacific Northwest visitor's dream host.  He took us to see so many wonderful things in the area, indulging us with visits to places of particular interest to two obsessive gardeners.

Snoqualmie FallsWe spent two days on Vancouver Island, home of Butchart Gardens, where I took over 900 photographs over the course of abou...

Celebrate Spring With New Garden Gloves! (A Giveaway)

It's that time of year again!  Time to get out the garden tools, clean them up (if you didn't do it in the fall), dust off your garden boots, and oh...where did I put those gloves?  If you're hard on gloves like I am, you can always use a new pair.  I'll bet your mom could use some too.  (That's an idea for Mother's Day!)
Performance Glove in Indigo
Well, Kara at Angela's Garden has offered a pair of their Performance Gloves in Indigo for me to give away to one lucky reader. ...

Six Reasons to Plant a Garden

Those of us who garden are just full of reasons why we do so.  For us, it’s almost a no-brainer and we can’t imagine not gardening.  But to those who’ve never done it, some convincing might be in order and I’m here to try and do that, because there are some very compelling reasons to garden.
First of all, there are all kinds of gardens: flower, vegetable, orchards, container, indoor, rock, etc.  Not all forms of gardening appeal to all people.  But I’m betting you can find...

I'm Speaking at DeShia's in Van Wert on Saturday, May 3rd!

You are invited to join me at DeShia's, located on U.S. 127 just south of Van Wert, Ohio, this Saturday, when I'll be giving a presentation based on my book, Indoor Plant Decor: The Design Stylebook For Houseplants .  Karen Miller, shop owner, will be serving a delicious luncheon at 11:00, with my presentation to follow.



While the book I wrote with Jenny Peterson does give basic houseplant care tips, it is more a book on style and using plants with a specific purpose in mind, much as you'd...

Earth Day 2014

Let us direct our desire for a better world
into the earth itself.
Each seed we plant, however small,
is a tangible wish for growth:
for shoots of tenderness,
for roots of extending kindness.
And may the greenest, most hopeful leaves
be lessons of compassion
taken from our holiest books.

                        - Carol L. Mackay                                                                             ...

Bag Balm: It's Udderly Wonderful!

Okay, I'll admit that's a corny title for a blog post.  But it's true.  When I was contacted last week about sharing the good news about Bag Balm with my readers, I jumped at the chance.  You see, I've been using Bag Balm since my parents and grandparents used it on me for all kinds of things when I was a little girl.

The company sent me the cutest little mini tin of Bag Balm!Bag Balm has been in our family households for longer than I am old.  My grandma will be 100 years...

Do You Know What Type of Soil You Have?

When I took Master Gardener classes a few years ago, we looked at soil maps that plotted the soil type in our county.  What I found fascinating is how accurate it was.  Romie and I had remarked once how you could dig a hole to plant a tree in one part of the yard and just 20 feet away, the soil was entirely different.  One was heavy, mucky clay, and the other was noticeably less sticky.

If you have clay soil, you'll recognize this!
A friend of mine shared a website earlier today...

Home & Garden Spring Show 2014 - Defiance, OH

When many home and garden shows are falling by the wayside, Defiance, Ohio, stepped out with one of their own with the Home & Garden Spring Show, in its debut year.  Held in March at the Defiance College Athletic Center, more than 100 vendors opened the spring season with plenty of ideas for homeowners.

My husband and I, with granddaughter Hannah in tow, spent some time at the show on a sunny Saturday.



Expecting daughter, Kara, joined us and gave us a personal tour of the show, as she...

Homemade Maple Syrup - It's a Wrap!

Maple sap normally looks clear like water, but as the season
draws to a close, it becomes cloudy.Our first year at maple sap collecting and maple syrup making is in the books.  And it couldn't have been easier.


The collecting season can last from two to six weeks, depending on the weather.  This year, for us here in northwest Ohio, it lasted about four weeks. We knew it was time to start when daytime temperatures reached above freezing, while nighttime ones dipped below that point.


How...