Linda Ly's Blog, page 4
November 24, 2019
2019 Holiday Gift Guide: 14 Delightful Stocking Stuffers for Gardeners (Under $25!)
Just because most of our gardens are asleep in winter doesn’t mean we don’t love a good garden-centric gift in our Christmas stockings, right?
In fact, these are the types of pint-sized presents that get us excited for longer days, warmer nights, and dirt under our nails again.
I also think they make a sweet thank-you gift when you just want to send a small token of appreciation, long after the holidays have passed.
They’re all hand-picked by a fellow green thumb (that’s me!) andI even own a...
November 23, 2019
2019 Holiday Gift Guide: 14 Perfect Gifts for the Backyard Farmer
We all know a backyard farmer or two in our lives.
They’re the ones who arrange for chicken sitters the way other people arrange for dog sitters. They avoid taking vacations in summer when their gardens are going off. They give away jam made from fruit they’ve grown, and foist massive zucchinis on anyone who will take them.
So it goes without saying that a backyard farmer — whether it’s a friend, a neighbor, or a coworker — is someone good to know!
Say thank you for all those zucchinis they...
2019 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts for the Backyard Farmer
We all know a backyard farmer or two in our lives.
They’re the ones who arrange for chicken sitters the way other people arrange for dog sitters. They avoid taking vacations in summer when their gardens are going off. They give away jam made from fruit they’ve grown, and foist massive zucchinis on anyone who will take them.
So it goes without saying that a backyard farmer — whether it’s a friend, a neighbor, or a coworker — is someone good to know!
Say thank you for all those zucchinis they...
November 20, 2019
November 11, 2019
November 9, 2019
October 23, 2019
Organic Pest Control 101: 7 Easy Solutions for Getting Rid of Aphids
Of all the pests that plague gardens throughout the season, aphids are among the most destructive, overwhelming, and frustrating. They seem to multiply overnight and can quickly invade a garden, leaving you with sticky, stunted plants that struggle to survive.
Not ones to be particularly picky, aphids are voracious feeders and descend on both indoor and outdoor plants, including ornamentals and edibles.
Though we tend to view them in a negative light, we should really be thinking of aphids as nature’s indic...
October 16, 2019
Welcome Home, Ember Luna
It’s hard to believe the newest addition to our family is now one month old. Our adorable Ember Luna made her entrance into the world on September 15, 2019, on a warm and beautiful summer night, just as the Harvest Moon was starting to wane.
(Fun fact: The Harvest Moon is the name for the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox, and it’s associated with the time farmers would bring in their harvest. I love how Ember’s birth coincided with this agricultural — and very Garden Betty-esque — event,...
September 23, 2019
Pre-Construction Progress On Our New Property
It feels like a long while since we closed on our property, and the question has come up on whether we’ve made any progress this summer. Despite it being quiet on the blog front, I’m happy to say we’ve made a lot of progress, albeit on the back end of things.
We’ll start with where I left off in June, when we closed on our land and applied for a septic feasibility study.
Though there’s an existing septic system on the property, the county has no record of it. Or any record of the structures...
September 5, 2019
Organic Pest Control 101: How to Get Rid of Fig Beetles Naturally
I like to call them the “bumbling pilots of the garden,” and every summer, those loud, buzzy, clumsy fig beetles are quite an amusing sight to see.
If they’re not, ahem, getting down to business, they’re firmly planted on fruit trees, sucking the juice of not only their namesake figs, but other soft-skinned, rotting fruits like peaches, plums, apricots, and berries.
Fig beetles aren’t harmful to the garden the way other pests are; they won’t spread diseases, kill your trees, or attract more...
