Gardening

CHARLESTON -- The diverse, expert speakers at the upcoming West Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association Winter Symposium will offer insights and innovations about the thriving green industry.

It’s cold, and I miss my garden. I sound a bit whiny, but it’s true. There is only so much Netflix I can watch. My restlessness has caused me to start cleaning out drawers and closets!

I have flipped the calendar page and am ready for a new year.

The pumpkins and gourds have been tossed over the fence to what I refer to as the Deer Yard. This is the part of the back, below the fence (that they frequently jump), that I freely give to the wildlife at the little house on the big hill. In early January, this is where the Christmas tree w…

I did a little holiday shopping this week. I was feeling quite proud of myself for the early start until a friend sent a picture of her tree, set up and decorated. Really? Such an overachiever.

There is something special about being in the “room where it happens.”

For many of us, when we think of Girl Scouts, we think of cookie sales, campfires, and a sash filled with sewn-on badges. Yet, there is so much more -- think community service and pollinator gardens. That's right, Girl Scouts garden.

As we move into the fall season and the month of October, the garden is changing. Oh, there are plenty of blooms to enjoy, but the leaves are starting to drop. Fall is in the air, and October is the time to make plans for fall and even next spring.

This story begins 16 years ago, when a friend of a friend’s brother’s uncle’s cousin’s aunt’s neighbor on the next farm over had a dog heavy with pups.

I have been to New Orleans a few times. The food, the drinks, the music and the art -- it is all fabulous, but I admit to a strong urge to peek behind fences and through gates to glimpse the gardens.

I remember as a kid, my sister and I playing around the house, then hearing a familiar noise, and running to the kitchen with excitement.

After a day of errands and running here and there, I made one last stop at the garden center. The weather was nice, and it is always a treat to stroll through the plants and think happy thoughts.

Last night, for at least the third time, I watched a light-hearted murder mystery movie. Three times, and although I think I know who committed the crime, the killer remains a mystery because I have fallen asleep every time.

This year, in celebration of April’s Arbor Day, Subaru and The Arbor Day Foundation gave away trees. I am not sure how I made the list, but I did.

The Greenbrier Historical Society is hosting a Home Tour Weekend in the Frankford and Renick areas of Greenbrier Valley on June 13 and 14.

Everywhere I look, there are tomato plants for sale. They are gorgeous. Strong stems, full leaves, and even a few blooms on some early producers. I encourage you to grab a pot and put a tomato plant on your deck, back stoop or patio. There is pride in nurturing and harvesting a juicy, red tomato.

Garden designs can be very personal. Some are structured with hedges and figurines; others are filled with roses or herbs. I love a woodland garden, but my favorite is a cottage garden.

When I think of decorating Easter eggs, I remember little plastic cups, wire egg holders, and the dye that inevitably dribbles or splashes to create chaos in the kitchen.

In the late 1960s, Donovan sang about mellow yellow; I’m guessing he was not a gardener.

In sports, I think the term is false starts. Whistles blow, refs get loud, and penalties can be involved. But in gardening, an early start — if done right — will help win the planting game.

Finally, it’s March. Flipping the calendar and saying goodbye to the cold, snowy days of January and February makes me happy.

Although it seems to rain or snow or rain and snow every day, there have been breaks of sunshine.