Author Archives: dirtynailz

Recently, I wrote  a post about the Rhode Island rose show, in which I ranted – briefly – about the plants’ chemical requirements. I received a comment from rosarian, Angelina Chute, co-author with her husband, Mike, of a  book on … Continue reading →

I recently attended one day of a weekend-long garden tour. This event takes place every two years, and is a major fundraiser for the University of Rhode Island Master Gardeners. This year, 32 gardens were on the tour, most of … Continue reading →

For the past couple of weeks, my yard has been filled with constant twittering. The barn swallows have fledged. Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) are expert flyers and insect catchers, but they’re not born with those skills. It takes practice to … Continue reading →

Here’s an “herbal how-to” from who else but Herbdoc! Those dried supermarket herbs in the spice aisle can cost a pretty penny, but preserving your own is easy, and in some cases, results in a tastier product than store bought. … Continue reading →

I bought myself a present this week: two  “Blue Chip” Buddleias, or butterfly bushes. I have been planting these in other people’s gardens, and I decided it was time for me to have one or two of my own. Blue … Continue reading →

I  try to remain appropriately skeptical when a publisher sends me a book to review, but I have to admit my interest was piqued when Storey Publishing sent me a copy of “Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook.” This guide, written by … Continue reading →

In my last post, I ranted about my new Dell computer and the trouble I was having sending photos using Picasa and Windows Live Mail. I am happy to report that I have solved the problem – no thanks to … Continue reading →

Fair warning: this post is not about plants or gardening, and it’s a rant. (The hummer’s a real cutie, though, right?) Anyway, I just have to vent about my new computer – the one I use for writing this blog … Continue reading →

A while back, I wrote about the new black petunias and how popular I thought they’d be this season. I was right. They popped up everywhere, and my favorite nursery had plenty. Of course, I had to buy some, and … Continue reading →

The Rhode Island Rose Society held its 13th annual rose show recently, and I dropped by with a couple of gardening friends. This year’s theme was “La Vie en Rose,” and as you can imagine, the show had a decidedly … Continue reading →