Things are looking up – finally. I received word late last night that there is a publisher ready to talk to us. Woo Hoo! Tomorrow we will be doing a set up at First Friday. I have various goat milk soaps, bubble baths, bath fizzies, potpourri bags and air fresheners ready to go. Keep your eyes peeled here for more information on The Chocolate Lovers Garden! This will be co-written with Tom Ogren, author of Allergy-Free Gardening as well as numerous other books! Be sure to check out Tom’s articles in the Content section!
Filed under Gardening News by on Sep 6th, 2007. Comment. 
Welcome to the official Exotic Gardening Plant-A-Holic Blog! Wait, I just said that!
Here is where you will find the daily blog. Yes, we are moving it from the old format!
What will I be blogging about – oh, I don’t know – homesteading, gardening, animals, spinning – you name it and you just might find it here!
Stay tuned for exciting episodes of the new Exotic Gardening Web Show! Yes, it is official! My first instructional video is completed! It is on Theobroma cacao. It is not perfect but it is done and will be showing up here soon. I am really excited about this too as I have been wanting to add video for some time now!
Until later -
Sheri
Filed under Gardening News by on Sep 18th, 2007. Comment.
I’ve had my greenhouse sealed up for a couple of days now because of the cool night temperatures. Fall is on its way to the Midwest.
Tonight I decided to take a look inside and lo and behold guess what? I have a ton of blooms! I sure couldn’t have done that with those plants outside.
I will have to get some pictures posted soon. Today I spent most of the day with Sarah, my daughter and Jerry, my hubby taking pictures of our poultry and clipping wings.
I have some Theobroma seeds I really need to get planted before they root in the paper towels. When I made the video the other day they were already germinated in the pod. I was quite suprised. I had seen some germinate in the pod before but never the entire pod.
I put the seeds, except for one which was immediately planted, into damp paper towels. They seem to be doing fine but I really need to get with the program and make sure they continue to do fine.
Tomorrow is Miss Sarah’s 19th birthday. We have a party planned for her after school. Hot dogs and marshmallows on the fire pit, lots of loud teenage music (where are those darn earplugs?!), dancing (or bootie shaking as she says), cake and ice cream!
I can’t wait for her to see her gifts! That should bring the looks!
Sheri
Filed under Gardening News by on Sep 20th, 2007. Comment.
Garden Diva Doreen Howard certainly comes up with some good ideas but her latest website Desperate Gardens, http://www.desperategardens.net/Home_Page.php, is one of the best and funniest!
For those of us who are true plant-a-holics this is a must see website. While it is still in its early stages of development, one can certainly relate to growing their tropical plants in their bedroom for those of us who do not live in a tropical climate but wish we did as well as taking your plants with you when you move!
I’ll never forget when we moved here. I had been digging plants for weeks and taking them to my mother-in-laws for safe keeping. We had 16 people and numerous trucks and vans. We spent three days – from about 8 a.m. to approximately 2 a.m. moving in. Most of that time was spent hauling plants that were being dug up from the previous yard. I sent them here bare-root, stacked on top of one another and layered them in mulch until I could get them planted!
If you have ever married a fellow plant addict and then gone through a divorce you certainly know the plants can cost more than child support! Judges look at you a little strange when you ask for custody of the plants but as we all know some plants can cost $200 to $300 each!
I can testify to getting pineapples and citrus to produce fruit here in Indiana. I can also testify that it is possible to get Theobroma to set flowers here in Indiana. Many tropicals will bloom and fruit if given the proper care even as houseplants!
Be sure to check out Doreen’s newest venture and sign her guestbook! Tell her you heard about her site here at Exotic Gardening!
Sheri
Filed under Fragrant Flowers by on Sep 23rd, 2007. Comment.
Yesterday and today have been rather busy days around here. Winter is on its way and there is lots of work to be done – both inside and out. Stalls and cages need cleaned so the animals can be bedded down for winter, the greenhouses need repaired where plastic has torn over the summer and a new, larger greenhouse still needs to be built.
The winter garden did not get planted this year. I may see what seeds I can germinate indoors and then move on to the greenhouse. No promises though.
I am going to try to keep some tomatoes in the greenhouse this winter because they are already growing and are still in pots!
Now for some gardening news:
Jackson and Perkins will now be owned by Donald and Glenda Hachenberger. Harry & David Holdings, Inc. who was the seller of Jackson and Perkins received approximately $49 million.
For water gardeners there is a new barley straw planter available from Summit Chemical. It is used as a floating planter and has the added benefit of cleaning the water it sits in. For more information visit their website at http://www.summitchemical.com
For those of you interested in more information on why green matters including social, economic and enviromental benefits, maintaining public or private greenspaces as well as information on how to get involved, visit Project EverGreen’s new website at http://ProjectEverGreen.com
Finally there are lots of new gardening books out there waiting to be read by gardening enthusiasts. Container gardening books are still hot. Here are two of the newest titles – Absolutely Beautiful Containers by Sue Amatangelo and Instant Container Gardens by Pamela Crawford.
If you are looking for regional garden books be sure to check out the following – Best Garden Plants for New York State by Maria Cinque and Alison Beck, Perennials for Georgia by Tara Dillard and Don Williamson, Best Garden Plants for Missouri by Anita Joggerst and Don Williamson and finally Best Garden Plants for New Jersey by Lorraine Kiefer and Alison Beck.
Filed under Gardening News by on Sep 26th, 2007. Comment.
It never fails to amaze me that the roses in the garden bloom best in the spring and fall. Just when our garden season is about over the roses burst into bloom. The other favorite time for them to bloom is in early spring when somehow it never fails that the blooms will get hit with a frost which turns the petals brown.
I went out today and took a few photos of some of the roses in bloom which I thought I would share with you.
Filed under Fragrant Flowers by on Sep 27th, 2007. Comment.
There is never a dull day here at Exotic Gardening Farms & Wildlife Habitat! Today we got up, went to breakfast and then to Lowe’s to buy some plywood so we could make doors on the barn before winter. I thought that would be simple enough!
Needless to say they had some nice shrubs – privet, honeysuckle, etc. for just $1 each. I bought 15. That should make a nice hedge so the neighbors can stop staring at us when we are in the nut garden! Of course, where to plant the new shrubs was Jerry’s idea!
So, after about two hours, we finally got home and I went about feeding the poultry, goats, horse and rabbits. Jerry set about securing the fence – AGAIN!
The goats somehow still managed to get out and Darla escaped numerous times. One loose spot on the fence and under she goes! I finally got tired of chasing her and secured them back in their room.
I am wondering if the new duck greenhouse is even going to get finished today!
Yes, we bought two more greenhouses this weekend. One is for baby chicks and one is for the ducks. Then we are going to plastic the other house we was building so I can have yet another greenhouse. If we cage the birds at night they cannot get into my plants and they will generate some heat to help keep the plants alive through the winter.
Next on the project list is for Jerry to make doors for the barn. One for the goats, one for the horse, a window for the horse (because there was two doors on her stall) and then he has to rebuild the main door on the barn. After that I am hoping he will be able to re-do the door on the large chicken coop.
Now – when in the heck am I going to find time to get those shrubs planted? Actually I will more than likely let him do that because where they are going is a maze of tree roots. I am hoping that we will have some time this evening, but if not, there is always tomorrow!
Isn’t life on the farm just a bowl of cherries? Which reminds me can you believe my cherry shrubs are blooming and setting fruit? That is only supposed to happen in the spring!
Until tomorrow -
Sheri
Filed under Fragrant Flowers by on Sep 29th, 2007. Comment.
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