Beat the heatwave with some serious garden upgrades! From automated Govee tech in the greenhouse to a targeted pest control strategy against cabbage moths and slugs, here is how the raised beds are bouncing back.
Tackling the final hard labor of the season! From hilling up Magic Molly potatoes and refereeing a comfrey vs. shallot turf war, to running permanent electrical power to the greenhouse—the backyard garden is officially upgraded.
See how to protect blueberries from birds using election sign frames and disco balls, plus a full update on the garden layout, and another round of gutters on the greenhouse adds MAJOR liquid impact!
From blue Magic Molly potatoes to DIY deer-proofing with election signs, see how the yarden is evolving this spring. Plus, a “glow up” for the herb bags and the potato lane!
From fixing hydrophobic soil to building a Zone 6b Blueberry Row: lessons learned in water management and picking varieties for a season-long harvest.
I’m doing square foot gardening in my raised beds and starting seeds in the Costco Greenhouse at the Not So Seekrit Lair Get the full Wave 1 planting breakdown here!
A guide to renovating an overgrown herb garden. Learn how to transition to deer-resistant herbs like borage and lavender, use strategic mulching, and incorporate budget-friendly stone borders for a cleaner, more manageable landscape.
Stop wasting money on bagged dirt that settles in a season! See how I upgraded my garden with 4 yards of Veggie Delight from Kalamazoo Landscape Supplies, avoided “soil osteoporosis,” and built new raised beds on a budget.
Adding rainwater harvesting to my Costco greenhouse seemed like an excellent idea because I want…
The Costco greenhouse is made by Yardistry, and while it’s a great structure, it doesn’t…
It pains me to say it, but I didn’t enjoy the latest James Lee Burke…
The “iceberg” hasn’t returned! My Zone 6b Costco greenhouse is officially holding its own against the Michigan cold. From self-opening vents to my 2026 seed starting inventory, here is how I’m winning the winter.
What happens when you put off your winter prep? My Zone 6b Costco greenhouse froze solid, turning my 55-gallon water barrel into an iceberg. Here’s my real-world guide to surviving a Southwest Michigan winter in Zone 6b.
The honeymoon phase with my Costco greenhouse is officially meeting reality. Between the watering conundrum and the search for off-grid power, I’ve got a plan to survive a Michigan winter involving a 55-gallon barrel and a lot of optimism. It’s not perfect yet, but it has a disco ball, so we’re getting there.
Ever since I started really getting into growing fruits and vegetables, I have wanted a…
Well, I started this post on Memorial Day but it’s been a minute. Back then…
Oh, I have a new favorite author in South Carolina author Julia Elliot! This book…
Today was a day that started out one way and ended a completely different way.…
Today is a gorgeous day to get started in the yard! I began by taking…
I thought this was a technically lovely book. It is arranged in essays talking about…
With the heaviness of things lately, I needed a good light read where the heroine…
I’ve amused myself (and hopefully you!) with book reviews over the winter, but soon garden…
Oh, did I hate this book. It was actually painful to slog through it hoping…
Oh my goodness, this book blew my mind. It begins with every white person in…
I was blown away by Chris Whitaker’s newest book, All The Colors of the Dark,…
This book is a pretty comprehensive look at the many muses of Andy Warhol. Let…
What an absolute pleasure to read. I have long been interested in growing things in…
Families are difficult, and life is trauma. That seems to be the overarching message here.…
I really wanted to enjoy this book. A woman and her husband buy mountaintop acreage…
I’ve long been fascinated about the over 300,000 feral cats that roam Rome. The author…
Oh, I enjoyed this book so much! Ms. Cooperstein began her working life with hopes…
Whew. This summer was interesting on so many levels. My contract job ended on July…
I got up early this morning because it’s going to be 88 degrees again today…
I’m back from a two week road trip and getting my yard in gear! Apparently…
This will be a quick post before I forget what I’ve been up to since…
March 25 and I’ve waited long enough! So begins another fantastic gardening season. Given the…
I’m not one to rake up every leaf in my yard. I leave things pretty…
It’s getting on toward that time when I’ll be done with the garden for another…
It’s certainly been a muggy roaster here lately which has really damped my enjoyment of…
Hey, all. It is supposed to be in the high 80s and mid 90s this…
It’s been miserable hot and sticky here in Kalamazoo, plus we have been dealing with…
I’ll start right out with this monster racoon that I’m apparently hosting at the Not…
As I was bringing in some pots on the porch last evening, I noticed that…
Busy, dirty, sweaty weekend, as evidenced by yesterday’s post, but I got so much done!…
Today I got a lot accomplished in the yarden, so I thought I’d share an…
Gardening is a bit easier with new knees, but swinging a hoe and pushing and…
Edit: I wrote this post last week when it was gorgeous, not today with the…
It’s certainly been a very different year than I’d planned, so apologies for not staying…
Folks, I apologize for not staying on top of the posting. Life’s been a bit…
It’s been a busy time in the yarden! I’ll bring you up to speed on…
Today begins the 2022 bee season! The BSE has hives at her home in Portage,…
After a productive day this past weekend, I decided this afternoon to get out into…
Man, last year was a not great year in the garden. I apologize for not…
May has been a serious “go home Mother Nature, you’re drunk!” month. We have had…
This has been the longest winter ever, or maybe it just felt like that because…
I spent some good time in the raised beds garden this afternoon! It’s about 80…
Thanks to the Great Goddess of Cortisone visiting my knees through Her minion at Bronson…
It has been unrelentingly hot here in southwest Michigan this summer with consistent temps in…
As many of you know from personal experience or from this blog, I have four…
I took a beautiful Wednesday off recently and went over to the Portage Hives of…
After procrastinating in favor of books for about three weeks, I finally got around to…
Never mind the weather, here come the plant pistils!!! Seriously, though, spring is coming even…
Well. It’s July 11 and I’m just now writing a post about the 2019 garden.…
I got some fall cleanup tasks done this past weekend. The weather is beginning to…
Man, this was not my year for yardening! The weather was either too hot, or…
My yarden has suffered mightily this summer so far! The weather veers wildly from “surface…
I’ve been busy this morning, so I thought I’d share a little update. I’ll start…
Well, my plans for planting over the Memorial Day weekend did not come to fruition,…
Hi, folks! Just a quick update b/c I’m exhausted and my knees hurt. Here’s what’s…
I will have my own hive at the suburban three-hive apiary of the BSE and…
Thanks to Michigan’s ever changing moods it’s been more than a little nuts the last…
Getting closer and closer to real spring! So excited! I took the past couple days…
Hey, green thumbs! Tonight, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, we’re going to talk…
A few years back, I read an article by the father of the straw bale…
I’ve lived at the Not So Seekrit Lair for almost 18 years. It didn’t take…
Gather round, kids, while I tell you the story of How the AE Came To…