Hello Fellow Gardeners,

Welcome back to the Daily Weeder to our faithful friends and readers! We’ve taken a bit of a sabbatical, but just like you, we couldn’t stay away!

It’s been an incredible summer for gardening in my neck of the woods! We’ve enjoyed lots of sunshine and enough rain to make everything grow grow GROW! Right now my irises, columbines, and most of all, my roses are blooming in brilliant shades of pink, yellow, white, blue, red, and purple. It took a lot of hard work, but right now I’m enjoying the fruits of my labor! And I wanted to share it all with you, so join me if you will, for this year’s tour of my garden…

Stay tuned for more tips, tricks, ideas, and inspiration on the cold climate gardening from the Daily Weeder!

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

This is the time of year that the shelves of our favorite garden centers fill up with chemicals that promise everything from increased growth to deterring the most pesky of garden pests! Well, many of these do in fact work very well, but if you’re like me, you are considering more natural alternatives for your garden. Many of these alternatives can give you the same benefits as the expensive products out there but at a fraction of the cost! Best of all, many of the ingredients can be found right in your own kitchen! Today we’ll take a look at a few natural remedies that have worked well in my own garden!

Chamomile Tea

We all know the health benefits of tea for our own bodies, but did you know that tea is also great for your garden! Roses especially can benefit from a good spray of cool chamomile tea on the leaves because it can help deter nasty mildew from taking over your precious plants. The recipe? Simply brew just like you would for yourself, let cool, and spray! Try to aim for at least four tea bags per gallon of water!

Banana Peels

You’ve heard about this one before from us, but it works so well that it bears repeating! Banana peels draped over branches and at the base of a rosebush will help get rid of aphids! Also, chopped banana peels mixed with the top layer of your soil gives a great vitamin boost to your plants, keeping them happy and healthy!

Garlic

Everyone’s favorite spice not only grows in the garden but is a garden life saver—literally! Deer may be nice to look at, but they are your garden’s enemy! A good barrier of garlic around your precious plants will help to keep those deer from using all your hard work as their own personal buffet! Papery peels from garlic bulbs that have been roasted in the oven, raw crushed garlic from a jar (available at your supermarket), or even a raw clove clothes pined to a plant will help! If you don’t want garlic spread all over your garden, another option is to simply place several garlic cloves in a sachet bag or an old stocking and hang it in your garden. The smell shouldn’t be overwhelming, but it should be enough to deter most of those dear deer!

Stay tuned for more natural remedies for your cold climate garden from the Daily Weeder!

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

I don’t know about you, but I never feel it’s really Spring until I start seeing a few flowers! Well, great news! Spring has sprung finally! My irises and daffodils have started sprouting, my tulips are well on their way, and as you can see down below, the crocus around my hometown are in full bloom!

Happy Spring!

Marie Suzanne