Gardening Magazines Online

.
They're everywhere and free. Yay!

This first isn't a mag, but definitely worth listing: National Gardening Association

Horticulture

The English Garden (pics are drool worthy)

Weekend Gardener

The obvious one: Better Homes and Gardens

Canadian Gardening

Organic Gardening (the site presentation itself leaves something to be desired, but there are tons of great articles to browse)

Fine Gardening

Reckless Gardener

Sunset

Southern Living

Garden Time Online

Those are just a few to keep you busy through these long winter months.
Happy reading and happy growing!

Blog Catalog Exploding

.
When I first joined Blog Catalog in 2007, there were 5 blogs listed under gardening.
Now =

• Gardening (927)

Holy cow!!
:)
Go Gardeners!

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine Getting More Focus?

.
Moving away from home improvement. This looks promising.

Meredith Corp. division has been focused on home improvement, do-it-yourself projects and decorating and plans to retool its special interest media division. President and CEO Stephen Lacy says, "The recessionary economy has impacted the consumer's ability to execute these types of projects and led to a decrease in advertising spending." (Duh?!)
He announced Thursday the division is becoming more focused on home and food publications, particularly those aligned with its Better Homes and Gardens magazine.


Hmmmm....

Someone Stop Me!

.
Here I was, all happy that I'd saved up some money to buy potting mix so I could start my Winter Sowing (I'm not really a slacker on the getting started - just jobless and broke) and I fell flat on my face.

My first mistake - setting foot inside a Lowe's.

My second mistake - setting foot in the plant clearance aisle.

Ugh!

I have about 100 houseplants. Really, I don't (don't!) need more.

But, there they were, all those sad, neglected, tortured, desperate to go home with someone that wouldn't abuse them plants.

I tried to turn around and not even check prices, I really did.
All right, so I have no self control when it comes to plants. None, nada, zip.
Telling my kids no doesn't seem to be as much of a problem as telling a plant no does. (yes, I talk to my plants - don't you?) Interesting, since kids talk back in that whiney voice and plants just sit there.
Lonely. Too dry. Drowning. Broken. Half their soil missing. In a drainless pot. Roots exposed. Rocks glued to the soil. No light. Sitting in the freezing drafts from the door.

See! not so easy to just turn your back on something that is crying out for help, is it?

I caved. There's no excuse for it. I just . . . did.

2 large hanging pots of ivy 'starling' for a buck each. (I know, I know, but I have a ridiculous weakness for ivy)
1 NOID dieffenbachia for a buck. (I think it's 'Sparkles')
2 moon cactus for 10 cents each.

~sigh~

Back to the drawing board to save up the pennies for the potting mix.

God, please help me to keep my eyes averted from the clearance aisle when I go to get the bag of mix or I may come home with more plants instead.
.

Scotts Sells Smith & Hawken to Target

.
.
Scotts Miracle-Gro has sold the Smith & Hawken brand to Target Corp.

The deal closed late last month, said Jim King, a Scotts Miracle-Gro executive. The financial terms were not disclosed.

The Marysville-based company purchased the chain in 2004 and two years later, began selling Smith & Hawken products at Target stores. But the Smith & Hawken chain struggled, and Scotts ended up closing the stores last year after unsuccessfully trying to find a buyer.

~Yawn~

Gardeners' World: Back to 'Grown-up Gardening'

Well, hallelujah! They're finally getting the picture.
Well, ok, in the UK at least. Then again, they're always way ahead of us in the gardening world. :)

Gardeners' World is to return to "proper, grown-up gardening" after its youthful relaunch proved a ratings failure. Gardeners’ World is going back to basics, cutting the existing hour-long format in half and re-focusing on serious gardening as opposed to 'gimmickry', says Tim Richardson.

BBC admits new Gardeners' World has flopped

I wish them the best of luck going back to the tried-and-true.
And here's to hoping the few gardening shows we have left over here will quickly follow their example.

Moving Pictures

.
So, I rearranged and organized all my pics on photobucket.
Ahem... it didn't even click that it would mess with them on my blog.
Duh!?
~sigh~
Oh well...

Home Grown Popcorn

Update on the home grown popcorn - Japanese Hulless:

Yummmm!!! I made a great big bowl of it.




But it didn't last too long once the kids started digging in :)



It's so much better than anything you can get in the store. Melts in your mouth.