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July 27, 2023September 3, 2024

Vol III: In the Garden

Vol 3. In the GardenSince we moved to Connecticut (two years ago now!) I’ve been trying to learn as much about gardening as I can. We inherited some really beautiful landscaping from the former owners, and I hope to maintain what we have while learning and putting my own stamp on it. I am just getting started, but my boys have been excited to learn with me, and are eager to help. On the weekends, we have made a family activity out of the local garden center where I let them pick a small plant whenever we’re shopping. They love being a part of the process. They plant them themselves and are so excited to water and watch them grow. I bought them a few tools of their own and they’ve really taken to using them and look forward to weeding, raking, digging and watering with me in the garden.

Boys Gardening Toolset #1

Shop the toolset

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Boys Gardening Toolset #2

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How charming are these garden-themed PJs? A great find from Julia Berlozhemier!

Shop the pajamas

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Watering can

Shop the watering can

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As I begin to get my feet wet learning about gardening, I’ve found a few books to be really helpful. Marked with Post-it notes, I pick them up whenever I have a spare moment, which is not too often… it’s a slow education!

I love Christopher’s calendars and lists for the seasons as a broad strokes (goal) plan for planting and maintaining a garden.

Shop A Year at Clove Brook Farm

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This is a very in depth look at Martha’s calendar for maintaining her gardens with so many helpful passages about potential issues and how to treat them. I find books like this timeless to reference.

Shop Martha Stewart’s Gardening

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I love this one for making planting plans. I spend much more time planning than executing (I find the execution goes much smoother on any project if I take the time to plan properly), so two years into living in our house I'm still in the planning stage for new plantings. I've spent the first two years taking photos and learning about what is existing on our property, learning what to expect from the weather, and what we really need to do to maintain all of the existing plants.

Shop The Seasonal Gardener

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Looking to the garden in the months ahead, I’m putting together bulb orders for the fall to finally start some of the planting I’ve been planning. I’ll be ordering lilies, snowdrops, daffodils, tulips and alliums. I can’t wait for the next iteration of our garden in the seasons to come!

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