Archives by: Donna Hessel
About the author
Donna Hessel is the author of our Gardening Sweet Spots blog and has been working in gardens for as long as she can remember, pulling weeds and planting beans and radishes in her grandfather’s garden. A recent move to a smaller home and very small garden restricted to “containers only” has presented gardening challenges as well as new opportunities. She enjoys the camaraderie and benefits of belonging to the Emerald Necklace Garden Club, which is open to new members and encourages guests to attend its monthly meetings. To learn more, go to emeraldnecklacegardenclub.org.
Donna Hessel Posts
Poinsettias and Cyclamen are traditional plants that add welcome indoor color to the holiday season. But now it’s January and all the holiday decorations are safely stored for another year. What to do with the plants that are still merrily blooming? If you’d like to try keeping them, here are some tips. ...
Read more
What better way to welcome holiday guests than a lighted path to your front door? Easy-to-make luminary lanterns create the perfect holiday touch for a warm glow on a cold winter's day. Read on for directions. ...
Read more
Don’t you wish for something to brighten up long, dreary winter days? Colorful bulbs can do that! Read on for tips on when and how to plant a variety of bulbs that will add color and fragrance to your home this winter. ...
Read more
'Tis the season to enjoy your bird feeders. Start now to put seeds and other treats out for the birds and you’ll be able to watch them come to your deck or feeders all winter long. Read on to learn how our winter birds survive during the cold and snowy months, and how you can help them. ...
Read more
Don’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet. There’s one more job left to do to be ready to spring into action at the first sign of warm weather next year. That would be making sure your gardening tools are up for the work to come. Here are some tips to make the job easier. ...
Read more
The herbs you’ve nurtured in containers or in your garden are ready to harvest. In addition to drying some to enhance the flavor of your entrees, why not make some herbal teas to ward off the chill of cold and snowy days to come? ...
Read more
Autumn is mum season! If you want yours to return to your garden year after year, read on to discover the secrets to keeping mums blooming annually. Hint #1: Plant hardy, perennial mums in the garden (or containers) in mid-May or in the fall, at least six weeks before the first frost. ...
Read more
Shorter days, darker mornings, earlier dusk. It’s September and officially, “Autumn” is just days away. If your gardens and containers are looking overgrown and slightly weary, here are some tips on reviving their appearance and adding some new plants to extend the gardening season to the first hard frost. ...
Read more
