Avalon Garden Designer

09/28/2026

Whew! Busy day processing leeks!

I can't eat onions or garlic (unless I want an upset stomach), so I grow leeks to freeze for over the winter. During the summer, we use chives and green onions.

I start leeks in early March inside or as wintersowing as well. Both have good results. I planted them this year pretty close together, that way they naturally competed for light. I didn't have to bother with hilling them that way.

I planted them about 3-4 inches apart, in 3 rows in a 2 x 4 foot area.

I ended up with 3 1-gallon freezer bags of leeks for this winter. :)

Luckily, I also had some help from Willow. Turns out she likes leeks too. 🐱😂

09/18/2026

Native plant sale THIS weekend! This is the best/easiest way to buy natives with local genotypes. And fall is the best time to plant too!!

Sat and Sun - 11-2 at the big white barn at Blue Creek Nursery.

Bonus! Wild Ones members get a presale from 10am-11am Sat morning. You can even sign up to become a member at the door!

09/17/2026

Native Plant sale THIS WEEKEND! I'll be a cashier on Saturday, come say hi!

09/17/2026

09/16/2026

My talk last night went really well!

Thank you to everyone who came and who encouraged me.

It was a great experience to get to share my ideas on native garden design. I saw a lot of nodding heads and smiles while I spoke, what a great audience!

If you have an organization that would be interested in having me give a talk, feel free to contact me at [email protected]!

09/14/2026

Just a reminder, I'm speaking tomorrow, Sept. 15th at 7pm at Olander Park in Sylvania on how to design a native garden. I'll go over basic design techniques and how we can use natives in similar way, share some popular native designers ideas, and how you can enhance wildlife in artstic ways.

I'd love to see you there!

09/06/2026

Exciting day!! I found my first chicken of the woods! Going to cook it up for dinner and see how it turns out. I'll post updated pics of it cooked in the comments below.

09/03/2026

Took a walk the other day at Simpson Gardens in Bowling Green. They showcase great examples of incorporating native plants into "traditional" garden design.

Pictured here in the prairie area is Purple Love Grass, known for it's soft purple plumes when planted in large drifts.

08/31/2026

I've been going through some health stuff lately and my gut has taken a hit. So to get back on track, I made sauerkraut the other day. I thought I'd show you how easy it is to make your own, which is so rich in probiotics and other beneficial gut microbes!

Come back in 2-3 weeks to see how it turned out!

08/30/2026

How to Dig Potatoes