Intro...

As Technical Manager for Hot Pepper Wax, I plan to use this space to share garden-related thoughts & experiences generated by conversations with our customers & fellow gardeners. I currently live on a farm in western Pennsylvania that I share with 3 cats, 2 border collies and 5 llamas, so while you may be envisioning a garden disked up each spring with the old Ford tractor, it may surprise you to know that I grow all my fresh veggies & herbs in a space no larger than the average suburban garden.

After living & gardening in 6 states over the past 25 years, I feel somewhat like a tomato transplant as I've had to adapt to each new location. My first gardening experience was in California, helping my parents weed the shrub beds, apply fertilizer, and water the dry spots in the lawn with a hand-held fan spray nozzle. Later, as a student of horticulture at Colorado State, I learned the science behind these practices and embraced the newest technology. Then, as a nursery & landscape manager in several Rocky Mountain states, I learned the value of water, and developed a life-long interest in native plants and regional landscapes. A move to Phoenix required yet another adjustment to climate, soils & plant species. There I relied on water-efficient plants for seasonal color and food for local wildlife while I adapted to a Southern growing season.

When I settled on the farm in PA, I adapted again. I opened my first bag of lime. I found there was no need for a pick axe to plant a tree. I enjoyed the benefits of a real beehive. I appreciated the free earthworms. And, just as I was getting used to nature's own "irrigation", I became acquainted with insects & diseases I'd only seen in textbooks.

With basic horticulture science as my foundation, each year's unexpected events keep me engaged in gardening. This year, I'm planning to "landscape" around the house with my own "field trial" of sunflowers in beds. These beds will eventually become home to adapted shrubs and perennials once I've done my research and created a design that pleases me.

As for this blog, I've had requests for getting started with asparagus, for guidance on selecting healthy plants, and for my opinion of those upside-down tomatoes. If you have an idea or two, send me an email at lindag@hotpepperwax.com and check back to see if they appear here in the future.

Meanwhile, it's time to take the camera into my garden on those sunny, snowy days and enjoy my winter garden while it prepares for spring.

Monarda in January