My name is Chris and this is my gardening blog. I live in the city, technically “near-suburbs” I guess, and my lot isn’t the biggest thing in the world, but I make the most of it. Since buying this house I’ve put in over 500 linear feet of brick retaining wall, a new fence, and hundreds of plants. I’ve probably spent nearly $10k and hundreds of hours of labor over the past two years on my landscape. I mostly grow flowers and perennials, but I’ve also planted some trees and foliage plants.
The goal of this blog is for me to share my passion with the world, and also to provide tips I’ve learned through my own experiences and through watching countless episodes of shows like Gardening by the Yard. (hi Paul).
Its almost Christmas right now, and so there isn’t alot of gardening to be done, so don’t expect a lot of activity here until spring comes, at which time I hope to post atleast once a week. I plan to cover both gardening and landscape design.
Oh, and I garden in Zone 5 (lower Michigan).
March 9th, 2006 at 10:16 am
Hi Chris, It is a good website. Great tips about gardening. I will try it in my games: Harvest Moon and Sims Makin Magic. They deal a lot with archtitect, designing and landscaping.
Well, thanks!
March 9th, 2006 at 2:41 pm
Hi Chris,
I do love gardening. I grew up in a small town and my mom loves gardening so it’s in my blood :).
Last month my husband gave me a bouquet of Tulips, there are so beautiful! I will be very thankful if you can give me some advice about how to treat them, if I can keep them in water or I must plant them in soil.
Thanks in advance!
April 9th, 2006 at 4:39 am
Hi Chris,
You have a really neat site, I’ve been reading through your posts and know that I will be returning.
Good luck with the blue poppies. I have been trying to get them started here in Maine, and so far, have not been able.
Sandy
January 31st, 2008 at 10:09 am
Really great site, I use the Mittleider method of gardening. Next year I am increasing the size of my homestead garden. Withthe yields I can even sell a great amount of produce.
Keep up the great work and
Happy gardening.
August 15th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Hi Chris
Your blog and the whole set-up of your site is great. I’d love for you to review my book Zen of Watering Your Garden. Just drop a mailing address at the email.
Matt
March 13th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Dear Chris,
I find your blog very interesting and inspiring. I’m going to follow it and put it in my blog roll. If you like, you can link back to me.
I’m primarlity focussed on growing our own vegetables in the back garden, i.e. with the limited space available.
Cheers, Holger.
April 22nd, 2009 at 9:57 am
WITH ALL THE TROUBLE IN THE WORLD,AND THINGS HURTING THE PLANT.PAUL SHOWS HOW TO HELP, AND YOU PEOPLE ARE GOING TO CANCELL A SHOW THE CAN HELP. NOW WE ARE IN TROUBLE
April 28th, 2009 at 6:39 am
I wholey agree with what is happening at HGTV. The loss of “Gardening by the Yard” is but another indication that they have lost their way.
Some of the new shows are just stupid and are aimed at a veyr low intellectual level.
April 28th, 2009 at 8:36 am
these people are the type to have never gotten there hands dirty. probaly never ben in a garden to bad. i feel bad for this type of person.you can have a millon dollar home and don’t have flowers,and garden to go with it.i hope PAUL JAMES gets a station that appreciate his show.i could watch it all day.
May 24th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Same goes in our family. All us kids were brought up growing something. Mom was always playing in the dirt! There are only two of us out of four that garden. I have been watching the TV Guide threw the system trying to find Gardening by the Yard. I love that show. Yes, he was a kid at heart but I always laughted right along with everbody else. I’d much rather watch Paul James than any one of the landscape segments.
I’ll end with; I’m going to look throught your website! Thanks,
Marsha
July 9th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Gardening By The Yard is the only show I watch on HGTV. It’s entertaining and informative and Paul James is the person who makes it that way. GBTY is the only practical show on that entire network. HGTV now caters almost exclusively to the highly affluent. There’s no reason now for a guy like me, who’s looking for solutions to common gardening problems or new ideas on how to liven up the garden I already have, to watch this channel any more. Sayonara HGTV!
July 21st, 2009 at 3:52 pm
I throught that I was just missing garding by the yard because my schedule has changed. I am a newley retired person I had growing flowers on my to do list. help
July 26th, 2009 at 4:46 am
Our Connecticut yard belongs on its own TV show THANKS TO PAUL JAMES! From learning all about zones and plant fungus, soil and sun, Gardening by the Yard was our coursework on gardening.
So many television decisions are based on “fresh and new.” That’s our America. It was a great run. Too bad the networks suffer from ADD.
August 19th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
No more Gardening by the Yard! I’m crushed. I love that show.
August 23rd, 2009 at 10:36 am
I watch or tape this every Sunday. I am at a loss without my fun loving gardener Paul James.
So gardening is for old people. I quess young people don’t eat or like flowers. Love you Paul.
August 23rd, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Please keep gardening by the yard with Pual James.
I watch or tape this show everyweek. He has great ideas and tips with landscape and house plants. This is one of the best show in your tv line up.
October 17th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Gardening By the Yard is still on. It’s just on early in the morning. Go to HGTVs website put the show title in the search engine.
October 19th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
I can only echo the comments of prior contributors I long ago cancelled my access to HGTV mainly becasuse of reduced availability in my market to Gardening by the Yard. I became so disgusted and frustrated that I finally cancelled the major portion of my satellited programming. I saw the writing on the wall and decided to get my gardening info elsewhere. I even sent e-mails to HGTV to voice my displeasure and to question the G in their misnomer. Whether they got it, I do not know. I know for a fact tho, having 4 grown children in their twenties that gardening is not for OLD PEOPLE. Hopefully, Mr. James is free of HGTV and can venture out on his own.
February 4th, 2012 at 2:21 pm
Hi Chris! I ran across your blog while doing research for an internet class. As a lower Michigan gardener I can relate to your beautiful blog. Lots of great info and pictures. Looking forward to spring planting tips!
January 23rd, 2013 at 11:12 am
Found this place by accident but liked it nonetheless.
Good job Chris.
Johnny R
August 29th, 2015 at 6:38 am
Thank you for this website! I’m a complete beginner and its helped quite a bit. Everyone has to start somewhere!