January | Firewise Gardening
Happy New Year! I hope you have had a good beginning to 2025, but for those of you in Southern California, I know that the last week has been harrowing. So let’s start there.
First, if you or someone you love has lost their home in the fires in the Los Angeles area, I am so sorry. I have several friends who have lost their homes. More are evacuated and uncertain. The area where I lived in LA was evacuated last night, and we are intimately familiar with the areas where both the Palisades and Eaton fires are burning. So I am feeling all of the feels along with so many of you. I send you my love and support.
For those of us watching in horror from across the country, the first impulse is always: how can we help? Here are links to a few organizations which I know are on the ground helping fire victims — and which are worthy of support:
World Central Kitchen: providing meals and support both to fire victims and to fire fighters who are working tirelessly to contain these blazes
California Community Foundation's Wildfire Recovery Fund: provides funding to other non-profits to carry out short and long-term assistance projects as the disaster recovery begins
American Red Cross: providing immediate aid including medical care, evacuation assistance, and meals and shelter for evacuees
Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation: funding for fighting wildfires including equipment, logistical support, meals, and more for firefighters
Lutheran World Relief: provides both immediate aid and ongoing support
The Getty Villa Museum on one of my visits in 2017.
As a gardener, I’ve been struck by the story of the Getty Villa, one of my all-time favorite museums and a place where I have spent A LOT of time over the years. Full disclosure: their gift shop has also been one of my clients in the past. On Thursday the LA Times had an excellent piece about the measures the Getty Villa has taken in the past year in preparation for a wildfire — and most of those measures involved firewise gardening practices. The entire article is fascinating, and a HUGE shoutout to their staff and grounds crew who have been working to keep the museum and its priceless collections safe. We don’t acknowledge the work of grounds crews nearly enough, and in this case they have become firefighters, too. But over the last year they have worked to make sure the grounds of the Getty Villa were as firewise as possible. That included trimming trees, removing brush and scrub, and evaluating their plant choices.
No matter where we live, this winter is a good time for us to do the same. Evaluating our gardens with an eye toward firewise gardening can make a difference. As a Colorado Master Gardener we have had some fascinating continuing education opportunities in the last few years — particularly after the Marshall Fire — where we have discussed the impacts of a changing climate on gardening practices and a redefining of communities at risk. What’s referred to as the Wilderness-Urban Interface or WUI is changing. The more our communities encroach on and mingle with wild spaces, the more we gardeners have to consider our gardens in a fire context.
I am not an expert on this subject area, but I have several great resources to recommend as well as some examples for you, too. I published this video with some thoughts as well as linked resources. I hope you will find it helpful!
If you have any questions or comments, please drop them here! I’m always here as a resource. And I look forward to hearing from you!
Wishing you all the best in the coming year, and I’m thankful you are part of this community!
Cheers!
Angela
Wondering where to find me?
Here’s the breakdown:
Stories: daily project updates
Reels & Posts: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Highlights: plant and product recommendations, project updates collected in one place
YouTube: I am hanging out here a lot more of late!
Longform Videos: monthly Gardening Checklists, gardening education, big project recaps
Shortform Videos: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Blog and Website: you are HERE!
Pages: big project recaps, how-to projects, reviews, and idea lists; use the search and the top navigation to find all kinds of goodies!
Blog: monthly updates with links to new content
ORC blog: weekly updates when a project is underway
A Wild December Update
Dear Friends,
I am not sure how it is possibly December already, but here we are! And our house is more than a little chaotic at the moment. More on that in a moment. But first, if you are in the need of some Christmas projects, gift ideas, inspiration, and more, head on over to what we could call Christmas Central! It’s all there waiting for you! Just click the link here:
Ok. Now the chaos… As I’ve told you before, we are in the restoration process after a pipe burst in September flooding the entire downstairs. And if you’ve been around awhile, you may ask, “Again?” Yes. Again. This time it wasn’t sewage. Just a LOT of water. Like a LOT.
But the good news is that we should be able to move back downstairs this weekend! I am trying to look at it as an opportunity to touch everything in my office and the guest room before it gets put away — and to get rid of things that don’t spark joy any more. Plus the unfinished laundry room project should actually get finished! Lemonade from lemons, right?
However at the moment my house is anything but festive. Frankly, it is horrid. We moved most of our stuff into a storage container which is on the driveway, but the entire dining room is stuffed with items that I needed for work or that couldn’t sit in the cold for an indeterminate period of time. The art room has become my temporary office. And the whole house is dusty and dirty from construction work. I am really, really tired of construction.
All of that sounds a bit bah humbug! And, frankly, there is more.
If you have been looking for things on my website of late, you may notice that it looks a little — strange. I did an upgrade to Mid Modern Mama which went sideways REALLY fast. With one press of a button, almost every link broke. And I lost all kinds of formatting and SEO — honestly, it is a sh*!show around here. And for that I am so sorry! I have spent the last month working to sort it out.
The lemonade in all of this: once I am done, every page will be better, and I have a mile-long list of places for improvement.
But again… it’s a hot mess!
So I come to you with a favor to ask…
I make money from this business in a variety of ways: I have a shop filled with journals and books and other items for sale. I work with companies to create content for social media. I do freelance writing and web design. And I earn a small amount of income from affiliate links. What are affiliate links? Well, when you click a link to certain products on my website, it doesn’t cost you an extra penny, but I earn a small commission from the sale. With all of the broken links on my website right now, my affiliate sales are tanking.
So here’s how you can help:
If you will be shopping at any of these retailers — including Amazon, Epic Gardening, Etsy, and HoseLink —this season, just click on the links below, and then shop to your heart’s content. You might find something you love, but you can even buy toilet paper at Amazon — it doesn’t matter what you buy! Shopping through my storefronts and my giving guides will also give my affiliate sales a little boost. And of course, consider shopping in my own store, too!
Angela’s Epic Gardening Storefront Discount code (5% off): MIDMODERNMAMA
GrowOya Discount code (10% off): MIDMODERNMAMA
If you need gift ideas, be sure to check out all of my giving guides — ideas for everyone on your list! And yes, those are all affiliate links, too!
Click the banner above to check out all of the giving guides!
I hope all of these resources are helpful as you journey through December and all of the festivities therein. No matter what you celebrate at this time of year, I wish you all of the merriest celebrations and the joy of the season!
Love and joy!
Angela
Wondering where to find me? Here’s the breakdown:
Stories: daily project updates
Reels & Posts: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Highlights: plant and product recommendations, project updates collected in one place
YouTube: I am hanging out here a lot more of late!
Longform Videos: monthly Gardening Checklists, gardening education, big project recaps
Shortform Videos: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Blog and Website: you are HERE!
Pages: big project recaps, how-to projects, reviews, and idea lists; use the search and the top navigation to find all kinds of goodies!
Blog: monthly updates with links to new content
ORC blog: weekly updates when a project is underway
Welcome, November!
An update for November, 2024
The leaves on the Amelanchier canadensis in the Wildlife Garden are glorious!
Well, here we are in the penultimate month of the year. I’m not sure about you, but I’m not ready for this yet. I have enjoyed our long, warm fall — even if it meant more work outside than previous years. That work also meant more flowers and more beauty — and I’ll take that once in a while.
We didn’t have frost until last week — a month later than average. So last Tuesday night, my son and I scurried around at dusk cutting all of the dahlias and roses and other blooms anticipating the cold to come. We cut three full trugs of flowers and arranged them into bouquets for neighbors and teachers and friends — and still our house is full of blooms, too.
Dahlias and roses from what I call “The Big Cut” — the last cutting of the year.
I added an October garden tour — filmed not long before our first frost. So you can see what’s going on in the garden, and get a peek at how it looks during a long fall.
Of course there are jobs to be done in the garden in the coming month, and we are moving into a busy season of holidays and celebrations, family and friends. I have multiple resources that may help at this time of year — simplifying and taking the pressure off, too.
The first is my Christmas planner — The Nice List. I think of this as my love-letter to the holiday season, and if you celebrate Christmas but sometimes find this time of year to be overwhelming, this planner is intended to help you reign it all in and make a fresh start. The Nice List includes budgeting tools, calendars, gift planners, journaling, and so much more. It’s available in my shop, and there’s a page below with all of the details about The Nice List, too. It’s economical and so easy to use!
And while Christmas is coming, for those of us who celebrate it, Thanksgiving is first. I also have a guide to Fall Decorating which is great for the Thanksgiving season with ideas that will transform any table into something special. And don’t forget to check out my seasonal book list for the children who might gather around your table this year. There are so many beautiful books for this season!
And as we are thinking about giving thanks, I want to give thanks for you! I appreciate your loyalty, your questions, your participation, and your enthusiasm. As I take on project upon project, I know there are so many of you out there who support what we do through. And I am so thankful!
Big changes are coming soon to Mid Modern Mama. I’ve been working all fall to get the scaffolding in place, and I’m excited about what is ahead. More will be revealed soon, and I can’t wait to share it with you!
Wishing you all the best this month!
Cheers!
Angela
Wondering where to find me? Here’s the breakdown:
Stories: daily project updates
Reels & Posts: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Highlights: plant and product recommendations, project updates collected in one place
YouTube: I am hanging out here a lot more of late!
Longform Videos: monthly Gardening Checklists, gardening education, big project recaps
Shortform Videos: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Blog and Website: you are HERE!
Pages: big project recaps, how-to projects, reviews, and idea lists; use the search and the top navigation to find all kinds of goodies!
Blog: monthly updates with links to new content
ORC blog: weekly updates when a project is underway
I'm so glad I live in a World where there are Octobers...
An October update plus tips for your October garden
Shockingly, it is October! I feel like this year is going by so very, very quickly, but that is partly because we have been so very, very busy!
Our October gardens are winding down in most of North America. I rather like this part of the year, actually. It isn’t as packed or as frantic as the spring feels, and there is something nurturing and mothering about tucking our raised beds and plants in for the winter. We haven’t had a frost yet. Actually, our average first frost is in the first week of October, and I think we will be late this year. That’s fine with me — it keeps the dahlias going longer!
I made a bunch of changes to how I grow dahlias this year, and it has really paid off! They have been fabulous, and I will write up what I have learned and share it with you. So much of the advice out there about growing dahlias comes from flower farmers, and I’ve incorporated a few of their tricks into my own growing. Look for that coming soon!
Our New Deck: If you have been following along on Instagram or YouTube, you know that we spent the summer building a deck. it was a big DIY job, and I have written all about this project including the materials we used, the furniture we chose, and our DIY outdoor kitchen project, too.
You’ll find it all here:
Planting Bulbs: And if you’re like me and you are thinking about bulbs right about now, don’t forget about this tip for keeping the squirrels out of your bulbs:
Leave the leaves! Raking and bagging leaves is one of the worst things you can do for your yard, your trees, and the wildlife around you. Do this instead:
Leave a thick layer in a ring under your trees and shrubs. The leaves break down and put nutrition back into the soil, but they also act as a mulch, locking in moisture for your trees, and add a layer of insulation for shallow feeder roots as well.
Put a thinner layer in your raised beds and around perennials. They will do the same thing for your perennials as they do for your trees making your plants happier and healthier.
Make leaf mould. It’s an easy job and is a great resource for your garden in years to come. Here’s a full guide showing you how to do it:
Wishing you all the best as your autumn begins! And, as always, if you have questions, just ask! I’m always available!
Cheers!
Angela
Wondering where to find me? Here’s the breakdown:
Stories: daily project updates
Reels & Posts: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Highlights: plant and product recommendations, project updates collected in one place
YouTube: I am hanging out here a lot more of late!
Longform Videos: monthly Gardening Checklists, gardening education, big project recaps
Shortform Videos: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Blog and Website: you are HERE!
Pages: big project recaps, how-to projects, reviews, and idea lists; use the search and the top navigation to find all kinds of goodies!
Blog: monthly updates with links to new content
ORC blog: weekly updates when a project is underway
Hooray for September!
Sweetpeas in September? Evidently!
Hello!
So I know many of you enthusiastically planted sweet peas with me back in the spring. And I’m wondering how your sweet peas turned out.
Mine: not so much!
There are a few things that I think contributed to my sweet pea failures.
Timing. I planted them out late. I had LOTS of seedlings, but I was worried about a late frost, so I kept them in The Greenhouse too long. I should have planted them out in the ground sooner.
Shade. I love where I planted them, but I don’t think they get enough sun. Not until the vines got taller. So I may have to move them for next year.
Soil. I didn’t add compost to the soil where my sweet peas were growing this year, and I think that would have helped. Compost holds in moisture and it provides slow-release nutrition, too. So next year: a good layer of compost.
At any rate, after all of that work, I got about SIX sweet pea blooms — and they didn’t start blooming until nearly the end of August. That is just strange.
So, lessons learned for next year! I was so worried about them roasting that I think I babied them too much!
I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend! Here’s to a fabulous month ahead!
September Resources for you:
Cheers!
Angela
Wondering where to find me? Here’s the breakdown:
Stories: daily project updates
Reels & Posts: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Highlights: plant and product recommendations, project updates collected in one place
YouTube: I am hanging out here a lot more of late!
Longform Videos: monthly Gardening Checklists, gardening education, big project recaps
Shortform Videos: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Blog and Website: you are HERE!
Pages: big project recaps, how-to projects, reviews, and idea lists; use the search and the top navigation to find all kinds of goodies!
Blog: monthly updates with links to new content
ORC blog: weekly updates when a project is underway
The Dog Days of Summer
Friends,
I hope you are staying cool because it is HOT out there! Yowza! We are having such a hot and dry summer that it has been unpleasant and really unsettling. Here in a climate where wild fires are worrying, I am watching the weather every day. Phew!
I am also in the pool every single day! And if you are wishing you had a pool this summer, it isn’t too late. Don’t forget about my DIY Stock Tank Pool Guide which has all of the details about how to set up your own stock tank pool.
Our latest DIY project: an outdoor kitchen! It was a simple DIY project, and with the help of Lowe’s, my sponsor, we are now cooking outside for every meal. It’s so much better than heating up the house!! Check out what we did here:
Hoping you are well!
Cheers!
Angela
Wondering where to find me? Here’s the breakdown:
Stories: daily project updates
Reels & Posts: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Highlights: plant and product recommendations, project updates collected in one place
YouTube: I am hanging out here a lot more of late!
Longform Videos: monthly Gardening Checklists, gardening education, big project recaps
Shortform Videos: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Blog and Website: you are HERE!
Pages: big project recaps, how-to projects, reviews, and idea lists; use the search and the top navigation to find all kinds of goodies!
Blog: monthly updates with links to new content
ORC blog: weekly updates when a project is underway
July Update
An update on our deck project
Hello! I am late with my monthly update! We took a much-needed vacation with family which was a wonderful break from the hard work of deck building.
I wish I could say it is done. It is not. But we are close, and we are working on laying the decking using a product called Tanzite Stone Decks. It is going to be gorgeous, but we still have a long way to go. Perhaps by next month I will have good news! I’m updating this project almost daily on Instagram, so follow along if you want more sweaty news!
I hope you are staying cool! It’s really hot out there!
Cheers!
Angela
Wondering where to find me? Here’s the breakdown:
Stories: daily project updates
Reels & Posts: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Highlights: plant and product recommendations, project updates collected in one place
YouTube: I am hanging out here a lot more of late!
Longform Videos: monthly Gardening Checklists, gardening education, big project recaps
Shortform Videos: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Blog and Website: you are HERE!
Pages: big project recaps, how-to projects, reviews, and idea lists; use the search and the top navigation to find all kinds of goodies!
Blog: monthly updates with links to new content
ORC blog: weekly updates when a project is underway
June is Bustin' Out All Over!
Hello!!
I mean, seriously! June is Bustin’ Out All Over here — the roses have been blooming for a few days (early) and are overlapping with the peonies and the gardens are positively humming with bees and bugs of every kind. It’s glorious!
As I suspected, we did not even come close to finishing the ORC. Oh, well! Someday that laundry room will look grand, but for now I have too much gardening and too many other projects happening all at once.
Here’s the June project list:
New Deck: this is a BIG one! The demolition of our old concrete patio is done, and we have started to put in the footings. I’m so excited about this project! It’s the last big piece in our backyard master plan, and it’s going to be fabulous. This project is sponsored by Tanzite, a Canadian stone decking company, and we are anxiously awaiting delivery of our materials.
To follow along: updates in Instagram stories several times per week, and I’ll have other content coming, too.
Waterwise Lawns: have you watched Rebecca McMackin’s TedTalk about lawns and native plantings? If you haven’t, do! It’s wonderful. My favorite quote in her talk: “Lawns should be area rugs, not wall-to-wall carpet.” I could not agree more! And we are taking on what is left of a lawn in both our front and back yards this month. It’s a little insane, frankly, but I can’t wait to show you how this will unfold. We will use two different approaches — both waterwise and both DIY. More on that to come, too. This is a partnership with my friends at High Country Gardens, too.
To follow along: updates in Instagram stories once we start the work, and I’ll have a big blog post and video guide when it is all done.
Phew! If we get through all of this in one piece, It will be quite the accomplishment! But it’s going to be a good month of progress, completion, and change!
As always, I have a monthly checklist for you, too! Here’s your June Gardening Checklist! And please do me a favor: every like and subscribe really helps a small account like mine. Will you please click the link, like and subscribe? That would mean the world to me!
I welcome questions and queries, and I’m so thankful for your ongoing love and support! Happy spring!!
Love,
Angela
Wondering where to find me? Here’s the breakdown:
Stories: daily project updates
Reels & Posts: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Highlights: plant and product recommendations, project updates collected in one place
YouTube: I am hanging out here a lot more of late!
Longform Videos: monthly Gardening Checklists, gardening education, big project recaps
Shortform Videos: a few times per week, bigger project updates and lots of gardening education
Blog and Website: you are HERE!
Pages: big project recaps, how-to projects, reviews, and idea lists; use the search and the top navigation to find all kinds of goodies!
Blog: monthly updates with links to new content
ORC blog: weekly updates when a project is underway
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