Celtic Farm

09/09/2026

As I review my planting plans, I thought I'd share some research on cool weather veggies and optimizing for the crazt hot days we get in Sept. https://thecelticfarm.com/planting-fall-vegetables-hot-weather-zone-9b/

The calendar says it's time to plant broccoli, beets, and spinach. My forecast this week says 96 on Wednesday and 99 on Thursday. If you garden in a hot inla

09/06/2026

Anybody else have powdery mildew on their plants? I thought this topic was timely so I wrote a quick post on the topic and composting. https://thecelticfarm.com/compost-plants-powdery-mildew/

You're cleaning up the garden when you notice it: squash leaves dusted in white, cloudy patches on your bee balm, or peonies that look as though someone sprinkl

09/05/2026

🌿 Labor Day Garden Sale is here!

Save 20% OFF orders $125+ all weekend long with code:

LABORDAY20

It’s a great time to stock up for fall gardening, refresh your favorite tools, or get an early start on gifts for the gardener in your life.

Garden tools • gloves • aprons • tool bags • gifts & more

Shop the sale: https://shop.thecelticfarm.com

Ends Monday night. 🌿

09/02/2026

Buying or building a birdhouse? 🐦🏡 Before you hang one in the garden, check for these 9 common traps.

The wrong hole size, poor ventilation, no drainage, a useless perch, too little roof overhang, no clean-out access — and even the paint and interior finish can matter more than most people realize.

One especially overlooked detail: if the inside is painted smooth, young birds may have a harder time gripping the walls as they climb toward the entrance to fledge.

A birdhouse should be designed for the bird first — not just to look cute in the garden.

See the full birdhouse guide + entrance-hole size chart here:
https://thecelticfarm.com/birdhouse-hole-size-chart-what-size-hole-does-each-bird-need/

09/02/2026

Thinking about putting up a birdhouse this fall? 🐦🏡

One of the most important details is also one of the easiest to get wrong: the entrance hole size.

A hole that’s too small can keep your target bird out. Too large, and you may invite bigger, more aggressive birds—or make the nest easier for predators to reach.

Wrens, chickadees, titmice, bluebirds and other cavity nesters all have different preferences.

We put together a simple birdhouse hole-size guide to help you build or choose the right house for the birds in your garden.

And here’s a tip: skip the little perch under the entrance. Most cavity-nesting birds don’t need it.

🐦 What birds are nesting around your garden this year?

Read the full guide: https://thecelticfarm.com/birdhouse-hole-size-chart-what-size-hole-does-each-bird-need/

So the next time you look to buy a birdhouse at your favorite retailer, stop and think for a minute and understand bird houses are not all equal in the eyes of

08/31/2026

🌿 Garden Revival is back.

A few years ago, I started documenting the restoration of an overgrown cottage garden that had been hit by heat, irrigation problems, weeds, and a couple weeks of neglect.

I’m bringing that original first episode back as the starting point for a newly revived Garden Revival series—and this time, the follow-up episodes will be brand new.

In Episode 1, we start where every neglected garden restoration has to start: clearing the beds, getting the weeds under control, and figuring out what’s worth saving.

Then we’ll move on to soil, irrigation, replanting, mulch, and bringing the garden back to life.

🌱 Watch Episode 1: How to Revive an Overgrown Garden

If you’ve ever looked at an overgrown garden and wondered, “Where do I even start?”—this series is for you.

An overgrown garden can look hopeless—but it usually isn't.In Epi...

08/20/2026

Was having fun making these garden signs for one of our retailers. I called them the Hallmark cards of gardening signs. Which one do you like?

08/14/2026

Zone 9 and Fall Bulbs https://thecelticfarm.com/fall-bulbs-zone-9-warm-winter-gardens/

There is something wonderfully optimistic about planting bulbs in fall. The garden is slowing down, leaves are dropping, summer flowers are fading — and yet,

08/08/2026

Do you know all 6 types of hydrangea? https://youtube.com/shorts/rnMw21V7yQ8?si=9VUno0NqptwtsGtB

Do you know your hydrangeas? 🌿🌸They may all be hydrangeas, but th...

08/05/2026

What if the smartest way to get rid of weeds was to grow them on purpose first? 🌱 Sounds backwards — but it's exactly how market gardeners keep their beds clean. It's called the false seedbed: water the empty bed, let the first flush of weeds sprout, wipe them out, then plant. Your crops get a clean head start. Here's the full plow, water, flame method 👇

https://thecelticfarm.com/plow-water-flame-reduce-weeds/

What if one of the best ways to reduce weeds was to encourage them to grow? I've used this method over and over wit hgreat. success, and it can work in your ba