Most ziti pasta recipes are baked and require a long preparation time. This skillet ziti noodles recipe is ready in less that 30 minutes and is super easy to prepare. Until this year, I had never tasted Swiss Chard. But I planted some on a whim in my vegetable garden this past summer and have…
I love to recycle existing items from around the house for my garden decor ideas. Creative gardening ideas really appeal to the whimsical side of me. I must admit that I am not a normal gardener. I don’t enjoy conventional landscape plans. I don’t invest in fancy garden structures or planters. To me, garden…
This recipe for Southern cornbread is one that I have made many times and it never fails to please my guests. It is moist and just delicious with a slight tang from the buttermilk that makes it a great accompaniment to any meal. Before we get started on this cornbread recipe, I have to tell you that my…
Caladium tubers are one of the stars of a shade garden because of their brightly colored tropical foliage and rare flower appearance. These tips for the care of caladium plants will help you get the most out of them. If you have a shady patio location, caladiums can be grown in pots or containers. In…
Food art is the act of preparing, cooking and presenting food in creative ways. It incorporates everything from elaborate plating that we see in fine dining establishments to both simple and intricate fruit and vegetable carvings that are meant to be decorative in nature. It is hard to say exactly when food art, vegetable carving,…
Are you aware that this summer treat is not really a fruit? Get a few growing tips and find out the answers to other questions with this list of fun watermelon facts. 25 Watermelon Facts that Will Surprise You A staple at all summer picnics and barbecues, the watermelon is the most popular melon consumed…
Sicklepod (Cassia Senna obtusifolia) is an annual legume that appears in the spring with yellow flowers and long pods. It is invasive and can cause havoc in cotton, corn and soybean fields. Read on to get some tips for controlling sicklepod. Sometimes plants appear in your garden by way of seeds in new mulch for…
I love watermelons. They are sweet, juicy, messy to eat, and remind me of summer like nothing else does. But did you know that there are many watermelon varieties which you probably haven’t even heard of? Types of Watermelons There are more than 50 watermelon varieties grown around the world. Because of the number of…
This slug resistant hosta is called hosta wheee! As the name suggests, the look of this fun plant is whimsical with an extremely ruffled foliage habit. A recent trip around the JR Raulston Arboretum provided me with a magnificent look at their collection of hostas. I have a large varieties of hostas in my shade…
Dracaena surculosa is a gorgeous plant. It has glossy green leaves and white and yellow splotches over the leaf surface. One can easily see from this photo why it has the common name Dracaena Gold Dust. Botanical facts about Dracaena Surculosa Dracaena surculosa is native to the western tropical Africa rain forest region. Family: Asparagaceae…
This One Pot Roasted Chicken and Vegetables recipe comes together easily in a glass baking dish in my oven. This type of meal is even easier than a 30 minute one pot meal, since everything goes into the baking dish and the oven just does its thing. I love one pot easy recipes. Normally, I…
Crassula Ovata ‘Hobbit’ is a small shrubby tender succulent that is popular with followers of J.R.R. Tolkien. because of the shape of its leaves. Grow the Hobbit Jade plant if you enjoy succulents with an unusual look. Crassulae are a genus of succulents that are often seen at garden centers. They come in many forms…
A single coconut will give you 3 or 4 cups cups of fresh, flaked coconut. But now you have the problem of storing fresh coconut. How do you keep that delightful, flaky bit of goodness in a state that will stay edible for as long as possible? This tutorial shows tips for storing fresh coconut…
Hostas are well known for their delightful foliage that looks wonderful as border plants or in mass plantings. But what do you grow with them? This list of hosta companion plants will help you fill in those borders with other shade loving plants. Every experienced gardener knows how important foliage plants are in the garden. …
Growing Sunflower plants is one of the really fun parts of summer time gardening. These cheery sun-facing flowers are a delight to gardeners who wish to attract birds. What are sunflower plants? Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are a member of the Aster family. These big annuals are very easy to grow, which makes them a very popular…
Foxglove biennial plants are spectacular to view. The term biennial means that the plant will grow for two years and then mainly die off. Caring for foxglove is easy – just give it part sun/part shade and evenly moist soil and you’ll be rewarded with these gorgeous flowers. Under favorable conditions, the foxglove plant will…
Hellebores are a long blooming perennial plant that needs very little in the way of maintenance but it does get a bit ragged looking at times of the year. Pruning hellebores will keep your Lenten rose looking its best all year long. What is a hellebore? Hellebore is a herbaceous evergreen perennial plant that has…
This miniature hosta is called Hosta Cat and Mouse. Its small size makes it the perfect choice for those who don’t have a lot of room to garden. A recent trip around the JR Raulston Arboretum provided me with a magnificent look at their collection of hostas. I have a large collection of hostas in…
