Hydrangea care involves control of sunlight, adequate moisture and proper pruning. These tips for growing hydrangea bushes will help you get the most out of your plants. The size of the flower heads, alone, make hydrangeas a favorite perennial among gardeners. Cutting fresh hydrangea blooms gives you terrific cut flowers that last a long time. They…
Bicycle planters make great garden accents for both annuals and perennial plants. I love to find ideas about recycling or re-purposing household items in garden projects. Someone else’s trash can always be a garden treasure. Many bicycles have baskets or back carriers which are the ideal spot to tuck away some flowers and vines. The…
Do you like Bluegrass music with a side of daylilies? If you do, you’ll enjoy this virtual tour of the daylilies at Wildwood Farms in Floyd, Virginia. Located just 42 miles from Roanoke, VA and very close to the Blue Ridge Parkway, you will find Wildwood Farms. This general store features live Bluegrass music from…
These pruning tips will help you make sure that your shrubs and garden plants will look their best, season after season. If you study the habits of any gardener who has wonderful looking plants and shrubs, you will know that proper pruning is a key to their success. Done correctly, pruning will add to…
If you like the look of cottage gardens, you’ll love purple coneflowers (echinacea purpurea). These tips for growing echinacea will have butterflies, birds and bees flocking to your garden in droves! This easy care perennial draws insects and birds to it, making sure that neighboring plants will have plenty of pollinators all season long. This coarse…
It’s easy to resort to slice and bake cookies but it is also super easy to make your own basic sugar cookie dough. It keeps well and can be used to make all sorts of delicious holiday treats. July 9 is Sugar Cookie Day. Are you a cookie baker? Why Buy Slice and Bake? Make…
Autumn Frost Hosta is one of my favorite hostas. The leaves have blue green centers and wide yellow margins around the edge. By summer time, the margins will turn a creamy white. It’s a slug resistant hardy perennial that comes back year after year. Variegated hostas really pop in any shade garden. This variety has…
Determinate tomato plants are also known as “bush tomatoes”. They are smaller than normal tomato plants and generally need no staking but still produce well. Nothing tastes quite like a home grown tomato. They are sweet and juicy and so easy to grow. But they also take a lot of room, so are not so…
The Wellfield Botanic Gardens in Elkhart, Indiana are like a living museum with art, nature, and structure all coordinating beautifully. The waters of Christiana Creek stream through the gardens, which are a combination of nature, art and hardscaping that is sure to delight. The Botanic Gardens feature 36 acres of lush gardens against a backdrop…
This Swiss chard breakfast skillet is crammed full of fresh grown veggies and the salty taste of bacon, all topped with soft cooked eggs and fresh parsley. Breakfast at my house is either a grab and go on the way out the door moment, or an occasion to experiment with flavors and tastes that will…
If you want to attract both butterflies and bees to your garden this year, try growing liatris. This perennial corm flowers in mid summer with a blast of flowers that are a magnet for them. I have 10 garden beds around my home and I’m always interested in growing perennials of all types since they come…
If you enjoy vegetable gardening, you may have heard about heirloom vegetable seeds. These are vegetables grown from heirloom seeds which are an open pollinated variety of seeds developed prior to 1940. There are many advantages for growing this type of vegetable. Experts vary in their definition of heirloom vegetables, but typically they will agree…
These peanut butter and chocolate bars have a crunchy base and topping and are just oozing with the flavor of rich, dark chocolate combined with decadent sweetened condensed milk. The gooey bars are my new favorite way to indulge when I get a yen for a Reese’s peanut butter taste combo. Anyone who reads this…
Growing melons such as cantaloupe and honeydew require a few things: plenty of sunshine and lots of room to grow. We tend to think of edible gardens as those that grow vegetables but there are also many fruits that can be grown just as easily at home. There are several types of melons that are right…
I am always looking for ways to make my favorite recipes healthier without sacrificing their flavor. Heart healthy food substitutes are one of the first steps in managing heart disease and improving overall general health. January is the time of the year for resolutions and many make a plan to eat in a more healthy…
Shallots are starting to be seen in grocery stores more and often lately. What are shallots? Like onions and garlic, shallots are a member of the allium family. They are a cold hardy vegetable and, like onions, are easy to grow. Their flavor is richer and sweeter and they are very versatile in recipes. This…
This gorgeous succulent arrangement started out life as a wooden drawer meant for tools of some sort. The upcycled junk gardening planter got a new coat of paint, some TLC and a few succulent plants and offsets and now looks as though it had been intentionally designed for the job. If you love succulents as…
Forsythia bushes have a wonderful arching habit will makes them a great focal point when planted in a large garden bed. All shrubs need pruning, but what do you do when you have totally overgrown forsythia shrub? It’s either time for hard pruning or renovation pruning for them. Rejuvenating forsythia gives them a new lease…
These strawberry oatmeal bars have a luscious fresh strawberry center that sits on a whole wheat pastry flour base and is topped with a buttery streusel crumble. They are the perfect way to make use of fresh strawberries that are so plentiful right now. Every year, about this time, I come back from the Farmer’s…
Garden arbors and arches are set up as walk through areas in home gardens or public parks where one can welcome guests. There are many styles of arbors to choose from. Some are man made and others formed over time by nature. Trellises are often a part of arbors for the garden, giving some support…
Today we will visit Hahn Horticulture Garden in Blacksburg, Virginia. Garden tours are one of my favorite things to do when I am on the road. I love touring Botanical Gardens that I have not previously visited and sharing details and photos of them with my readers. This Horticulture Gardens are set on 6 acres of…
Nothing is more attractive to a gardener than getting new plants without having to pay for them. And since succulents are a very sought-after plant, it stands to reason that propagating succulent leaves and cuttings is a popular project for many gardeners. Best of all, it’s easy and free! Succulents make fantastic houseplants and can…
Ever since it was established in 1970, people around the world take part in Earth Day Activities as a way to celebrate National Earth Day on April 22. This day is now a worldwide event where more than 1 billion people take part in a day of action. Here are some things that you can…
The plate will be licked clean when you serve this mouth watering, zesty tandoori shrimp recipe. The taste is spicy and smoky from the delicious savory spice blend, with just a hint of sweetness that comes from a home made Whole30 ranch dressing. They are ready in far less than 30 minutes, with a fabulous…
Growing Cilantro is quite easy as long as you take care to keep it away from the hottest heat. Love it or hate it, cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is still one of the most popular herbs for kitchen gardens . Cilantro is a staple of Mexican and Asian cooking. It makes a great garnish and is best served…
Echeveria Neon Breakers is a Renee O’Donnell hybrid of the succulent Pink Frills crossed with an unknown parent. It is a drought tolerant succulent with green leaves that have pretty pink frilly edges and deep margins. Succulents like echeveria are drought smart plants that are super easy to grow, easy to repot, and make fantastic…