Flowers

This no carve sunflower pumpkin uses the heads of silk sunflowers or any other colorful daisy-like flower to cover the outside of a faux pumpkin. This is a great idea for those of you who do not like the mess of a carved pumpkin. It’s also one that gardeners will love!  Fall is my time …

The common name of this pretty perennial says it all – candy corn plant has blooms that look quite similar to the popular candy that we love to eat in the fall! It wouldn’t be fall without a candy corn martini, or a candy dish or two loaded with candy corn. Good news for gardeners …

These inspirational flower quotes are both pretty and motivational. Share one today with friends. I love to start the day with an experience that gives me a moment of inspiration.  Often, that is simply walking through my garden, admiring the flowers. Why are Quotes so Popular? When things in life get tough, like they have been …

The Shasta daisy has lovely summer blooms. Caring for Shasta daisies is easy. It is a fairly low maintenance perennial plant that naturalizes to give more and more blooms each year. It is a great plant for filling in garden beds and bare spots in your garden. Is your birthday in April? You are probably …

Would you like tips for attracting monarch butterflies to your yard this year?  I’ve been seeing them in my garden for a few weeks now. The first Saturday in May is marked National Start Seeing Monarchs Day. What an appropriate national day for this time of the year!  This day was chosen to raise people’s …

Planting forsythia is all about timing and spacing. The two best times are early spring and mid fall depending on your hardiness zone. One of the earliest plants to bloom in spring is forsythia, but when should it be planted?  Forsythia bushes delight us each spring with their burst of cheery yellow flowers. This deciduous …

If you are passing through San Angelo, Texas, be sure and fit in a visit to the International Waterlily Collection. You will get a chance to view the premiere collection of waterlilies found anywhere in existence. Water lily, from the family Nymphaeaceae, comprise 58 species of freshwater flowering plants, native to the temperate and tropical …

There are many types of perennials, from tender types, which need to be grown in the southern part of the USA, to very hardy perennials that keep coming back after a freezing winter outside. Budget conscious gardeners have a very good friend when they turn to growing perennials. What is not to like about a …

To choose cottage garden plants, think of tall flowering perennials, self-seeding annuals, and hardy biennials to give your garden just the right look. English cottage gardens have a very romantic feel to them.  The look may seem haphazard but is actually planned. A cottage garden has a very distinct style that throws formality out the …

What a gorgeous tropical plant this plant is!  The common name for the plant is angel’s trumpet and the botanical name is Brugmansia.  One can almost hear the sound from the trumpet! Angel’s trumpet plant gets very large and its sprawling growing habit makes it a good choice when landscaping to cover an ugly fence. …

There a many Spring Blooming Plants that arrive very early in the year. Some even peek through the last of the winter snow. Some early spring bloomers can even take the last of winter snow and cold temps and still start to grow. From bulbs, to annuals and perennials, the array of early spring bloomers …

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. These big annuals are very easy to grow, which makes them a very popular plant to get children interested in gardening. Kids will love seeing just how …

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. Foxglove biennial plants are spectacular to view.  The term biennial means that the plant will grow for two years and then mainly die off. Foxgloves will re-seed themselves easily, so once …

Pruning hellebores will keep your Lenten rose looking its best all year long. 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.   The flowers are so pretty and resemble wild roses that have opened up. It’s …

Find out why you might have trouble with this pretty rose that took the internet by storm a few years ago with these Osiria Rose care tips. The two toned color of the rose is highly desirable, but the rose is finicky at best. Photos of this hybrid tea rose with a lovely white center …

Winter is coming to an end for many of us and the first signs of spring are everywhere. Growing pansies is a good way to bridge the change of seasons with one plant. They love the cool weather and are readily available at garden centers right now. The botanical name for the garden pansy plant …

Some of the most interesting planters and those that recycle items used for other purposes.  These unique boot and shoe planters make great use of old shoes and boots. Some have seen their better day and some look like new but all showcase indoor plants in new and unusual ways. Do you have some old shoes …

Join me in saying goodbye to my daughter, as she moves away, with these sunflower quotes and sayings as well as gorgeous photos of sunflowers that will bring a smile to your face. My daughter Jess loves sunflowers.  The first year I started my garden island beds, I made sure to plant them in all …

Heuchera is a Native American perennial plant that is found all over the country. It is more commonly known as Coral Bells and comes in many shades of purple, rose, green and variegated varieties.  The plant makes a wonderful display in any shade garden and, although it does flower, it is grown more for the …

I love anything that gives me a jump start on spring.  Forcing forsythia indoors lets me have the showy yellow flowers of the well-known harbinger of spring – forsythia bushes. They are great to enjoy indoors well before they give you their cheery spring greeting outside. Luckily, it is very easy to force forsythia blooms …

This article shows you how to use onions as indoor plants. Growing onions indoors is a fun project and one that the kids will love to help with.Onions are easy to grow outdoors as well as inside the home.  They are one of those vegetables that we use often and the demand for this means that …

Forcing paperwhites indoors will give you a delightful splash of spring color in just a few weeks. The project can be done in soil or in water and the kids will love to help. These pretty blooms can be used as a Christmas plant for decorating. Since spring is far off, these flowers on a …

Are you wondering what to plant in the fall when the summer flowers have all but stopped their show of color?  These fall blooming perennials and annuals will add that last touch of bold color in most gardening zones. These late bloomers will grow in most planting zones and will give new life to a …

I love all flowers – big or small, ornate or simple. But when I see unusual flowers that are amazing and beautiful, they almost take my breath away. Nature is amazing in the type of flowers that it gives us to enjoy. Most of these specimens are tender perennials that grow outdoors only in zones …

If you like hardy perennials that have an extended bloom time, try growing gaillardia, also known as blanket flower perennial. The plant is very showy and super easy to grow. Gaillardia is a pretty perennial plant that has an extended bloom time to give you loads of color all season long. If you like daisies, …

If you are fond of growing perennials, you really should try daylilies. They are one of my favorite plants that come back each year. There is such a variety of bloom style, color and temperament. and they are very easy to grow. Beginning and seasoned gardeners love them, and other than a bit of deadheading, …