There are times that I am simply amazed by the beautiful, unusual and sometimes humble side of our planet. I especially love unusual nature photos. Since I am a gardener, it stands to reason that I love everything beautiful in nature. I thought it would be fun to have an ongoing page featuring some of …
With Halloween almost here, my mind looks for the color orange. Orange is such a rich color. People tend to think of orange as a fall color because of Halloween and pumpkins, but there are many orange flowers that bloom in the summer and add sizzle and dramatic flair to your garden beds. Both annuals …
Imagine a beauty of a plant that you could water by just adding three ice cubes once a week. Does that seem impossible? It really is, if you purchase a phalaenopsis orchid (commonly known as a Moth Orchid.) Did you know that there is a National Day devoted to orchids? It’s celebrated on April 16 …
Did you know that it is very easy to water dry hydrangea flowers? We all know how wonderful the blooms are as cut flowers but drying them makes them even more long-lasting! One of my favorite garden flowers is the hydrangea. My bushes are lovely this year and also very surprising. My soil has turned …
These tips for growing daylilies will ensure that yours are the stars of your neighborhood. They are easy-care and even deadheading daylilies is a simple task! Daylilies are one of those perennial bulbs that everyone should try to grow somewhere in their garden. I have several patches of them. The flowers are showing and dramatic …
I’ve always considered strawberry begonia plants as an indoor plant, since that is the way that I have generally grown them. But I had a surprise this year when I discovered that the plant is a hardy perennial for me here in North Carolina. Growing Requirements for Strawberry Begonia Plants I purchased several small strawberry …
My local garden center does not often have plants that are too much out of the ordinary, so I was delighted to find this Mexican Hat coneflower right here for sale in Raleigh. This interesting variety of coneflower is also called the “Red Prairie Coneflower.” The perennial served as a dye source for Native Americans …
These tips for growing clematis will help you give this vining plant a home in your back yard. Last spring, I repurposed an old mailbox into a place for my garden tool storage. I planted a few different plants around the base, but I was never happy with the look of it. I decided I …
Iris is one my favorite flowers when it comes to growing perennials. I remember that my mother used to have them in all her garden beds, and when I see them now, I get very nostalgic. What I love most about irises is the color they, and other early spring bloomers, bring to my garden. …
I’ve always loved garden nasturtiums in my flower beds. But there are many other ways that these fairly common plants can be a great addition to your vegetable garden. Companion planting is a method of planting plants together so that they benefit each other in some ways. Some enrich the soil and others attract attract …
Do you possess a brown thumb instead of a green one? If your soil very poor? Then this is the flower for you! One of the easiest annuals to grow from seed is Cosmos. They are prized for their prolific, silky, daisy like flowers and their easy-care nature in the garden. They will tolerate even …
This pretty hydrangea wreath uses the beautiful big blooms of a mop head hydrangea bush for a door decoration. My hydrangea bush flowered late this year and gave some lovely color to an otherwise fairly bare garden bed. Did you know that you can make a holiday hydrangea wreath from hydrangea flowers that are done …
I have several butterfly bushes, also knows as buddleia, in my garden beds. I love them because they attract butterflies and bees like no other plant in my garden. My main butterfly bush was put in a large island bed early this spring, when it was about 12″ tall. It is now at least 5 …
My family has long loved gardening. It all started with my great grandmother (and I am sure her mother before this but I never knew her). She loved vegetable gardening and particularly yellow pole beans. The seeds from her pole beans have been passed down from generation to generation and are now growing in my …
My husband used to buy me lilies all the time because he loved the look of them so much. I love them too, but not as cut flowers indoors (they have a stinky smell inside that I don’t like.) I never had the inclination to tell him that they were not my favorite cut flower …
Red Vols Daylily is a spectacular daylily that was a Better Homes and Gardens winner of the year in 2000 and it’s easy to see why. Anyone who gets interested in growing perennials while find themselves also interested in daylilies. These showing perennial bulbs are dramatic, come back year after year and are easy to …
Trying to get color and interest in a shade garden can be a challenge. But there are some that don’t mind it at all . In fact, these 20+ perennial and annual plants love the shade. There is a lushness about them that I really enjoy, too. Keep reading to learn what you an grow …
Let’s test your garden smarts. I thought it would be fun to take a photo from my garden, and enlarge it to show only the bloom, and see if you can name it. A few hints: it does not mind if the soil is dry it flowers all spring and summer the flowers come in …
I love vegetable gardening. There is nothing quite like harvesting and cooking vegetables that you have grown. If you like to grow vegetables but are a beginner, be sure to ready my post about how to troubleshoot vegetable garden problems as well as some solutions. It is helpful in learning what to do about problems …
One of my favorite things to do on Sunday morning is to meet friends for breakfast or brunch and catch up on the week. Normally, we go out to a variety of restaurants and alternate each week between them. This week, I wanted to have our friends over to our house for breakfast. I’ve been …
This year has been a series of set backs in my garden. It is almost the end of May and I’m way behind, but finally have some progress to show for all my work. Things that set me back were: My father’s death in February which resulted in two trips to Maine. A very long …
Blue is such a wonderful color. It is not often found in flowers, although there are some. Many of the flowers that are called blue have more of a purple tinge to them. But you can add blue to your garden with carefully chosen garden accents, seating and other items. If you like blue in …
Each morning, all during the spring and summer, I start my day with a walk around my flower beds. I just love to see what has happened from the previous day. I’ve been waiting for my bearded irises to bloom so it was a lovely surprise today. This particular variety is one of my great early …
Are you looking for something that will welcome in spring with a splash of color next year? These 3 easy bulbs will bring you color year after year. Spring is such a special time of the year. There is nothing quite like walking around a garden bed that shows a hint of what is to …
Gladiolus bulbs are one of my father’s favorite. I added them to my garden bed that features flowers from five generations. Growing perennials means lots of color when you plant gladioli. There is something about a bare piece of ground that suddenly breaks with foliage at an amazing rate and then bursts in a splendid …
It’s time to check out my garden in March to see what is blooming for me. This has been the longest winter ever. I used to live in Maine and am used to long, cold winters. But here in North Carolina, normally, I have a lot of things growing, especially vegetables, by this time in …