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Growing a forsythia hedge allows you to add privacy and beauty to the borders of your yard. While not a quick project, it is one that brings beautiful dividends over time. With its abundance of bright yellow flowers and early bloom time, forsythia adds a burst of color to your lovely garden each spring. This …

Read More about Forsythia Hedge – Tips for Planting -Spacing – Best Type – Flowering Time

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 …

Read More about Planting Forsythia – When Where and How to Plant Forsythia Bushes

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 …

Read More about Cottage Garden Plants – Perennials Biennials & Bulbs for Cottage Gardens

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 …

Read More about Spring Blooming Plants – My Favorite 22 Picks for an Early Bloom – Updated

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 …

Read More about Heuchera Plant Care – Growing Coral Bells for a Shade Garden

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 …

Read More about Wellfield Botanic Gardens – A Fun Filled Day in a Living Museum

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 …

Read More about Renovation Pruning Forsythia Shrubs vs Hard Pruning Forsythia

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 …

Read More about Garden Arbors and Arches – Types of Gardening Trellises and Walk Through Arbors

One of the biggest pleasures that my garden gives me is its ability for attracting butterflies to it.  With the right nectar plants, a garden can be swarming with these fluttering friends all season long. But it is not just the plants that attract butterflies. There are a few other things that you can do …

Read More about Attracting Butterflies – Tips to Attract Butterflies to your Yard Like a Magnet

There are dozens of uses for license plates if you just think outside the box a bit. The colors and designs lend them selves to loads of home decor projects, both inside and outside the home. Have you ever thought about using number plates in DIY projects?  Using recycled items saves money on the projects …

Read More about Uses for License Plates – Using Number Plates in DIY Projects

Pruning forsythia requires some basic knowledge of how the plant is meant to grow. Forsythia flowers give us one of the first splashes of color in early spring gardens. But to get that color and a well shaped shrub, it’s important to trim forsythia bushes correctly. Check out this article for more information on forsythia …

Read More about Pruning Forsythia – How and When to Trim Forsythia Bushes

Liriope Muscari Variegata is an evergreen perennial that easily spreads to form a deep carpet of grass-like plants that makes a great ground cover or border plant. This form of liriope aptly has the common name “variegated lilyturf.” Variegated liriope is less invasive than the normal variety. Keep reading to find out how to grow …

Read More about Liriope Muscari Variegata – Growing Variegated Lilyturf

How well do you know your flower bulb types?  Do the words bulbs corms rhizomes tubers and bulbets seem like Greek to you?  Read on and you find out what you need to know to be a bulb expert. Flowering bulbs are some of the easiest plants to grow. Some of the spring flowering bulbs, …

Read More about Flower Bulb Types – Understanding Bulbs Corms Rhizomes Tubers

This fall gardening checklist will help you get ready for the gardening off-season. Learn about autumn garden care and how to winterize your outdoor space to make things so much easier when the garden starts blooming next spring. Getting out in the garden this time of the year is a great time to look back on …

Read More about Fall Gardening Checklist – Tips for Fall Garden Maintenance

If you love plants with a long blooming season, you will likely have a fondness for growing hollyhocks. This lovely biennial is a popular garden favorite that flowers throughout most of the summer months. Hollyhocks (Puccinia malvacearum) are often found in cottage gardens.  They make a great background plant for shorter plants and come in …

Read More about Growing Hollyhocks – A Traditional Cottage Garden Favorite-

Balloon Flower, or Platycodon grandiflorus, is also known as Chinese Bell flower. The common names of this pretty perennial plant come from the plump found flower buds that resemble hot air balloons or Chinese lanterns before they open. Blue flowers are unusual in the garden. Keep reading to find out how to grow this flower with a …

Read More about Balloon Flower – Tips for Growing Platycodon grandiflorus

Depending on your point of view, you will either consider monkey grass a lovely ground cover or an unwanted weed.  If the latter is more of your mindset, these tips for controlling monkey grass will help you get rid of your unwelcome garden visitor. Check Craig’s list free advertisements on most weekends in the summer here …

Read More about Controlling Monkey Grass – How to Get Rid of Liriope

There is something so romantic about the look of a Bleeding Heart plant. After all, what is more romantic that the heart shaped flowers of this amazing plant? If you love growing perennials, this plant is a must have for your shady garden spot. Dicentra Spectabilis is a clear favorite among American gardeners. It is native …

Read More about Bleeding Heart – How to grow Dicentra spectabilis

Remember going to the petting zoo with your kids and touching baby lambs? This the feeling of the leaves of Stachys byzantina, also known as Lamb’s Ear. If you love growing perennials, you need to give this hardy plant a try. It is easy to grow, has a lovely texture and the prettiest flowers on …

Read More about How to Grow Lamb’s Ear – (Stachys byzantina)

Transplanting monkey grass is a simple process if you keep just a few things in mind. As far as growing perennials is concerned, it is one of my favorite easy care plants. Liriope is commonly known as monkey grass or spider grass. It is a versatile and easy to grow ground cover that tolerates heat well …

Read More about Transplanting Monkey Grass – Division is Simple and Easy to Do

My gardens are the big love of my life this time of the year.  I spend hours outside tending them.  I have 10 garden beds on a block that is about 1/2 acre and I do things to improve the look of them each year.   These summer garden tips will ensure that you have …

Read More about Summer Garden Tips & Garden Tour – Garden Maintenance in the Summer

The red hot poker is a showy and dramatic plant.  If you love growing perennials that give color all summer long, this is the plant for you.  Other names for this showy plant are torch lily and poker plant. The botanical name for this plant is kniphofia uvaria and there are more than 70 known …

Read More about Red Hot Poker – Growing and Caring for Torch Lilies