These Christmas plants will have your home full of color, beauty and good cheer this year. Even though the outdoor garden season has ended for many of us, that doesn’t mean that holiday plants can’t be front and center right now. December 12 is National Poinsettia Day. It is fitting that the most popular Christmas …
It’s time to get your spook on – with creepy flowers, Halloween plants and all sorts of growing things that are sure to make you feel a Halloween mood. Traditional Halloween decorating is done with just a few plants and colors. This time of the year is cold and plants in most areas of the …
If you are traveling with children and looking for things to do in Kansas, be sure to put Botanica, The Wichita Gardens on your list of things to do. Nestled in the heart of Wichita is one of the best kept secrets in Kansas. This stunning attraction is a botanical garden that is beautiful in …
If you are a gardener on the road and looking for things to do in Wyoming, one of your most often searched terms is likely to be “botanic gardens near me.” Luckily for you, Cheyenne Botanic Gardens will be a search result worth exploring. My husband and I are spending a few weeks visiting botanical …
Looking for things to do in Idaho? If you have an interest in drought tolerant plants, desert gardens and plants for a pollinator garden, be sure to include a visit to Orton Botanical Garden in Twin Falls, Idaho to your itinerary. Also known as Plantasia Cactus Gardens, this five acre garden is beautifully planted with native …
If you are a gardener and are looking for things to do in Montana, be sure to add Tizer Botanic Garden & Arboretum to your trip itinerary. Located in the heart of the Elkhorn Mountains, in Jefferson City, Montana, is a delightful botanic garden with a whimsical feel. The garden is situated on 6 acres …
The Memphis Botanic Garden in Memphis, Tennessee gives visitors a chance to connect with nature in a relaxing and enjoyable way. Sculptures, plants and water all coordinate beautifully in this lovely botanical garden. The botanic garden offers lush walking trails with plenty of tall trees to shade visitors from the hot summer sun. The garden …
If you are in the Southeast California area, be sure to add this list of things to do in Sequoia National Park to your must-see attractions. Sequoia National Park is home to giant sequoia trees, and along with King’s Canyon National Park, is a vast designated wilderness comprising over 800,000 acres. The drive through Sequoia National …
Hydrangea color change is always a surprise to gardeners. You buy a plant with blue blooms only to discover later that the blossoms are now pink. Why does this happen and what can you do about it? Hydrangeas are a very popular garden plant. They are a perennial shrub that comes in a variety of …
Every morning I take a garden walk to see what is growing and what needs tending. Today, I spent the morning deadheading daylilies. I have clumps of daylilies – hemerocallis – that have naturalized into plants with numerous blooms on them. Some of them have 12 or 13 blooms out in a day. Since daylily …
Gloriosa lily (gloriosa rothschildiana) is a climbing tender perennial that is sure to catch the eye of anyone who likes dramatic flowers. The flame-colored red flowers have scalloped yellow edges and swept back petals. If you have a bare trellis or a wall in your garden that needs spicing up, plant gloriosa and prepare yourself …
I have a new favorite flower – it’s my beautiful mandevilla vine! This stunning plant is now covered with gorgeous pink flowers that have been blooming for months and shows no signs of slowing down. One of my favorite places to sit outside during the summer in on my back deck overlooking my garden beds. …
If you are looking for an easy to grow vegetable that ranks right up there in popularity with tomatoes, try growing green beans. Growing string beans is so easy that even gardeners with a brown thumb will be successful. The key is to wait until the ground is nice and warm. Even kids can get …
Growing tulips is a treat for gardeners who love a big splash of color in the spring. No plant ushers in the start of warm weather in a more dramatic way than tulips, so it is worth going the extra mile to have them growing in your garden. Tulips, native to Turkey and then imported …
Oxalis plant care is generally easy but some varieties of the plant can be considered a weed. Even so, it is a popular perennial plant that often shows up around St. Patrick’s Day. Another version (candy cane sorrel) is also commonly seen during the holidays as a Christmas plant, because of its candy cane striped …
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 …
Propagating hydrangeas to get new plants for free can be done in several ways – hydrangea cuttings, tip rooting, air layering and division of the mother plant. Who doesn’t love the look of a lush, green hydrangea bush in their yard, just full of those gorgeous and huge blooms? Growing hydrangeas from seed is also …
If you enjoy walking trails that immerse you in a tranquil lake scene, with 113-acres of lovely themed gardens, the Springfield Botanical Gardens are for you. My husband and I spend the summer touring and writing about botanical gardens around the country. We recently spent some time in Missouri and discovered this little gem of …
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 …
This giant hosta variety is called Blue Angel Hosta. This plantain lily is one of the larger mounding varieties that is perfectly happy in the shade. A recent trip around the JR Raulston Arboretum provided me with a chance to look at their magnificent collection of hostas. I have a large collection of hostas in …
This variegated hosta is called Hosta Stained Glass. It is a sun tolerant hosta variety that adds a vibrant and dramatic punch to any semi sunny border or garden bed. My husband and I love to tour botanical gardens, such as the JR Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, North Carolina. This botanical garden features plants that …
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 don’t have a big yard with room for a large vegetable garden, try growing a vegetable garden on a deck. Vegetable gardening is one of the great pleasures of the summer months for many gardeners. But for many of us, space does not allow a full outside garden or even raised garden beds. …
These 20 seed starting tips will help you to get your garden going early this year. With seeds, it’s never too early to get gardening! The holidays have come and gone and most of us are hunkering down for the colder months of the year. But wait – now is the perfect time to think …
The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens has something special in store for both animal lovers and those interested in botanical gardens. This 135 acre zoo and botanical garden was founded in 1966 and is home to more than 1,400 birds, amphibians, mammals and reptiles. Comfortable shoes are a must, since there is a lot …
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. What is the history of the International Waterlily Collection? The collection is found in the Civic League Park in …