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 gardens and gardening. 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…
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…
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…
For unbeatable spring color, try growing forsythia bushes. These easy care bushes require very little care. Nothing screams spring in your garden quite like Forsythia. With their vibrant yellow color, these perennials are one of the first bushes to flower in the spring. The shrub is very hardy, and relatively easy to grow. These tips…
English cottage gardens have a very romantic feel to them. The look may seem haphazard but is actually planned. To choose cottage garden plants, think of tall flowering perennials, self seeding annuals and hardy biennials to give your garden just the right look. A cottage garden has a very distinct style that throws formality out…
bulThere a many Spring Blooming Plants that arrive very early in the year. Some even peek through the last of the winter snow. This collection will give you some idea of what to be on the lookout for this year for your spring garden. What flowers bloom in spring? The answer is a simple one. …
If you are looking for an easy to grow vegetable that ranks right up there in popularity with tomatoes, try growing green beans. Find out which variety is a good choice in your vegetable gardening project this summer – bush beans vs pole beans, and also when to plant, how to nurture and tips for…
Botanical Gardens vary greatly from one place to another, but each seems to have its own special theme. The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Maine. have a Children’s Garden that is one of the best I have seen. My husband and I tour the country, in the summer months, visiting garden centers around the…
If you like the idea of a plant that flowers in winter while there is still snow on the ground, try Growing Hellebores. Lenten Rose is another name for helleborus. The blooms come in lots of different shades and shapes. I first heard of Hellebores perennial several years ago when I spent a season trying…
It’s that time of the year. Pumpkins, Indian Corn and autumn plants all help to make this front porch decor for fall a hit with visitors! Each year, I use supplies from the previous porch but mix them up a bit to make my fall front porch decor a little extra special. This year, I…
Sicklepod (Cassia Senna obtusifolia) is an annual legume that appears in the spring with yellow flowers and long pods. It is invasive and can cause havoc in cotton, corn and soybean fields. Read on to get some tips for controlling sicklepod. Sometimes plants appear in your garden by way of seeds in new mulch for…
This slug resistant hosta is called hosta wheee! As the name suggests, the look of this fun plant is whimsical with an extremely ruffled foliage habit. A recent trip around the JR Raulston Arboretum provided me with a magnificent look at their collection of hostas. I have a large varieties of hostas in my shade…
Hostas are well known for their delightful foliage that looks wonderful as border plants or in mass plantings. But what do you grow with them? This list of hosta companion plants will help you fill in those borders with other shade loving plants. Every experienced gardener knows how important foliage plants are in the garden. …
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. What are sunflower plants? Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are a member of the Aster family. These big annuals are very easy to grow, which makes them a very popular…
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. Pruning hellebores will keep your Lenten rose looking its best all year long. What is a hellebore? Hellebore is a herbaceous evergreen perennial plant that has…
This miniature hosta is called Hosta Cat and Mouse. Its small size makes it the perfect choice for those who don’t have a lot of room to garden. A recent trip around the JR Raulston Arboretum provided me with a magnificent look at their collection of hostas. I have a large collection of hostas in…
This quick growing hosta plant is called Hosta ‘Yellow Splash Rim’. It is easy to see where the common name comes from by looking at the colorful leaf margins of the plant. I recently toured the JR Raulston Arboretum and had a great time looking at their shade garden which included many hosta plants. I…
A forsythia shrub is one of the first harbingers of spring. Who can resist those cherry yellow blooms that appear about the time that the daffodils poke their heads up? What is a Forsythia Shrub? Forsythia is a genus of flowering plants in the olive family Oleaceae. It is native to Eastern Asia and Southeastern Europe.…
Hosta Kiyosumiensis is a dappled leaf hosta also known as the Mountain Hosta. It is native to Japan. About Hosta Kiyosumiensis The name of this hosta comes from our version of the name of Mount Kiyosumi-yama, a small mountain in Japan with views of Tokyo Bay. The plant grows on this Mountain. In the northern…
Transplanting forsythia is a good idea if the perennial has overgrown the original planting area. This task needs some care. These tips for moving forsythia bushes will help with the project. Forsythia shrubs are hardy bushes that are easy to grow and a real show stopper in early spring when their yellow flowers tell us…
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…
April 14 is National Gardening Day. That means it is time to start thinking about ways to get your garden ready with these spring garden tips. Whether you are interested in vegetable gardening or just love to grow flowers, these tips will be helpful April is a special month for gardeners. Not only does it…
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…
Winter flowering plants bring a blast of color to your yard and garden when you need it most – when the temperatures are really cold and not much is growing. It’s cold outside for most of us in the USA, but that does not mean that we have to sit idly by and wait for…
This pretty little indoor plant adds a distinctive touch to your home decor. The variety of fittonia is also known as Pink Angel. and is a distinctive plant with dark green leaves which have brightly colored pink veins. Growing Fittonia Albivenis is very easy for beginners, since it doesn’t mind low light. Where does fittonia albivenis grow…
