If you are fond of growing perennials, you really should try daylilies. They are one of my favorite perennials. There is such a variety of bloom style, color and temperament. and they are very easy to grow. There are so many types that it is hard to know what you have in your garden. This…
Surround yourself in nature in the 25,000 square foot gardens of Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory. This enclosed conservatory is an oasis nestled in the down town area of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The gardens feature tropical displays, waterfalls and a Sonoran Desert display with over 72 types of cacti. In all, the gardens boast over 1200 plants…
The size of the flower heads, alone, make hydrangeas a favorite perennial among gardeners. Hydrangea care involves control of sunlight, adequate moisture and proper pruning. These tips for growing hydrangea bushes will help you get the most out of your plants. Cottage gardeners love the huge hydrangea flowers which have a lovely old fashioned charm. …
Do you like Bluegrass music with a side of daylilies? If you do, you’ll enjoy this virtual tour of the daylilies at Wildwood Farms in Floyd, Virginia. Located just 42 miles from Roanoke, VA and very close to the Blue Ridge Parkway, you will find Wildwood Farms. This general store features live Bluegrass music from…
If you like the look of cottage gardens, you’ll love purple coneflowers (echinacea purpurea). These tips for growing echinacea will have butterflies, birds and bees flocking to your garden in droves! This easy care perennial draws insects and birds to it, making sure that neighboring plants will have plenty of pollinators all season long. This coarse…
A lot of my time spent in maintaining my summer garden is spent in deadheading. So, finding plants that don’t need deadheading to add to my garden beds is something that I am always in search of. We all love to garden but some chores are not our favorites, for sure. Deadheading flowers is at…
Autumn Frost Hosta is one of my favorite hostas. The leaves have blue green centers and wide yellow margins around the edge. By summer time, the margins will turn a creamy white. It’s a slug resistant hardy perennial that comes back year after year. Variegated hostas really pop in any shade garden. This variety has…
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 and is great for filling in garden beds and bare spots in your garden. These care tips will help you to get the most…
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…
If you want to attract both butterflies and bees to your garden this year, try growing liatris. This perennial corm flowers in mid summer with a blast of flowers that are a magnet for them. I have 10 garden beds around my home and I’m always interested in growing perennials of all types since they come…
Asiatic and Oriental Lilies may look similar but they actually have several differences. All types of lilies are grown by home gardeners for their dramatic and colorful flowers on long, sturdy stems. Each type has their own particular growing needs, which may make one a better choice for your gardening needs. Although these types of lilies…
Pink flowers are soft and romantic looking in a garden bed. They are often seen in cottage gardens and there are so many varieties of them that it’s hard to pick favorites. I am a romantic at heart. One would never think it to look at me. I’m a rugged girl and my nails usually…
If you enjoy vegetable gardening, you may have heard about heirloom vegetable seeds. These are vegetables grown from heirloom seeds which are an open pollinated variety of seeds developed prior to 1940. There are many advantages for growing this type of vegetable. Experts vary in their definition of heirloom vegetables, but typically they will agree…
We tend to think of edible gardens as those that grow vegetables but there are also many fruits that can be grown just as easily at home. There are several types of melons that are right at home in a vegetable garden. Growing melons such as cantaloupe and honeydew require a few things: plenty of sunshine and…
Shallots are starting to be seen in grocery stores more and often lately. What are shallots? Like onions and garlic, shallots are a member of the allium family. Their flavor is richer and sweeter and they are very versatile in recipes. This guide will show you how to use, store and grow shallots at home.…
This gorgeous succulent arrangement started out life as a wooden drawer meant for tools of some sort. The upcycled junk gardening planter got a new coat of paint, some TLC and a few succulent plants and now looks as though it had been intentionally designed for the job. If you love succulents as much as…
Get a head start on spring gardening by starting seeds indoors with Jiffy Peat Pellets. These handy peat pots have the perfect soil for seedlings and they can be transplanted right into the ground as soon as the weather is warm enough. This step by step tutorial features a Jiffy Peat Pellet Greenhouse with perennial,…
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…
Garden tours are one of my favorite things to do when I am on the road. I love touring Botanical Gardens that I have not previously visited and sharing details and photos of them with my readers. Today we will visit Hahn Horticulture Garden in Blacksburg, Virginia. This Horticulture Gardens are set on 6 acres of…
Try growing astilbe for beautiful, showy flowers that do well in a shady garden bed. This perennial has feathery flowers that sit above the fern like foliage in a majestic way. These tips will show you how to grow astilbe and bring color to your shady perennial garden beds. Most shady garden beds are filled…
Ever since it was established in 1970, people around the world take part in Earth Day Activities as a way to celebrate National Earth Day on April 22. This day is now a worldwide event where more than 1 billion people take part in a day of action. Here are some things that you can…
Forsythia bushes delight us each spring with their burst of cheery yellow flowers. This deciduous perennial bush has arching branches with flowers that come before the leaves appear. Planting forsythia is all about timing and spacing. The two best times are early spring and mid fall depending on your hardiness zone. Check out this article for…
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. In cases like this, try growing a vegetable garden on a deck. So many vegetables can be grown in large planters and having the garden so nearby…
Love it or hate it, cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is still one of the most popular herbs for kitchen gardens . Growing Cilantro is quite easy as long as you take care to keep it away from the hottest heat. Cilantro is a staple of Mexican and Asian cooking. It makes a great garnish and is best served…
Echeveria Neon Breakers is a Renee O’Donnell hybrid of the succulent Pink Frills crossed with an unknown parent. It is a drought tolerant succulent with green leaves that have pretty pink frilly edges and deep margins. Succulents like echeveria are drought smart plants that are super easy to grow and make fantastic houseplants. Be sure…
Hosta Minuteman is a delight in a shade garden with it’s deep white margins. It makes a great container plant and will stand out against other plain green hostas in any shady garden spot. This plant is one of the few hostas that don’t mind more sun as long as you take care to keep…
