These tips for growing calla lilies will let you experience their beauty in your garden at a much less cost than from a florist. Have you ever priced single calla lilies at a florist? If you have, you will have discovered that they sell for up to $10 a STEM. Why pay those kind of …
There is one thing that you can be sure to find in flower shops and nurseries early in spring each year. The trumpet-shaped flower of the Easter Lily – (lilium longiflorum) – is a well known Easter plant decoration. These beautiful perennials are forced to bloom around the time of the religious holiday, but this …
If you are searching for a versatile and drought tolerant ground cover, look no further than liriope. It is tough, easy to care for and can be used to cover a garden area quickly. It is also called monkey grass or creeping lilyturf, looks great in planters and makes a great border plant. Liriope plant …
Dinner plate dahlias are not plants that one would call shrinking violets. They are impressive in a garden and make wonderful cut flowers for arrangements. These majestic plants command attention in a garden bed and also need plenty of room to grow and flower. Keep reading for tips for how to grow these magnificent dahlias …
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 …
Gardeners and lovers of flowers alike love columbines. This wild version called eastern red columbine – the name is derived from the Latin word for eagle. Wild columbines grow across North America from Canada to Florida and from Texas to the Dakotas. Red columbine grows easily from seeds. Columbine grown from seed will not bloom in …
These varieties of coneflower will have your garden blooming in style all summer long! Echinacea, also known as coneflowers, are native to eastern and central North America, where they originally were found on prairies and open woodlands. They are a popular cottage garden plant that is robust and very hardy. The plant can easily be …
Today we’ll be discussing gazania plant – a lovely and bright perennial which is native to South Africa. If you like a low maintenance flower that gives a lot of bang for its buck, try growing gazania rigens. Lovers of English cottage gardens will find gazania a nice choice to add to their cottage garden …
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 …
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? Some varieties, such as climbing hydrangea …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Pruning hellebores will keep your Lenten rose looking its best all year long. 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. The flowers are so pretty and resemble wild roses that have opened up. …