Learn how to repot succulents for healthier growth and a more attractive display! In this guide, we’ll cover the basics of repotting succulents, including when and how often to repot succulents and so much more. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or a new-comer to growing succulents, you’ll learn everything you need to know to replant…
Selaginella kraussiana ‘variegata’ (and its cousin varieties) are Christmas plants that are also known as frosty ferns. They are relative newcomers to the holiday plant scene, and popular because of their lightly frosted white tips. If you are bored with the tried and true plants for Christmas, such as amaryllis, Christmas cactus and poinsettia, try growing…
Growing amaryllis indoors allows you to enjoy stunning blooms for Christmas or during the winter months. It is one of the easiest garden decorating projects that you can do to use Christmas plants for the holidays. Forcing amaryllis bulbs gives you a spectacular houseplant, and the bulbs are a great gift for a gardening friend….
Halloween is coming soon and, since black is a color associated with this holiday, I thought it would be appropriate to do a post on black plants. Adding these specimens to your roster of garden plants adds a dramatic look that will transform any outdoor space into a goth garden. Many of these plants can…
This delicious gluten-free apple crumble is full of flavor but contains no wheat at all. What do you do when you are pining for a pastry-style crumble but are following a gluten-free diet? No problem at all with substitutes like oat flour and gluten-free oatmeal. I love using apples in the fall. I’ve even been…
These basics will help you learn how to grill like a pro. Included are my top 25 grilling tips to make sure that your next barbecue is something your friends will rave about. It’s that time of the year again. One only has to be outside around 6 pm to smell the aroma of someone…
Looking for a sweet dessert to serve as the ending to a romantic dinner? The easy strawberry cheesecake swirl brownie bars recipe are the perfect choice! These cream cheese brownies are rich and delicious and make a great addition to your collection of cheesecake recipes. I love any desserts that are strawberry flavored. This easy…
Pizza for breakfast? Yes, you can enjoy this meal often if you make my slimmed down version. This breakfast pizza recipe is easy to make, super tasty and healthy, too. English muffin pizzas are a fun way to incorporate vegetables into breakfast. The kids will love to help you make this breakfast recipe by assembling their own…
Looking for a hearty pasta dish that your family will really love? Try this bow tie pasta salad with sweet Italian sausages. The salad is ready in just minutes but very hearty and tasty. It has a zesty kick from the Italian sausages and a fresh garden finish. Keep reading to find out how to…
For many gardeners, the promise of lush, red tomatoes is one of the highlights of summer. However, a common question that I get from readers is “why are my tomatoes splitting?” Cracked tomatoes can show up at any stage of the plants growth, either when green or ripe and red. No matter what time this…
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…
Tomato bottom rot is a problem that many vegetable gardeners face. What causes that ugly black rot on tomatoes? There is nothing like biting into a lush, ripe garden tomato that you have spent months growing. Discovering those prize tomatoes with large rotten areas on them is no fun, though. However, sometimes those luscious tomatoes…
The tobacco hornworm is a voracious eater that can do a great deal of damage in a flower or vegetable garden. It is a pest in the family Solanaceae. The tobacco hornworm is quite commonly seen in the southern United States, especially the Gulf Coast States. Its range extends northward as far as New York. Caterpillars…
This list of cold hardy succulents includes plants that can take cold temperatures that would kill their more tender cousins. There are three main varieties of succulents that can thrive in freezing temperatures – sempervivums, sedum stonecrop, and delosperma. Most types of these varieties will tolerate temperatures as low as -20° Fahrenheit (some even to…
The Veracruzana cocktail is my featured drink of the day. If you are looking for a cocktail with a tropical feel to it, try this one! This tequila pineapple cocktail has a wonderful flavor. Hello summer time and its long and warm evenings! These days are perfect for refreshing and fruity cocktail recipes like 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…
“Why won’t my echeveria bloom?” is a common question that I get from readers. Keep reading to learn about some things that you can do to make echeveria flower. Gardeners who love to grow succulents, such as echeveria, know that they are easy to care for and trouble-free. To me, one of the best things…
This recipe for Mediterranean lemon chicken piccata combines lemon and capers for a tangy topping. The seafood recipe is quick and easy and perfect for a weeknight meal. You’d never think it when you see them in a jar, but capers come from a prickly bush called capparis spinosa. It grows wild across parts of…
Schefflera gold capella is a dwarf, variegated variety of the umbrella tree – schefflera. All schefflera plants are outstanding and easy to grow indoor plants. In temperate locations, they are large and graceful tropical plants. In colder climates, they are often used in interior decorating for homes and offices. They are a superb and long-lasting…
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…
A few months back, I starting seeing a Florida avocado – a larger green skin avocado in my local supermarket called a “Slimcado.” It was marketed as having 35% fewer calories and 50% less fat than a Hass avocado. For those people who count calories or are concerned with fat intake, this Florida light green…
Looking for easy appetizer ideas that will be a great start to a cocktail party, or a fancy dinner for special friends? This phyllo cup recipe with crab and cream cheese will delight the most discerning of guests. These little bites of goodness are super easy to make since they use frozen miniature tart shells. All…
A commonly asked question from readers of my blog is “how to keep squirrels from digging up bulbs in my garden?” Since fall is bulb-planting time for daffodils, crocuses, and tulips, the question is posed even more often right now. If you spend much time in the garden, you will likely have had a run-in…
One of my mother’s time-honored traditions was to serve a pumpkin cake each year, for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, with her special toasted coconut frosting. She is not with us now, but that does not mean the cake will be missing! My whole family takes turns making the cake for our Thanksgiving celebration. The pumpkin…