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September brings leaves of crimson, gold, scarlet, bronze and orange. It is a transformative month for gardeners to survey the fruits of their labor and to look ahead to prepare for what will be.
Hydrangeas have been a favorite decorating subject since Victorian times or before. Artists choose the handsome flowers as subjects for their paintings, and fabric designers incorporate their images into beautiful fabrics for home decorating. Ceramic and porcelain hydrangeas can be purchased, and replicas are readily available in artificial, silk-like renditions.
Maybe you've seen them. You're out hiking or hunting or taking a drive in the country and there it is. It would look right at home in your garden but looks so incongruous out in the middle of nowhere. Maybe it's an apple tree in a clearing, a rose bush leaning against a crooked fence post, or a clump of narcissus by a jumble of rocks. These could not have been transported by birds or wind. You know immediately that someone used to live here, but there are many questions. Who used to live here? What did they do? Why did they leave? How can these plants survive on their own?
Pizza-themed gardens are a fun way to involve children in the garden and teach them about gardening, food science, and nutritious, healthy foods. Making a pizza from scratch is fun and rewarding for both adults and children. A homemade pizza becomes a work of food art, your very own creation to be savored and enjoyed by all, and it's as easy as 1-2-3.
It's almost time to order and plant bulbs to bloom in your garden next spring. Daffodils grow at historic sites throughout the south, long after the gardeners who planted them are gone. Here I will discuss daffodils and how and why to plant them.
I spent several summers of my adult life searching for horseweed, only to find out now that I am as old as the hills I grew up in, horseweed is not its name at all.
A previous article introduced Saccharum officinarum which is a major crop on Reunion Island; we will follow in today’s article the process used to produce edible sugar from this sweet reed.
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh teamed up with renowned artist Dale Chihuly to create a spectacular fantasy of glass exhibited among the conservatory's lush plantings. The popularity of the exhibit resulted in an extended run until February 24, 2008. Here's why you should go...
Common flower names can be quite descriptive and uplifting (think Morning Glory), but some can be downright misleading and even have a somewhat nasty connotation. Case in point: Melittis, commonly called "Bastard Balm." Some European gardeners turn their noses up at this beauty, because it's not a true orchid and so is considered an impostor. As far as I’m concerned, doing so is their loss.
Most parts of the pomegranate (Punica granatum) tree is useful to remedy many common day to day ailments. It is said to be a 'cure for all ills'. The pomegranate is valued as a powerful medicinal plant and used in folk medicines. Its uses also find mention in ancient pharmacological manuscripts. Its value as a wonderful 'polycrest' is too well known. Here are some of its potentials and medicinal uses of this humble tropical fruit. This shrubby little tree is quite easy to grow in home gardens.
Gardeners have a keen sense of humor and we know that you'll enjoy adding your family-friendly quote or description to the image. We'll supply the picture and everyone can post their funniest title. We can't wait to see what you come up with!
Do you live in a cold climate like the Canadian Prairies of US Mid-west? Does growing roses with no fuss seem a fantasy? Well your problem is solved! Why not grow the Canadian bred roses: the Explorers and Parkland roses are among the hardiest hybrids on the market!
Dave's Garden members enjoy many activities besides gardening, and solving puzzles is a favorite pastime. We're offering this fun Saturday feature for everyone to test their identification and riddle-solving solving skills. We'll have an image or a question for everyone to speculate as to what it is. Just post your guess below and click the link to see the answer. No Peeking!
It all started in September in the Cottage Gardening forum. It was innocent enough. A forum regular wanted to organize a seed swap just among a few others on the forum to increase our "cottagey" plants for the coming year. This is the story of what it grew into.
Whether as Canna Lilies, Indian Shot, Queensland Arrowroot or just plain Cannas, most gardeners are familar with species of the Cannaceae genus or Canna family. They are a very popular ornamental with a practically endless range of showy hybrids, a long history as a source of beads for jewelry-makers & a lesser known potential as an important food crop. Love them or hate them, they are hardy & versatile plants with an interesting history & a big future.
Lilies are the most versatile of bulbs. You can choose from a variety of sizes and blooming times, and a rainbow of colors. The smaller, early-blooming hybrids are bright and cheerful, while the taller varieties are majestically beautiful and often intensely fragrant. Lily bulbs are harvested by growers late in the season, so if you've ordered them ahead of time, be prepared to plant your lilies correctly as soon as they arrive.
“Look at that beautiful coleus! It’s just huge!” I've heard that exclamation a lot during the past several summers. It’s a common response from visitors to our gardens when they see Perilla ‘Magilla.’
Birds really aren't very fussy about where they build their nests. Every year I rescue baby birds that have fallen from a poorly designed or placed nest. They get blown down from weak branches and are left at the mercy of the elements. I have decided to put up as many bird houses as possible to keep them safe, hopefully I can inspire others to do the same.
One of my very favorite shrubs is Buddleia, more commonly known as butterfly bush. This hardy shrub is tolerant of almost any type of environment and care (or lack thereof). To add color and texture to your landscape, consider one or two of the newer cultivars.
There was a little flowering plant that Aunt Bett used often for its medicinal properties, particularly when she was treating little old ladies who had multiple complaints. Take Goldie, for instance, if it wasn't a hangnail it was a dark spot wherever there shouldn't be one. Aunt Bett just said that Goldie liked attention.
With the interest in tropical gardening surging amongst people who live far north of the tropical zones, anything that makes this easier is a boon. For those who don't have a greenhouse, a warm, lit basement or an extra room in which to overwinter their favorite tropicals, a garden consisting of tropical-looking plants that go dormant in winter can be the next best thing . . .
Jazz legend Duke Ellington would describe people or things that were in a league of their own as 'beyond category'. In the world of shrubs, viburnums have earned the right to be described as such. They are tough, easy to manage, sometimes spectacular plants, that I often describe as the 'Michael Jordan's of my garden.
Euphorbias come in all shapes and sizes and one of the most commonly grown but unusual Euphorbias are the stick Euphorbias. These plants are basically leafless shrubs and trees and make for unique landscape and potted specimens. This article will introduce the reader to just a few of the dozens of such weird plants.
Gardeners have a keen sense of humor and we know that you'll enjoy adding your family-friendly quote or description to the image. We'll supply the picture and everyone can post their funniest title. We can't wait to see what you'll come up with!
Does fall get you down? Looking for a way to extend the blooming season? Then try growing fall-blooming bulbs: they can provide color in the garden from September to November!
Gardeners love books, as the number of titles devoted to the subject attest. We thought that a feature spotlighting some of our member's favorites would make a nice Saturday article for our readers. Join us as we review some of the more popular entries in the Garden Bookworm.
Acacias have very hard seeds that can lie in the soil for a great many years. They are nevertheless very easy to germinate and all these beautiful shrubs grow easily from seed.
By late May or early June, most folks in the southern United States and other areas with hot summer temperatures have given up on growing lettuce, spinach, and other cool-season greens. There are some heat-resistant selections, but most of them are simply not happy when summer turns up the heat. Malabar spinach, however, thrives in the heat and humidity that even the hottest summer can dish out.
We went for the ultrasound with a boy’s name already picked out. I had already decided which baseball cards I would pass down, what I would teach my son about the designated hitter rule, and that I would call him Slugger regardless of his hitting prowess. I imagine most fathers-to-be have similar thoughts. We all want to share what we love. And we all want the people we love to love the things we love.
If you have indoor plants that you want to keep as pest-free as possible, but you don't want to use a lot of chemicals, then think not only about killing the pests, but also about never letting them in - or at least reducing the influx as much as possible without stressing out totally.
I had a dream of creating something so grand, beautiful and full of life. The dream was broken down into plans and the plans went into action. Through the planning, digging and creating, it is only now that I can enjoy it properly as I begin to tear it down.
I remember as a child, summertime was the time that we all packed up in the car and headed out to pick blackberries, or muscadines. We’d spend the day filling our buckets, and our stomachs with wonderful sweet goodness. We’d then head home where Mom would make jelly and jam, or simply wash and freeze our harvest
Writing about broom is like opening a hornet's nest. It is well liked in the east, and very much disliked in the west. But it has an interesting history, and therein lies this story.
Stinging Nettles are not popular plants, I have received many stings from them over the years. Despite their stings, some lovely butterflies and moths choose them as their main food plants, so even Stinging Nettles give us something very special.
A few years ago, an enthusiastic pond gardening neighbor encouraged me to challenge myself, and add a water garden at home. With some trepidation, and his gift of a small black plastic, solid bottom pot. I dug my hole and began a venture into miniature ponds.
Gardeners have a keen sense of humor and we know that you'll enjoy adding your family-friendly quote or description to the image. We'll supply the picture and everyone can post their funniest title. We can't wait to see what you come up with!
Who would have ever thought the lovely (and often despised) yarrow would become a premier garden ornamental? Well they have! This article will introduce you to this rising star.
