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Welcome to our library of articles, where you can search and browse over 2,000 articles written by our own team of garden writers. Interested in becoming a Dave's Garden writer? Submit an article to apply.
As you read in my Spring Shopping article earlier in the year, I’ve been anxiously planning visits to several iris farms for quite a while. Well guess what time it is? Finally, time to see iris in full bloom!
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!
The word hydrangea come from the Greek “hydra” meaning water and “angeoa” meaning vessel which refers to this plant's thirst for water and the shape of its seed pod. In this series of articles I’ll discuss the plant's characteristics, fertilization, site location, planting, pruning, winter protection in the colder climes. I’ll also cover the different types and how to adjust your soil pH to suit this group of plants.
Some climbing roses can climb trees, cover buildings, or yards of sturdy pergolas. The reward can be a sky full of roses on a summer's day. To accomplish this, though, requires not only the space to offer one of these giants, but careful planning to provide a sturdy support for a spectacular display for years - even generations - to come.
In the United States, Memorial Day was established to honor those who sacrificed their lives in service to our country. First, people chose May 30 as a day to decorate the graves of those who "gave their all" during the War Between the States, but after World War One, the holiday was expanded to honor all people killed defending America in any war. Many people use Memorial Day as a day to celebrate the lives of all those who have passed on.
Over the past three or four years, I have been testing a number of plants to see if they can serve as an effective substitute for mulch. Some show great promise, while others have been deficient in one or more key areas.
The fig tree that grows a few feet from my Florida room window is now in full leaf. Tiny green figs grow at each node, and every day they swell and fill out a bit more. Soon they will be ripening and ready to harvest. I can’t wait.
We think of winter as a time of cold weather. As gardeners, we also think of it as a time when plants stop growing or greatly reduce their rate of growth. It is usually the most difficult time in terms of plant survival. This sounds like November through February for much of the northern hemisphere, but it also describes summer in the mediterranean climate zones of the world. To plants native to the climate, the hot, dry summer is the challange. Summer is winter.
This article is an introduction to Dudleyas, a genus of succulents native to California and the surrounding states and Mexico, that is a wonderful group of plants for landscaping and for pot culture.
One plant that all serious gardeners must have is the clematis. It’s beautiful by itself or when used as an accent plant in the garden. I’ll discuss the plant, its care and one of the most asked question regarding the clematis: pruning.
You should know from the outset that I am not a bee keeper. If you’re looking for information about honey and hives, this is not the article you want. My bees are not honey bees. They are mostly large bumblebees that buzz around sipping from my gardens and amusing me.
You can attract and protect honeybees and other important pollinators in your garden. Feed them. Shelter them. Don’t kill them. Sound simple? It really is!
If you like tomatoes, cheese or steak, you're tasting umami. We've all heard that sweet, salty, sour and bitter are the only flavors and that they are the building blocks of complex tastes. But in 1909 Professor Kikunae Ikeda isolated a fifth flavor detectable by human tongues. He named it "umami," from the Japanese words for delicious.
No matter where you live, your garden will benefit year-round from properly applied mulch: a layer of organic or inorganic material spread evenly on the surface of the soil. Today's gardeners have a wide variety of mulches from which to choose, but deciding which type to use takes a little research.
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!
If you want a bold perennial to make an impact in your garden, then look no further than Rodgersia. These east Asian plants have lovely, large foliage and attractive plumes of white to red flowers. For the back of a moist border, a semi-shaded woodland or as a backdrop for a water feature, Rodgersia are second to none.
Gardeners love books, as the number of titles devoted to the subject attest. We hope this spotlight on some of our members' favorites is a nice change of pace for your Saturday morning.
The balance of all things in nature starts with the sun & moon. Like male & female, these heavenly counterparts dance together & lead the rhythm of life. Since earliest times people have observed such natural cycles, striving to comprehend the critical disequilibrium they represent. In this way, moon phases have served as reliable cues for the marking of time over thousands of years. Closer examination however, reveals vital lunar connections that run deeper than many are aware. Discover our mother moon in a different light as we explore ways to garden by her guidance.
"DURING recent years, there have crept into the trade a bewildering number of Philadelphus species and varieties." So wrote Donald Wyman, in 1936. in the an Arnold Arboretum (Harvard University) newsletter. He goes on to state that the 1931 "Plant Buyer's Index " lists 68 different mock-oranges. From your grandmother's garden to the new nursery down the street: what's tried and true, and what's new, in the delightful mockorange.
This is an article about trial and error, success and failure, and about creating a treated lumber succulent container garden from scratch. It is not really a 'how to' article though it started out that way. It is more of a 'one way to do it' article including some of the reasons perhaps why NOT to do something this way.
I use the term Japanese morning glory somewhat loosely to refer to exotic varieties, usually Ipomoea nil cultivars, as opposed to the more common Ipomoea purpurea types . The blooms of Japanese morning glories are usually larger, but produced--in my climate at least--in much lower numbers than what purpurea can manage. Fortunately, we gardeners tend to have a weakness for difficult plants!
Get inspired to create a private room in your garden by surrounding it with vine-covered structures, or plant some vines around a sleeping porch for lovely scented breezes.
I have an iris plan. First let me say that each spring, I SO look forward to the majestic, spear-shaped bearded irises awakening in my yard. Then, when I notice their stalks reaching upward with pointy, rolled-up blooms, I get real excited. The flower of an iris is a reason for living. It's a reason to continue gardening, year after year, decade upon decade.
One of the few trees that did not live in my childhood environment in southeast Kentucky was the bald cypress. Now isn’t that a strange name for such a lovely tree? This is the story of a tiny seedling that I knew nothing about, one that was guaranteed not to grow here in the flatlands of western Kentucky.
Opuntia is one of the most numerous of the cactus genera. It is also the most widespread. The approximately 180 species are found from Canada to Argentina and from the Caribbean Islands to the Galapagos.
April showers have not come this year. This has presented drought challenges in the West while delaying the coming of spring in the East. We miss April and her showers and wish for her to come back, so May blossoms can peak as always, like a clock for Mother's Day coast to coast. At the same time, dear April has shown us what clever New Englanders we can be with a little West Coast savvy. We have finally arrived, our feet on the ground in this very different place.
April showers in the western mountains of the United States seldom involve rain but often descend as snow. One Easter, our ten-year-old son found all but one plastic yellow egg that we had hidden. He looked all around the forsythia bush, but after searching all day, he went to bed, hoping to find it the next day. That night, snow fell and froze the blossoms on the forsythia, but he never found the egg. However, it left our family with the enduring Easter memory of the April snow shower.
The article, with personal examples from the author's own experiences, describes the beauty, care and fragrance of lilacs in general and of the Syringa x chinensis 'Lilac Sunday' in particular. It also explores how the sense of smell, in connection with lilacs, triggers an emotional response and helps unleash long forgotten memories of childhood.
There were some lilacs which hadn't even opened yet, a few without even a hint of a bud, and lots - and lots and lots - in full bloom on the day we went. Tall, short, skinny, or fat, lilacs are all beautiful, and most of them are at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston.
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!
Up until now, I have introduced a Queen, some princesses, and other royal and semi-royal personages in the form of various Jewel Alocasias. However, the one that is the subject of this article is the Emperor and an Imperial Highness. Of all the Jewels, this one is arguably the most beautiful and difficult to grow. Difficulty notwithstanding, anyone who loves Alocasias will have to try this one, even if the prospect is daunting. . .
Gardeners often encounter unique and colorful insects in their gardens. The trick is to know which ones are friends and which ones are foes. This series of articles will help identify some of the most unusual ones and give you a peek into their lives
Your kids will love homegrown broccoli! It is a cool season vegetable that prefers sunny locations and fertile, well-drained soil. Incorporate plenty of organic matter into the area before planting.
This is part 1 of a 3-part fictional short story that is written for all ages to enjoy. It is based on a true story of a cat that just arrived in our garden. "Tango, the Garden Cat" is about a feral outdoor cat that may never rest in the comfort of a cozy, safe, indoor bed.
Caudiciform plants, also known as Fat Plants, are a morphologic grouping of many totally unrelated plants all having a fat stem/trunk or succulent roots that can be raised up in cultivation. These plants are wonderful curiosities and are very popular among those plant collectors and growers that like odd or peculiar plants. The following is a brief introduction to these marvelous plants and a short list of the more common examples, including several of the easier ones to grow, in case one is interested in starting their own 'Fat Plant' collection.
Most enjoyable among my gardening experiences are those involving the sense of smell. At no time other than spring is the garden such a treasury of olfactory experiences. Spring gradually merges into summer, and one plant after another blooms and adds to the miscellany of pleasurable scents.
I wasn't always so ruthless. When the spouse first complained about the violets growing in the lawn, I protested, "But the little flowers in the grass are so pretty, so sweet!" Now I know better.
Our Easter comes late this year, but the nice, warm weather was of great help when cleaning the house and starting the plants and vegetables in the garden. Now that all is done, everything smells so good and clean - it's time to bring the Easter goodies scent in the house!
