This time of year, hydrangea flowers are abundant in my garden. It was not always this way. My husband had some sort of bias against them. He would refer to the hydrangeas as a funeral flower. Whenever I suggested we plant one, he was firmly against it. But one day, I found a white hydrangea on the clearance table and couldn’t resist it. I planted it in an out-of-the-way areaRead More →
The weather has turned cool. An October chill is in the air. You might think that it’s time to put away the garden tools for the season. But fall is actually a perfect time to garden. When the first frost hits, many gardeners throw in the seasonal towel. But as long as you don’t have a hard killing frost, you can still get mileage from your garden. There are aRead More →
Two years ago, a “freak” summer storm rumbled through our neighborhood. The winds were blowing hard, lightning was fast and furious and rain was pelting down. Then one of our incense cedars came crashing down. I was standing on our deck at the time and almost in slow motion I watched in horror as the tree toppled over. This massive 30 foot tree fell into our neighbor’s yard with anRead More →
This time of year we’re working hard in our gardens and imagining the wonderful show to come. But there is one show that’s already in bloom and I encourage you to take some time to enjoy it. Wherever you live you can find some spring wildflowers in bloom. Try these 6 tips for enjoying spring wildflowers. You might need to take a drive to get to an open area whereRead More →
If you haven’t planted your garden containers yet, it’s time to get planting. Now that the weather has warmed up a bit, most gardeners are in full spring mode. Hopefully, your yard and garden are starting to take shape. You’ve cleaned up the winter debris and you’ve been preparing your flower and vegetable beds. But the quickest way to some spring color in the garden is planting flowers in pots.Read More →
Have you ever noticed how pretty ranunculus are? Not only do they come in many different colors, but their petals are so light and lacy. They remind me of one of my favorite spring flowers, peonies. They are also called the “rose of spring” because many people think they look like garden roses. This year, I decided to grow ranunculus in my flowerpots. And you can grow ranunculus in yourRead More →
Are you starting to feel trapped indoors? As the winter season wears on cabin fever can set in. Especially if you like to garden. Usually, toward the end of January, I’m looking for gardening activities that I can do inside. If you are feeling like you need some garden time, here are three indoor winter garden ideas that you can do. All without having to face the cold, snow, rainRead More →
Do you remember your Grandparent’s garden when you were growing up? There was something so special about the old-fashioned flowers they grew. You could wander through the garden and feel a sense of peace and calm. The bees were buzzing all around. Birds were enjoying the seed pods. And you were enjoying the little flowers exploding everywhere. Back when you were young, you probably didn’t think much about what wasRead More →
We’re less than 2 weeks away from Thanksgiving. I’ve been planning and organizing for the holiday. And thinking about my table centerpiece. Doesn’t everyone spend days wondering how to decorate their Thanksgiving table? With no flowers left in the garden, it’s time to turn to my local grocery store. I want to show you how to set your holiday table with grocery store flowers. You can actually make some lovelyRead More →
My cutting garden has slowly faded away as the days and nights have grown colder. Yesterday, my husband made me a sweet bouquet from the last of the zinnias. The sunflowers stopped blooming weeks ago, although I have been saving the seed heads for winter food for the birds. The cosmos and black-eyed susans have just a few scattered flowers. The coneflowers, daisies and all the rest are completely gone. Read More →