Planting for Pollinators – August and September
We gardeners do not typically think as much about flowers for pollinators in late summer. Once August hits, its time to be a lazy gardener, resting in the hammock or taking the family on vacation. But the insects never get to take a break. They are always working. Therefore, we need to remember to plant […]
Quilled Flowers – Quirky Flaws of Nature
What are quilled flowers? Flower petals which are rolled or “quilled”. These petals can be found in many plants of the Aster Family, and they are one of my favorite things to collect in the garden. Already, I have several perennials with quilled flowers, and I am looking to add more soon. Nature helps the […]
Ornamental Onion – July Plant of the Month
Ornamental onion is our July Plant of the Month. One of my favorite border plants, ornamental onions really came big on the scene in 2018, with ‘Millenium’ as the Perennial Plant of the year. Because of the excitement surrounding this cultivar, we have a plethora of ornamental onions now available in the garden center. But […]
Planting for Pollinators – June and July
What to plant, what to plant? If you are preparing for a succession crop of flowers for pollinators, then June and July might be your biggest months. There are a plethora of plants to pick from. As we have discussed before, pollinators can include bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, bugs, ant, wasps. hummingbirds, and even […]
Fountains – Adding Serenity to the Garden
Fountains in the garden can bring peace and serenity. The sound and movement of water in the garden is like a symphony in full glory. Water is music, and fountains are the easiest way of adding that music to the garden. They do not have to be huge; they can be as small as a […]
Planting for Pollinators – April and May
For several years now, the trend has been on what to plant for pollinators. This is a two-sided question. What do you think of when planting for pollinators? Do you think about what plants pollinators are attracted to for nectar and pollen, or attracted to as a host plant? We need to think about both […]
Preparing the Garden for Winter
If you are like me, you have a large chore sheet for the garden, before winter sets in. Besides my 70 some maintenance customers, I have a large 1 acre (so far) garden to prepare for the cold months. And only about 6 to 8 weeks to do it all. Read on for helpful hints […]
Aster – October Plant of the Month
Aster is our October Plant of the Month. When it comes to fall flowers, asters and goldenrods really outshine everything else. But because asters come in shades of purple, white, blue, and even pink, they are more memorable than the plain yellow goldenrods. Both are great for pollinators in late summer and into autumn, but […]
Flying Flowers and More
But what are flying flowers? When I was growing up, I used to love poring over the photos in Birds & Blooms Magazine, which I read at my Grandma’s house. In the magazine, they had a section called flying flowers, which were photos of butterflies. I learned a lot about butterflies and gardening that way. […]