You may have read my earlier post where I wrote about how I wanted to grow morning glories (Ipomoea tricolor) on my new tuteur. Judy and I have a history with morning glories. We grew it in our first garden, if you can call it a garden. We had just moved in together, into an …
It is the season when the Common Violets (Viola sororia Willd.) are blooming. People have a complicated relationship with wild violets. We see them as charming and petite wildflowers, but also as voracious invasive weeds. Personally, I think that violets are fine in their place, which is anywhere other than my flower beds. I welcome …
I haven’t done a GBBD post since October. And because we are having such a cold spring (or Sprinter, as Rachelle at Talking to Plants puts it), I don’t have much to show yet. Plenty of stuff getting ready to bloom, not much actually blooming. In terms of bulbs, the snowdrops (Galanthus) are pretty much …
You know when you’re expecting guests, and you are trying desperately to clean the house and get the food ready, and somebody shows up 30 minutes early while you are still shoving piles of papers and books into random drawers? Well, I had the horticultural equivalent to this experience today. I had taken the day …
Recently I have read a number of articles and posts about the devastation caused among Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana and related) by downy mildew. While usually just an unsightly nuisance among perennials, this strain is deadly for Impatiens. It can be treated but only if caught early and if you are willing to resort to the …
In recent years I’ve come to appreciate the value of mixing annuals in with the perennials in flower borders. Not just for maximizing color, but also for achieving that sense of fullness earlier and more consistently through the season. I’m slightly ashamed to say that I have not started any of my own annuals from …
As Christmas nears, visions of annual sunflowers are dancing in my head. I’m thinking about what I want to change in my main flower border along the driveway. I’ve grown native perennial sunflowers, but they have been a disappointment. Surprisingly, western sunflower (Helianthus occidentalus) has been unable to compete with the other border plants, and …
A recent article by Linda Wesley in Fine Gardening magazine has inspired me to think more about using annuals to supplement the spring color in my flower beds. Yes, I have spring bulbs and early-blooming perennials, but there’s still an awful lot of bare brown spots in April and even in May where later-blooming perennials …
Fall in the garden means seedheads, pods, and fruit join flowers and foliage as features of the garden. So here are some non-floral highlights for mid-September: I forget what this variety is called, but I think I’ve decided I like these plain green and white Caladiums (Caladium bicolor) best. I built this raised bed on …
Now that we’re heading into the fall season I’m rethinking my preferred plants for next year’s containers. A few conclusions I’ve drawn: Big Thumbs Up for Pentas. I was very happy with the Star Flowers (Pentas lanceolata) in my containers for sun. They bloom enthusiastically and can take the heat. Plus, they are great for …
gardeninacity 