Today I was reading Teresa Byington’s Garden Diary blog, and her post on Amaryllis bulbs. She brought back memories of the winter windowsill plantings through the years, including some Amaryllis. As she mentions, this is really easy gardening and most people have great success with the kits that are offered. Amaryllis is one of…
Plants
Flowers that Monet Grew In Giverny
Which Flowers Did Monet Grow? Many of us are familiar with Claude Monet’s luminous paintings of his garden, but what of the gardener that created the scenes that capture our admiration? How did his garden grow? In his famous garden at Giverny we might know that Monet grew waterlilies, of which he made a number…
Late August Good For Choosing And Planting Shrubs
People in my neck of the woods generally plant trees and shrubs in the spring, but early fall is just as good, if not better. Late August and early September in Ohio are often dry (perhaps not this year!), so some attention should be paid to making sure a newly planted bush is kept moist….
Lavender, Lavender, Where Art Thou?
Summer Lavender When we put in our stone walk many years ago, I envisioned it rimmed with a lavender hedge. Lavandula vera has been a feature lining the walkway, scenting the air, and providing the garden with charm ever since. The story does not have a happy ever after ending. It is more of a…
Sweet Scents Of Spring Arrive With The Lily Of The Valley
A Nosegay of Lily of the Valley One of the joys of this time of year is the scent of the beds of Lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis. The fragrance is embedded in my memory from early years. These small, milky white bells arrayed long the delicate stem give out a slightly musky perfume…
Plant Fads: Mugo Pines and Stella D’Oro Daylilies
Fashion in gardening is not a bad thing in itself, but it is shortsighted, and that is not very advantageous when working with something that has a potential lifespan longer than your own.
What Is The Big Deal About Bulbs In The Garden?
Fat Healthy Tulip Bulbs by ilonagarden Why have I written numerous articles, made some primers on the how-to of fall planted, spring-blooming bulbs in the garden, and why not concentrate on something else, like leaf raking or making compost? There are more than a few reasons, some personal- like the fact that these were my…
Thinking Of Spring Colors My Autumn Thoughts
Next Spring Fashion Colors Are Bright Pastels Let it never be said that Gardeners are not forward thinking people. Sure, we are slower on the uptake on the trendy and fad-driven, we like “slow” this and “slow” that, but we are quite forward thinking …perhaps even avant garde in other ways. Not all of us,…
Canadian Thistles, Are They the Bane of your Garden?
I don’t know anyone who says they like this plant. We all call it a weed, and doggedly work to eradicate it from our yards. That has been one of my occupations of late, and I find there is something of an art to ridding the garden of Cirsium arvense, as horticultural Latin nomenclature labels…
Do You Grow Herbs? 10 Reasons To Love Them
There are so many ways to enjoy herb plants, that they are not for herb gardens only. Think about tucking them into the landscape, into containers or into your home. I do I enjoy thee? Oh, Herb, Let me count the ways! 10 Ways I Enjoy Herbs (and you can, too!) In companion plantings, herbs…