With the cooling days of autumn, many summer perennials begin to cease their blooms. Gardeners can keep the color going for the autumn months by including these plants.
Love to garden but short on time? Here are some tips that will help you plant, water and weed more efficiently.
Transform and brighten your front porches with vibrant Encore Azaleas in containers. Discover creative garden design ideas for your front yards today!
For creative stoops, patios, and—okay, okay—fire escapes
(via TumbleOn)
Astilbes can brighten up your shade garden and are even low-maintenance! Learn what they need to thrive in order to grow in your garden all Summer long!
Create striking displays with the sturdy stems and stunning cut flower blooms of agapanthus
Learn the easiest way to divide hostas & transplanting tips to landscape other areas of your yard and gardens! DIY gardening tips to separate hostas.
Learn How to Grow Plumbago in your home and garden and invite a refreshing appeal of its beautiful flowers!
Gladioli are beautiful plants and a favorite of many gardeners. Due to their height, many people often wonder if it?s possible to have a gladiolus container garden. This article will help with that.
Designer dominique lafourcade, provence, france - the swimming pool with terracotta containers full of agapanthus
Outdoor Steps One of the best ways to create a visually interesting outdoor living space is to play with changing levels in your design
Lewisia Cotyledon (Broadleaf Siskiyou Lewisia) evergreen perennial, succulent, cup-shaped dark green leaves, widely opened conical flowers. [DETAILS]
Feast your eyes on the English countryside, gorgeous gardens, and beautiful blooms.
Explore KarlGercens.com GARDEN LECTURES' 191314 photos on Flickr!
Bring a touch of the Mediterranean to your living space.
Growing Crossandra flower, how to grow Crossandra in a container, care. Firecracker flower is usually growing in in subtropical and tropical areas.
Anchorage's cool summers and Alaska's long daylight brought forth these nasturtiums on our back porch. ~By Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D., author of Pentecostal Sermons and Bible Studies
Terracotta clematis root protector
Grow your own Clematis Babies from existing plants, using cuttings in water. And check out the new Backyard Garden Series.
Add a vertical touch to your garden by growing climbing plants in pots. These 35 Best Vines for Containers are perfect for both small and big gardens!
These mosquito repellent plants will keep pests from crashing the party! Create a gorgeous container arrangement that will keep gatherings mosquito free!
Get to know this selection of spilling and draping plants. - by Roger Fox
Growing clematis in containers is easy if you choose the best variety and use the right materials. I’m often asked to recommend a climbing plant to train up the front of a house. At this stage I’m thinking of how I’m going to narrow down the choice since there are hundreds of varieties! Then I […]
Plumbago is one of the stars of the summer garden. A perennial down South, an annual up North, this easy to grow flower is always a winner in the garden!
Want to grow multiple plants together in one pot? Looking for the best Houseplant Combination that could work out in your favor? You are at the right place!
Pentas plant, a sun loving annual and perennial ideal for flower borders and pots when a splash of color is needed. We share HOW TO care for Pentas. [ MORE]
Whether you want to divide your hostas for the healthy of the plants or to increase the hosta love around your garden, dividing a hosta is easy to do.
Potted plants have special needs. Follow these tips to help them thrive.
Scaevola plants (fairy fan flower) light green leaves with slightly toothed edges, flowers are half-circle shaped, usually blue, low-maintenance [DETAILS]
10 - 18 Inches 8 - 12 Inches 10 - 18 Inches 25cm - 46cm 20cm - 30cm 25cm - 46cm Features Cake Pops verbena are very heat and humidity tolerant and are great plants for the deep south, in addition to the rest of the county. This verbena doesn't cycle out of color, so you'll get reliable color all summer long. Cake Pops is destined to become a Southern basket and combination recipe staple. It is easy tough, durable and drought tolerant. It is native to the Southern US. Award Winner Continuous Bloom or Rebloomer Long Blooming Fall Interest Deadheading Not Necessary Drought Tolerant Attracts: Bees Butterflies Hummingbirds Resists: Deer Native to North America Characteristics Plant Type: Annual Height Category: Medium Garden Height: 10 - 18 Inches 25cm - 46cm Spacing: 8 - 12 Inches 20cm - 30cm Spread: 10 - 18 Inches 25cm - 46cm Flower Colors: Pink Flower Shade: Soft Pink Foliage Colors: Green Foliage Shade: Dark Green Habit: Mounding Trailing Container Role: Filler Plant Needs Light Requirement: Sun The optimum amount of sun or shade each plant needs to thrive: Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours), Full Shade (up to 4 hours). Maintenance Category: Easy Bloom Time: Planting To Hard Frost Hardiness Zones: 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b Water Category: Average Uses: Border Plant Uses: Container Uses: Landscape Uses Notes: Good in combinations - perfect for the deep South, where many plants don't last all summer. It is also great for landscapes. Maintenance Notes: These are heat tolerant plants, that aren't particularly fussy. However, they do like well-drained soil. They need little routine maintenance. They will perform best if an application of controlled release fertilizer is included at the time of planting. This applies to both landscape and container plantings. The plants aren't particularly heavy feeders, so a single dose is usually sufficient for landscape beds in most climates. If you have a very long season, a second application of controlled release plant food should be considered for landscape beds. In general, containers need to be fed more than landscape plants. A second application of a controlled release fertilizer should be applied about every two months to container plants or you can regularly apply water soluble fertilizer starting about two months after the containers are planted. These extra applications of plant food can really make a difference in performance through the summer. If your plant begins to look open or a bit tired, an allover trim can be beneficial. Use a sharp pair of scissors or pruning shears to trim back up to 1/3 of the volume of the plant. I pair any trim with a dose of water soluble fertilizer to provide instant energy to help kickstart new growth, branching and flowering. Your plant will take a week to recover from the trim, but the end result is a fuller plant with more blooms going forward. You may repeat the trim as needed through the season. Cake Pops® Pink Verbena rigida 'WNVECPPK' USPP 34,382, Can 6,969
1. We have six Boston ferns at the rental house we are staying in. They are very easy to care for, I just water every other day with the hose and fertilize once a month. The two that get some direct morning light are doing the best. The one in this photo is a Kimberly fern from Deborah Silver's blog, Dirt Simple. She is a landscape designer from Detroit that creates beautiful gardens. Her blog is full of great ideas for your landscape. Check out her company website here to see some of her projects and contact info. 2. A perfect salad for spring, what not try a farfalle pasta salad by the Proud Italian Cook? I love her recipes and photography. Everything I have made from her blog has been both delicious and beautiful. Recipe for the pasta salad here, a great way to use leftover spring mix lettuces. 3. Another veggie I am now seeing at the farmer's market are zucchini. Two Peas in their Pod blog have compiled a great list of zucchini recipes here. 4. What do you think of this plant? It is huge and fun, especially placed with the orange bistro chairs. I think it is Indian Rhubarb. source 5. Etsy has many sellers offering Hmong textiles from Thailand that are used for bags and pillows. This bag would look cute with a white summer dress and denim jacket and sells for under $20! Add some green earrings... 6. Otomi fabrics from Mexico are perfect for summer. Etsy seller Casa Otomi offers a fun bright green Otomi pillow. They are piped as well. Wish they were not so pricey. 7. This is the little lizard that lives near our front porch. He comes out as soon as we sit down, very curious. It is a Carolina Anole lizard. He inflates a big pink throat as he moves around but I have not been able to get a good shot of it yet. 8. Southern Living featured the Savannah Garden Club's Garden Tour that is held in April every year. This year it was cool and rainy that week so we did not attend but it is on the calendar for next year, fingers crossed. Photo source: The Garden Club of Savannah 9. What a bountiful veggie platter for spring time! Thanks for visiting! Cindy
Borage is an annual herbaceous plant that is easy to grow and provides a myriad of benefits for gardeners. Not only are its striking star-shaped flowers picturesque to look at, but borage is an excellent companion plant that helps other plants to thrive, and it is entirely edible from stem to flower. The plant's leaves and stems are easily identifiable by the bristly hairs that cover them as they mature and look particularly unique on dewy mornings. Follow our guide to learn about borage uses, benefits, and companion planting advantages. Borage Soil Requirements Borage soil should be well-tilled and well-draining. Borage is a vibrant herbaceous plant that can tolerate soil that falls between 4.5-8.5 on the pH scale but thrives optimally in the middle at a pH of 6.5. How to Plant Borage Borage plants can be found at your local specialty nursery in the herb section, but they grow very well from seed as well. Either way, they should be planted directly outdoors after the threat of frost has passed. Sow seeds directly into the ground about ½ inch deep in clusters of 3 or 4 seeds and cover with nutrient-rich soil or compost. Plant borage plants or thin seedlings to approximately 15 inches apart. Borage can tower up to three feet in height, so it's essential to give the plant room to spread out. Proper spacing will help airflow, proactively combat against diseases such as powdery mildew and allow for the adequate spread of blooms. How Much Light Does Borage Need? A common question when planting and growing borage is, how much light does borage need? Plant your borage plants and seeds in full sun or partial shade. Plants will bloom more vigorously if they are planted in an area where they receive 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. How Often Should You Water Borage Plants? It can tricky to figure out exactly how often you should water borage plants. The answer is simple, water borage plants regularly. They are not drought tolerant and need plenty of water to thrive. However, try and avoid over-soaking them. The Best Temperature for Growing Borage Borage is relatively cold-tolerant, enjoying soil temperatures that are a minimum of 50°F. It can withstand light frosts. Kellogg Garden Organics All Natural Garden Soil Learn More Product Locator by Locally **Product not available in AZ, CA, HI, NV, UT. For a comparable product in these states click here. Common Borage Pests and Diseases Unfortunately, borage tends to be plagued with powdery mildew in damp conditions or in areas of high humidity. For the best chance of avoiding this devastating disease, space your plants adequately for proper airflow and be sure that your plants receive plenty of sunlight. Aphids and Japanese Beetles are drawn to borage plants and feed on their leaves. Aphids can be kept at bay with a strong spray of water from the hose, while the beetles can be easily handpicked off the plant and placed in a jar of soapy water to eliminate them. Borage Companion Planting Companion planting borage with vegetables and certain flowers can bolster each other and significantly improve your garden productivity. Borage is an all-around best friend in any garden bed for several reasons. Borage flowers attract beneficial pollinators like bees and butterflies to the garden, which are essential for plant reproduction. Borage also benefits gardens by attracting beneficial insects for natural pest control of common garden pests. Additionally, borage releases calcium and potassium into the soil, which can help other plants like squash and tomatoes to combat diseases such as blossom rot. Interplant borage with: Tomatoes Cabbage Strawberries Grapes Peas Beans Cucumbers Squash Borage Uses and Benefits Not only does borage have a flower you can eat, but its leaves are also edible and can be used in a variety of ways. Its flowers have a refreshing taste that is reminiscent of cucumber. Pick blooms early in the morning and use them to brighten up a fresh salad, add some zest to a sandwich, mix into dips, and cook up in soups or stews. Harvest borage leaves when they are young for the best taste and texture. You can use borage fresh as salad greens or steam them up like you would spinach or kale. Another option is to dry the leaves and set them aside for use as a dried herb or seasoning. It can also be used to steep in teas and is a delightful treat when candied. How to Harvest Borage Seeds Borage plants do a fine job all on their own when it comes to propagating and spreading their seeds around. Once you have an established borage plant, you will likely always have a borage plant or several. You will often find new plants in the garden each year, and they are a pleasant surprise to see. Once you have borage in your garden, you will likely never have to reseed them again. If you intend to save the seeds, wait for the flowers to dry thoroughly on the stems, and allow the petals to die away. When the flower head is dehydrated and browned, remove the seeds from the center and store them in a paper bag or paper envelope until next spring. Share The Garden Love
Discover Nandina 'Blush Pink', is far from shy - it's a riot of colour! Find out more about this Plant of the Month in this blog post.
Mixed herbaceous border containing Anthemis tinctoria 'E.C. Buxton', Salvia nemorosa 'Ostfriesland', Nepeta, Buddleia and clipped Box balls, Town Place, late June.
