Life in The Garden
September 20, 2021
Many gardeners complain that they can’t grow any plants in the shade other than hostas and ferns. And those are devoured by slugs. Here are 10 beautiful shade plants from my garden—plus a list of perennial and annual flowers that grow in the shade. Embrace the shade!
Shade gardens bring to mind hostas and ferns and perhaps some astilbe. However, plenty of gorgeous, unique, colorful plants seek shady nooks. Most are also old-hardy and need little maintenance once they are planted correctly.
10... more
September 17, 2021
In early fall, I waved goodbye to the last monarch butterflies that hatched in my garden. They’re about to migrate south—the only butterfly to migrate as birds do! Learn more about this amazing phenomenon—and what food our precious monarchs need along their journey.
It may take as many as five generations for monarchs to complete a migration south. Imagine flying over 3,000 miles with the Sun as your guide, traveling about 50 miles a day. The eastern population, which makes up the bulk of the... more
August 25, 2021
Every year in the fall, I suffer a bout of mum madness when garden centers and big boxes brim with cheery chrysanthemums. They produce lovely fall colors, but is fall really the best time to plant them? (The answer is… it depends!) Here’s how to plant mums and keep them alive through winter!
The Best Time to Plant Mums
In October, chrysanthemums and asters are everywhere, from six-inch pots to bushel baskets of orange, yellow, pink, and copper mounded behemoths. I just want to buy everything... more
August 5, 2021
Keep your foliage and flower container plants looking their best throughout the summer! Whether you have patio planters or window boxes, here are 10 tips to maintain you container garden and also help you prepare your containers for colder weather.
Pretty planters are wonderful as a welcome entrance to your home. In addition, container gardening with edibles is a great solution for those who may not be able to have a traditional garden in the ground.
However, containers do need to be... more
June 9, 2021
From lavender to roses, many flowers can be dried to bring us some color and cheer on those gray days! See tips on which flowers dry best and how to dry flowers properly so that they look beautiful—not old!
How to Dry Flowers Properly
Drying your favorite garden flowers isn’t difficult. Here’s how to do it:
Pick flowers in the morning just before the blooms completely open. When you snip off the flowers from the plant, take 5 to 6 inches of stem, too.
Strip off all foliage from stems.
Secure a... more
June 8, 2021
No, I’m not Rumpelstiltskin, the cranky gnome in a Grimm fairy tale; I can’t spin straw into gold. But, using straw as mulch saves me money, crops, and my sanity, which is golden to my thinking. See the benefits of using straw as mulch—plus, see how to start a weed-free straw-bale garden!
Straw bales are inexpensive gold for gardens. I only pay $4 a bale, and the straw saves me hours of weeding, watering, and worrying. I get it from a farmer nearby. Numerous garden centers stock straw, too. ... more
March 30, 2021
Roses once had a reputation for being finicky divas. However, rose breeders have bred disease out of this garden classic—without sacrificing the beauty and form that make a rose a rose. Here are three of the most impressive and easiest roses to grow for any beginner. Put away the sprays; stop the fancy pruning. Just plant and savor these carefree roses year after year!
Roses are traditionally very demanding and prone to many diseases, requiring lots of tender loving care. They have their place... more
February 20, 2021
Biologically speaking, tomatoes are fruits but why do we think of them as a vegetable? Let’s have fun with tomato trivia—plus my 10 tips and tricks on growing tomatoes successfully!
Last blog I asked you what edibles you would plant if you were limited to only three. The response was overwhelming, with tomatoes topping everyone’s list.
Whenever I mention that tomatoes are fruits, I also get the response: No, tomatoes are vegetables? In a sense, a tomato is both a fruit and a vegetable but let... more
December 16, 2020
Tulip bulbs are typically planted in the fall, but what happens when you forget to plant them and it’s already December or January? No worries. Here are my tips on how to plant bulbs in winter or late in the season.
What Do You Do With Forgotten Tulips?
Last January, I came across a bag of tulip bulbs that had gotten misplaced in my gardening shed. Evidently, the dozen tulips hid when I planted over 150 other bulbs in October. I was looking forward to seeing this variety’s colors lining my... more
November 20, 2020
How do you take care of your Christmas poinsettia? See our tips on keeping poinsettias alive after Christmas—plus, we’ll address the most common question. Are poinsettias poisonous?
A week or two before Christmas, my Dad always gave my Mom a potted Poinsettia wrapped in shiny foil. And my Aunt Dodo had a nine-foot-tall one growing next to her front door. Bracts on it started turning pinkish around Halloween, then red, and remained ablaze until after Valentine’s Day.
For those unaware, the... more
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A lifelong gardener shares the endless lessons she’s learned from her garden over the years, in hopes of making your own gardening just that much easier! Read along for advice, photos, and more.
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