Plants & Bulbs
- Garden Trends: Ornamental Grass
- Gardening Trends: Foliage Plants
- Garden Trends: Replica Containers
- Gardening Trend: Container Gardens
- Plants with Musical Names
- Growing Citrus From Seed
- Mother's Day Live Flowers?
- Native Plants Making a Comeback
- Container Plants Blooming Again
- Growing Tomatoes Upside-Down
Garden Trends: Ornamental Grass
Posted by
Angela England
Angela England
Whether you want a container planting with lots of movement and interest, a unique focal point in the landscape, or a low-maintenance garden, ornamental grass works well.
Grasses are fast becoming a staple of the mixed garden border and there is good reason why this gardening trend is picking up speed. There are many benefits to using ornamental grasses in the garden landscape.
Remember the days of endless bedding plants? Impatiens as far as the eye can see? No longer! Now entire gardens, or containers can be made of prairie grasses, ornamental grasses or other foliage-spectacular plants.
Fountain grass is now an often-used centerpiece for many container combinations. With such a wide variety of grass colors and sizes available it's no wonder gardeners are using them more and more.
A recent article that is part of the yellow themed garden series talks about ornamental grasses with gold colored foliage. There are also grasses with variegated foliage and grasses with ornamental seed-heads as well. What stunning selections for any garden situation!
Remember the days of endless bedding plants? Impatiens as far as the eye can see? No longer! Now entire gardens, or containers can be made of prairie grasses, ornamental grasses or other foliage-spectacular plants.
Fountain grass is now an often-used centerpiece for many container combinations. With such a wide variety of grass colors and sizes available it's no wonder gardeners are using them more and more.
A recent article that is part of the yellow themed garden series talks about ornamental grasses with gold colored foliage. There are also grasses with variegated foliage and grasses with ornamental seed-heads as well. What stunning selections for any garden situation!
Gardening Trends: Foliage Plants
Posted by
Angela England
Angela England
A growing trend in landscaping is to use perennials, shrubs and other plants with ornamental foliage to extend the color throughout the growing season.
As a gardener, I'm always looking for ways to extend the growing season, create more color and interest in my garden or add a high-impact accent plant. Ornamental foliage allows me to do that with ease.
Bright foliage colors, variegated designs and long-lasting foliage color is taking center stage in many gardens. As more gardeners begin using plants with high-impact foliage, plant breeders are responding with additional plants that feature ornamental leaves. Evergreen plants with colored or variegated foliage help keep a garden looking attractive throughout the entire year!
Whether in a mixed border, container planting or other garden area plants with attractive foliage are becoming a more important consideration than in past years. Here are some articles featuring plants with attractive foliage to help get you started.
Bright foliage colors, variegated designs and long-lasting foliage color is taking center stage in many gardens. As more gardeners begin using plants with high-impact foliage, plant breeders are responding with additional plants that feature ornamental leaves. Evergreen plants with colored or variegated foliage help keep a garden looking attractive throughout the entire year!
Whether in a mixed border, container planting or other garden area plants with attractive foliage are becoming a more important consideration than in past years. Here are some articles featuring plants with attractive foliage to help get you started.
Garden Trends: Replica Containers
Posted by
Angela England
Angela England
Why spend a fortune for terra cotta pots when so many attractive resin, look-alikes are available? These lighter containers enable both gardeners and their wallets.
I love the look of terra cotta pottery. Perhaps it's my Italian heritage, or maybe the Old World look tugs at my heart with sentimental thoughts. But let's be honest, shall we? As the mother of two young children, there is no garden container less practical for our home's landscape than terra cotta. Especially as my son has developed an avid fascination for hammers and other tools!
Thankfully, one of the recent developments in gardening and landscaping is a dramatic increase in the availability of polyethylene or resin containers. These gardening pots are beautiful, often resembling terra cotta or cast stone containers, yet they are much lighter (ie. easier to move!), weather resistant, durable and can't be easily destroyed by a four-year-old on a mission.
With the increasing interest in container gardening, the attractive, replica containers are a great way to enhance your plant's beauty. And protect your container investment from toddler curiosity.
Thankfully, one of the recent developments in gardening and landscaping is a dramatic increase in the availability of polyethylene or resin containers. These gardening pots are beautiful, often resembling terra cotta or cast stone containers, yet they are much lighter (ie. easier to move!), weather resistant, durable and can't be easily destroyed by a four-year-old on a mission.
With the increasing interest in container gardening, the attractive, replica containers are a great way to enhance your plant's beauty. And protect your container investment from toddler curiosity.
Gardening Trend: Container Gardens
Posted by
Angela England
Angela England
Go beyond Grandma's staid window boxes; container gardening is growing both in popularity and scope. Find out why baskets, pots, boxes and containers are so popular!
In the spirit of "going green", container gardening is becoming more widely used by both master gardeners and first-timers with not-so-green-thumbs. Urban gardens, that used to be concrete jungles are springing up everywhere and growing fresh produce at home is more vogue for gardeners than ever before.
New container-gardening products make it easier for even beginner gardeners to container garden with success - self waterers, inexpensive but beautiful containers, pot watchers, lightweight pots, etc.
So why are container gardens becoming so popular? Here are a few of my thoughts on the subject:
New container-gardening products make it easier for even beginner gardeners to container garden with success - self waterers, inexpensive but beautiful containers, pot watchers, lightweight pots, etc.
So why are container gardens becoming so popular? Here are a few of my thoughts on the subject:
- A container allows plants and bulbs to be grown in otherwise impossible places and brings some of the "fresh outdoors" to even small apartments or crowded urban areas.
- Container gardens give gardeners the ability to quickly create a mass of color. Want to add a splash of yellow and orange near the pool for a party? Gather your containers together and create an instant focal point.
- Which brings me to my next point - container mobility. Beginning gardeners will learn the art of combining plants more easily when they have the ability to move their flowers around. Don't like how those two plants look sitting next to eachother? Put another pot in-between them!
- There is a greater ease of three dimensional planting - hanging baskets, climbing vines in containers with trellis or raising the container itself onto a pedistal.
- Containers themselves add to the beauty of the garden landscape. Gorgeous terra-cotta look is available inexpensive with resin replica containers and unique containers can be found at any flea market or garage sale.
Posted by
Angela England
Angela England
One of the things so interesting to me is the funny, creative and expressive names given to plants and flowers. As a music lover, these were particularly fun to see.
Perhaps I'm easily amused but I love the funny names given to specific plant cultivars. Some names are very descriptive, some are scary, and some are downright silly. These are musical and I think they are beautiful.
Memorial Themed Garden Plants - Great for creating a special memory garden or remembrance garden.
Patriotic Garden Plants - Americana themed containers and garden plants!
Camelot or King Arthor Themed Plants - Fun for a "chivalry" themed plant container!
Winter, Christmas or Holiday Themed Plants - Why wait until the winter to celebrate?
Harvest or Autumn Named Plants - One of my favorite times of the year in the Fall.
Halloween Themed Plants - Scary, creepy and ghoulish plants!
Spring Themed Plants - Plants with names that reflect the new life of the year.
- Daylilly (Hemerocallis) - Golden Chimes, Lark Song, Fire Music, Symphony Hall and Country Melody
- Daffodils (Narcissus) - Bell Song, Pipe Major, Silver Chimes, Fortissimo (means "loudly" in musical notation)
- Roses (Rosa) - Music Maker, Tchaikovsky (a composer best known for his ballets), Johann Strauss (another composer)
- Tulips (Tulipa) - Golden Melody, Chopin (a famous composer), Concerto (a type of instrumental song)
Memorial Themed Garden Plants - Great for creating a special memory garden or remembrance garden.
Patriotic Garden Plants - Americana themed containers and garden plants!
Camelot or King Arthor Themed Plants - Fun for a "chivalry" themed plant container!
Winter, Christmas or Holiday Themed Plants - Why wait until the winter to celebrate?
Harvest or Autumn Named Plants - One of my favorite times of the year in the Fall.
Halloween Themed Plants - Scary, creepy and ghoulish plants!
Spring Themed Plants - Plants with names that reflect the new life of the year.
Posted by
Angela England
Angela England
Growing citrus fruit from seed is a relatively easy process but keeping the plant n a container has some challenges
My kids love gardening with me and we've been planting seeds like crazy lately. One of the latest fun things to do is to grow or plant things from our own garden. Recently we were successful sprouting our own little orange seedlings after planting them in fine seedling mix, keeping them covered and warm until they sprouted.
Most citrus trees and shrubs that are grown from seed will not come true to the variety, but it is still possible to produce fruit, even in a cool climate. Citrus trees are evergreen so the hardest part will be providing a warm winter environment that will have enough light for the plant to continue growing.
If you are blessed enough to live in a temperate climate you won't need to house the plant in a special place. Cooler climates with harsh winters will need to provide a greenhouse or a warm, sunny screened in room.
Here is a list of citrus fruit that will come true from seed:
Most citrus trees and shrubs that are grown from seed will not come true to the variety, but it is still possible to produce fruit, even in a cool climate. Citrus trees are evergreen so the hardest part will be providing a warm winter environment that will have enough light for the plant to continue growing.
If you are blessed enough to live in a temperate climate you won't need to house the plant in a special place. Cooler climates with harsh winters will need to provide a greenhouse or a warm, sunny screened in room.
Here is a list of citrus fruit that will come true from seed:
- Lime (Citrus aurantiifolia)
- Seville Orange (Citrus aurantium)
- Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis)
- Lemon (Citrus limon)
- Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi)
Posted by
Angela England
Angela England
Many mothers recieved beautiful live plants for Mother's Day this weekend - see tips for how to plant and grow the most popular gifts such as hydrangea, and azalea trees.
I got miniature roses, a popular rose type that many landscapers and gardeners use for flowering bed edgings, container plants or other landscape uses. Many other women got live, potted plants from loved ones this weekend and may be wondering what to do with them now to keep their keepsake flowers alive.
Hydrangea Plants
One plant that is increasingly popular as a gift are the perennial shrubs, Hydrangeas. These beautiful garden shrubs have ornamental flowers that are popular for long-lasting color, attractive foliage and winter seedheads that often stay ornamental throughout the winter months. Here are tips for maintaining hydrangea plants in the garden.
Miniature Roses
If you were given miniature roses like I did try planting them in an area of the garden with fertile, well-draining soil where they will get at least 6-8 hours of full sun. Water the roses well to help them get established and snip off any dead flowers after the blooming ends (this is called deadheading). If your roses are hardy over the winter in your gardening zone they will come back the next year, otherwise consider planting them in a container so you can bring them in to house over the winter.
Braided Azalea Trees or Reblooming Azaleas
Specially trained azaleas are a popular gift plant item since they are braided, or twined to create a unique type of plant standard. Here is an archived discussion about how to plant and keep braided azalea plants.
Lilies
Several types of lilies are commonly given for Mother's Day and other holiday occasions but most will do well grown in garden conditions similar to growing Easter Lilies.
One of the best things when we recieve a live plant as a gift is being able to continue enjoying the beautiful flowers year after year.
Hydrangea Plants
One plant that is increasingly popular as a gift are the perennial shrubs, Hydrangeas. These beautiful garden shrubs have ornamental flowers that are popular for long-lasting color, attractive foliage and winter seedheads that often stay ornamental throughout the winter months. Here are tips for maintaining hydrangea plants in the garden.
Miniature Roses
If you were given miniature roses like I did try planting them in an area of the garden with fertile, well-draining soil where they will get at least 6-8 hours of full sun. Water the roses well to help them get established and snip off any dead flowers after the blooming ends (this is called deadheading). If your roses are hardy over the winter in your gardening zone they will come back the next year, otherwise consider planting them in a container so you can bring them in to house over the winter.
Braided Azalea Trees or Reblooming Azaleas
Specially trained azaleas are a popular gift plant item since they are braided, or twined to create a unique type of plant standard. Here is an archived discussion about how to plant and keep braided azalea plants.
Lilies
Several types of lilies are commonly given for Mother's Day and other holiday occasions but most will do well grown in garden conditions similar to growing Easter Lilies.
One of the best things when we recieve a live plant as a gift is being able to continue enjoying the beautiful flowers year after year.
Native Plants Making a Comeback
Posted by
Angela England
Angela England
Once these stunning plants were only found in wild prairie gardens, native plant gardens or other specialized themed gardens. Now many are part of mixed borders!
Writing my most recent plant profile about perennial Penstemons I started thinking about how these beautiful native wildflowers are now more readily available for average gardeners. Plant hybridizers are producing new and useful cultivars to provide more choices for home gardeners to add to their container plantings, mixed flower borders and foundation planters around the house to increase curb appeal.
There are several new introductions available recently from gardening companies and catalogs that feature plants who were once outcasts and not so readily available or widely used. Other native wildflowers that are increasing in popularity are Columbines, Echinaceas (no long just purple coneflowers), Penstemon as I mentioned, and Coreopsis. As more gardeners are increasingly looking for water-wise flower choices or non-invasive native plants I expect to see this trend continue.
There are several new introductions available recently from gardening companies and catalogs that feature plants who were once outcasts and not so readily available or widely used. Other native wildflowers that are increasing in popularity are Columbines, Echinaceas (no long just purple coneflowers), Penstemon as I mentioned, and Coreopsis. As more gardeners are increasingly looking for water-wise flower choices or non-invasive native plants I expect to see this trend continue.
Container Plants Blooming Again
Posted by
Angela England
Angela England
This morning I cleaned out my gardening containers and found several plants that are re-appearing after a winter dormancy. Lovely, long-lived plants for containers!
Yesterday, Sidney and I purchased several vegetable and herb plant starts from a local gardening nursery and today I spent the entire morning cleaning out my containers in preparation for planting a few of the herbs out.
I already knew one of my containers had reseeded pansies in it because they bloomed out several weeks ago. Last year it was a mixed planter with asparagus fern, vinca and pansies but this year in late winter it was filled to overflowing with creamy yellow pansies edged in violet! What unexpected charm!
When I cleaned out the old asparagus fern stems this morning I noticed that several of the pansies had already gone to seed ensuring another lovely crop of flowers this fall and early next spring since pansies are cool weather flowers.
My chocolate mint and peppermint survived another winter so I cleaned the weeds out of their container and added an extra layer of mulch and organic soil ammendment since this will be their third year in that pot.
The burgundy dianthus is coming back again, as is my trailing rosemary and lavender plants so I should have plenty of summer flowers and aromatic herbs to get my container garden off to a good start this year.
I already knew one of my containers had reseeded pansies in it because they bloomed out several weeks ago. Last year it was a mixed planter with asparagus fern, vinca and pansies but this year in late winter it was filled to overflowing with creamy yellow pansies edged in violet! What unexpected charm!
When I cleaned out the old asparagus fern stems this morning I noticed that several of the pansies had already gone to seed ensuring another lovely crop of flowers this fall and early next spring since pansies are cool weather flowers.
My chocolate mint and peppermint survived another winter so I cleaned the weeds out of their container and added an extra layer of mulch and organic soil ammendment since this will be their third year in that pot.
The burgundy dianthus is coming back again, as is my trailing rosemary and lavender plants so I should have plenty of summer flowers and aromatic herbs to get my container garden off to a good start this year.
Posted by
Angela England
Angela England
Even small-space gardeners can enjoy a balcony or patio vegetable garden by growing tomatoes in this creative and fun way.
After starting several tomato seedlings we had several plants ready for planting before the danger of frost (and thunder storms!) had past in our area. So what to do - what to do?
My husband and I had seen pictures of the tomatoes you can plant in the hanging bags so we decided to try our own hanging tomatoes with recycled bottle containers. One is a large 3-liter pop bottle, the other container we recycled was a large Sunny Delight juice blend bottle!
Here's how we built them:
My husband and I had seen pictures of the tomatoes you can plant in the hanging bags so we decided to try our own hanging tomatoes with recycled bottle containers. One is a large 3-liter pop bottle, the other container we recycled was a large Sunny Delight juice blend bottle!
Here's how we built them:
- Sidney cut the bottom off the bottles so they were open on top.
- I placed the seedling and dirt ball into the bottle with the leaves and stem DOWN so the tomato plant came through the neck of the bottle while the root ball stayed in the bulk of the main bottle itself.
- We filled the ug container full of organic potting soil mix, leaving enough room at the top to create a hanger.
- Sidney drilled some holes in the sides of the bottle and we used old coat hangers to create the hanger.
- We watered the entire tomato plant slowly to keep the soil from coming out and hung them in the shelter of our sunny patio spot.
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