Focus on Flowers

Cutting Flowers 18.11.2021 1:59 ↓

When cutting flowers from your home garden, it is important to remember that you are subjecting the plant to surgery.

Shrubs for Shady Gardens 11.11.2021 1:59 ↓

It is hard to find shrubs for deep shade, as few will persist at all...but here a few ideas.

Filtered Shade 04.11.2021 1:59 ↓

Shade gardens are usually at their best in the spring, but filtered shade gardens can provide summer color, too.

Something Wicked This Way Comes 29.10.2021 58:52 ↓

"Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble." This hour on Harmonia, we’ll catch a fright listening to scary sounds for Halloween.

Fall Planting 28.10.2021 1:59 ↓

Conifer shrubs and trees need warmer soil to get their roots growing, so plant them as early as possible in the fall.

Slippery, Slimy, and Slithering Things 24.10.2021 58:52 ↓

This hour on Harmonia, we’re listening to the sounds of frogs, snakes, and serpents, both real and mythological.

Divide to Multiply 21.10.2021 1:59 ↓

There are only a few perennials that thrive for many years without being divided and replanted.

Tender Geraniums 14.10.2021 1:59 ↓

Fall is the time to bring indoors all of those houseplants that have been spending the summer outside. I usually also dig up a few annual geraniums that I have had in my beds all summer.

New World Mums 07.10.2021 1:59 ↓

By the end of the 1800s, most types of chrysanthemums had arrived in America.

Mums 30.09.2021 1:59 ↓

The name chrysanthemum is from the Greek word for gold “chrysos” and “anthos,” which means flower.

Wet Feet 23.09.2021 1:59 ↓

Plants that can tolerate boggy, wet soil exist!

Autumn Checklist 16.09.2021 1:59 ↓

It is easy to get a renewed sense of enthusiasm for gardening when the hottest weather has passed.

Always Cheerful Coreopsis 09.09.2021 1:59 ↓

Our native perennial coreopsis is a stalwart in many American gardens.

Rebuilding Amaryllis 02.09.2021 1:59 ↓

Amaryllis bulbs can be rebuilt so that they can bloom well the following winter indoors.

What's Left? 26.08.2021 1:59 ↓

My current garden is a shadow of its former self...thanks to the urban deer population. However, a few stalwart plants persist.

Amaranthus 19.08.2021 1:59 ↓

Globe amaranth dries beautifully for winter bouquets.

The Plant Named for Achilles 12.08.2021 1:59 ↓

Yarrow, “soldier’s woundwart,” “milfoil”—Achillea has many names and many uses.

Dry Gardens 05.08.2021 1:59 ↓

During our hot Midwestern summers, it is good for pots to get some afternoon shade. Also, pots dry out more quickly, so it is best to plant annuals in the ground.

Surviving Heat 29.07.2021 1:59 ↓

In very hot weather, remember to water your potted plants twice a day as the soil in pots dries out quickly.

A Mailbox Garden 21.07.2021 1:59 ↓

Choose just a few plants that will need minimum attention, and plant something vigorous around the base of the post to soften it.

Types of Gardens 15.07.2021 1:59 ↓

If I were to start over, and knowing what I now know, I would start with a plan and a clearer idea of the type of garden I wanted.

White Snakeroot 08.07.2021 1:59 ↓

It was not until the 1920s that it was recognized that cattle that grazed on white snakeroot caused humans to die if they drank the cow’s milk.

Harmful Plants 01.07.2021 1:59 ↓

The garden is full of plants that are poisonous. Most are not lethal, but a few are, so it is wise to err on the side of caution.

Beautiful But Noxious: Purple Loosestrife 24.06.2021 1:59 ↓

Purple Loosestrife clogs wetlands and waterways, choking out other plants and eliminating food sources for native wildlife. The plant is classified as a federal noxious weed.

Native Perennials 17.06.2021 1:59 ↓

Native plants are important to preserve native wildlife and the ecology of our landscape, but some natives will suit our particular climate and garden space better than others.