Focus on Flowers

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.

Pass-Along Plants 10.06.2021 1:59 ↓

Some of the best plants in my garden were given to me by other gardeners or came from plant swaps held by garden clubs.

Lesser Calamint 03.06.2021 1:59 ↓

Dainty and durable and deer resistant—just my kind of plant!

Cut Flower Favorite: Alstroemeria 27.05.2021 1:59 ↓

There are bound to be some times of the year when there are no flowers in our gardens, and that is when we just have to buy some! A good reliable flower to buy is the South American native alstroemeria.

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow 20.05.2021 1:59 ↓

Brunfelsia is a long-blooming shrub from subtropical Australia, and it triggers lots of memories for me.

Angel's Trumpets 13.05.2021 1:59 ↓

The spectacular blooms known as Angel’s Trumpets grow on plants that are vase-shaped shrubs or small trees.

Flowering Tobacco 06.05.2021 1:59 ↓

Flowering Tobacco--for minimum effort, a gardener gets maximum results!

Thinking About Color 29.04.2021 1:59 ↓

It's is a good idea to think about color before you buy a bunch of news plants in springtime.

Righting Wrongs 22.04.2021 1:59 ↓

Springtime = Transplant, delete, cut back.

Lily-of-the-Valley Bush 15.04.2021 1:59 ↓

All Pieris shrubs are evergreen and are related to rhododendrons and mountain laurels.

Calycanthus floridus 08.04.2021 1:59 ↓

Calycanthus is a fine sweet shrub that also goes by the name of Carolina allspice.

Native Aronia 01.04.2021 1:59 ↓

Our native red and black chokeberry shrubs provide four seasons of interest and are drought tolerant once they are established in gardens

Native Spicebush 25.03.2021 2:00 ↓

Lindera is a host plant for the promethean moth and the spicebush swallowtail butterfly.

Siting Shrubs 18.03.2021 2:00 ↓

Shrubs are easy-care and long-lived stalwarts in our landscapes in all seasons of the year.

Avoiding Chaos 11.03.2021 2:00 ↓

How do we avoid a messy medley of too many plants creating chaos in the garden? I can tell you from personal experience that it isn’t easy!