Sunpatiens: a Flower-Making Machine
Imagine: Dedee walked through the display garden with an eye on the plants but her mind on her new patio. It was going to be her first outdoor room and it was nearly complete. She’d have space for 2 lounge chairs so that she and her BFF could relax and talk with...
A Visit To Patch of Heaven Gardens
First of all, huge thanks to the FNGLA for making my visit to Patch of Heaven Gardens possible. They were kind enough to arrange for a group of garden communicators to visit several horticultural sites in Florida in January 2017. It was an amazing experience. In this...
Emilia Javanica, Tassel Flower & Irish Poet
Imagine: Sandra loved pastels, so naturally when she planted a flower garden, those are the colors she chose. She bought annuals and perennials that were lavender, pink and white. True blue blossoms were hard to find, but the hydrangeas in the back of her flowerbed...
Dear Garden Lady
Selected letters asking The Garden Lady’s advice… Dear Garden Lady, I woke up with a black eye and blamed the dog, but it was actually the garden that was at fault. You see, ever since we’ve been married my husband Tim has made it clear that he thinks that...
Planters With A Fun Factor
When we cleaned out my mother-in-law’s house a few years ago some of the things we found were planters from the early 1960’s. “I used to buy these for my mom for her birthday or Mother’s Day,” my husband said. “They had a plant in...
Twig Supports for Amaryllis Blooms
If you grow Amaryllis bulbs, and keep them from year to year, you’ve probably had one or more fall over from the weight of the huge flowers. If this happens and the stem breaks, place it in a vase as a cut flower. But if you want to support the stem before it...
Phlox Subulata – A Plant That Lifts Spirits
Imagine: Even though it was spring, he was feeling glum. The job wasn’t going well, he’d had words with his sisters, and life seemed to be all grays and browns. The sky was cloud-covered and the land around his house seemed to be stuck in winter dormancy. But as he...
Over-Wintering Plants In The Garage
At this time of year my garage is packed to the rafters. Sure, I have the usual assortment of snow shovels, ladders, fertilizers and other garden products. There is a rack of boots, some brooms and the garbage cans…normal garage stuff. But from December through...
Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’
Imagine: You’re sitting with friends and family around the fire pit, laughing and telling stories. Dinner and drinks have been consumed and everyone is enjoying the fact that a steady breeze is keeping the mosquitoes away. The kids have finished roasting marshmallows...