Gum Balls Can Be Your Friend!I've been told all my life, you have to use what the good Lord gives you! Well, in the summer I get the shade from the gum tree, but in the winter months I get those dreaded gum balls everywhere. I decided there had to be something I could do with them.
Protection from Rabbits for Small Plants and SeedlingsHow to make simple cages to keep rabbits from eating your young plants.
Great Fun Attending a Dahlia ShowMy parents were plant lovers, and I remember attending flower shows with them when I was quite young. There were a number of active plant societies then, and many towns had garden clubs that put on a show each year. There was also the state fair and there were some county fairs with shows.
Dahlias Celebration Week WrapupWe're nearing the end of our Dahlias Week, and it was a great one! Let's have a look at the highlights from the week.
Dahlias: Dos And Don'tsMy love for dahlias got off to a really slow start. I much preferred soil beneath my fingernails than for those same nails to be blackened by bruises from driving dahlia stakes into the ground. And the truth was, dahlias had no other purpose on earth than to stand around looking totally tall and beautiful. I liked plants that had a reason for being, like tomatoes. Now there was a plant worth growing even if it did need to be staked.
Dahlias in all shapes and sizesMost gardeners are familiar with the more common types of dahlias, the Formal & Informal Decorative, the Ball, the Single, and the Cactus, but there are other forms that get less notice.
Solutions for Fruit FliesYou probably already know to wash or rinse fruits with edible skins, such as apples, pears, grapes, peaches, nectarines, and plums. Don't stop there!
Stake the DahliasI grew up loving wildflowers, their little blooms, their foliage, their purpose in life. They seemed to grow and bloom with absolutely no care or attention. I discovered quite early that none of that was true for my mother's prized dahlias. They had to be staked and tied and needed daily care. I wasn't very fond of a plant whose bloom was too heavy for the stalk it grew on.
Storing DahliasI am sure everyone here has their own method, but I have one that has been great. After digging, cleaning and dividing, I put the tubers in bags of various sizes, either Ziploc bags or old bread bags, identify them, then cover the tubers with extra dry Pro-Mix and seal the bag. They go in the coldest corner of the cellar, and my success rate has been virtually 100% for many years.
Pretty Dahlia StakesMany dahlias require staking, but there's a better look than rebar.
Celebrating Dahlias!We open the Dahlias Celebration Week with a look at the top cultivars, top comments, most thumbed images, and more!
Fascinating FasciationThe beauty around us seems endless, but sometimes Mother Nature outdoes herself in creating plants and flowers that are unique and that may, depending on your tastes, seem even more beautiful. Fasciated flowers have something that could be described as a little extra and could be considered either gorgeous or grotesque.
Milkweed, in SeedIn late summer Milkweed pods dry and burst open, showing seeds with silky parachutes.
Grow Milkweed and Help Save the Monarch ButterfliesCould the monarchs one day actually go extinct? It's not unheard of. The loss of milkweed is directly related to the loss of monarchs. Let's all grow milkweed and preserve this majestic species of butterfly.
Creating a Butterfly GardenMany of us envision a peaceful paradise where butterflies float, serenely sipping nectar from the beauty we have created. For me, the reality of a butterfly garden is humming, vibrant, and thrilling beyond anything I ever could have imagined. Here are some tips for creating a butterfly garden of your own.
Blame the Bird SeedFeeding the birds brings much to our lives. We see and learn from these beauties in a way we wouldn't otherwise. This joy may create some unexpected yard work.
Tips for ReplantingI'm currently replanting a daylily bed and thought I'd share a couple of tips.
A Method of Cleaning Sempervivum and Jovibarba SeedsI did quite a few crosses this year and, when it came to cleaning up the seeds, I found this method quite helpful in saving some time and avoiding the loss of too many seeds blown away with the debris.
Salvias Celebration WrapupWe're nearing the end of our Celebrating Salvias Week, and it was a great one! Let's have a look at the highlights from the week.
Salvias and Agastaches: Gardener's DelightSalvias and Agastaches are favorites in my garden. They are not only ornamental, but also highly beneficial. Here are three reasons, aside from their stunning and abundant beauty, to grow Salvias and Agastaches in your garden.
ATP Podcast #96: Storing SeedsIn this episode Trish shares her best tips on how to properly store and organize your seeds.
Sensational Salvias: Much More Than Those Fantastic Flowers!Hamilton Square Perennial Garden is one of three large gardens thriving in the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery. It is an all-volunteer labor of love. The concept of a garden cemetery may strike some as unusual, but it is now a much lovelier place to rest in peace or to just visit than in its past incarnation as a derelict and vandalized city-owned property. Hamilton Square has upwards of 50 Salvias. Here are a few with qualities that bring as much joy as their flowers.
Scent & Sight - Agastaches Have It All!Long lasting flowers that bring hummers and bees in droves, soft colors or wild bright colors, not to mention the scent! Agastaches will win you over, no matter where you live!
Salvia greggii: Blazing Autumn ColorAutumn Sage (Salvia greggii) is an enthusiastic bloomer and an excellent choice for robust fall color when annuals fade. Despite its name, this mint family (Lamiaceae) species flowers in many seasons.
The Top SalviasWe open the Salvias Celebration Week with a look at the top cultivars, top comments, most thumbed images, and more!
