Decorating the Porch for ChristmasI have enough Christmas things to decorate several rooms with much left over, but at this time in my life I keep things simple. I do like to decorate the porch so it will seem welcoming. I prefer natural things like berries, crab apples, evergreens, cones, etc. Most of these things I can collect from my own yard or the yards of family members and friends. I like them arranged in urns or baskets, and they last until the New Year, when I discard them. Here are a couple of examples for this year:
Growing African VioletsI love working in my garden, but each year the weather turns sometime in Oct/Nov as winter approaches. The only thing left to do on an occasional good day is raking leaves or cutting back perennials. This is when houseplants become important to me.
Use Your Garden To Decorate for FallThese simple and inexpensive ideas will look great from harvest to October and will add color and beauty to your porch.
Fall DecorationsI like to have a little extra color for fall in the front garden, so I use natural items I can purchase. A few pumpkins placed strategically where they are easily seen from inside or outside of the house add a homey feel. Stage each one on a planter, pot, urn, or garden bench and add a few fall trimmings from around the yard to complete your display.
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.
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.
More Than Just a Sea of GreenThere was a time when the Hostas available to the average gardener were predominantly shades of green with an occasional one that was gold or bluish. That is not true today, as the work of some dedicated hybridizers and mutations from Mother Nature have given us a wider palette of hosta colors to choose from. Careful selection of some of the lovely cultivars available today can make the Hosta Garden something more than a sea of green.
Add a Splash of Color to Your Hosta GardenIt goes without saying that tastes vary. Hosta purists might recoil at the addition of a strong primary color to the cool blues, greens, and golds in their garden. To others, including me, the judicious addition of a splash of strong color to a mature planting can add excitement and visual interest.
Companion Plants for the Hosta GardenHostas come in a great variety of colors, sizes, forms, and textures. A shady bed featuring only a number of well-chosen Hosta cultivars can provide great visual interest, but the addition of some companion plants can add to the overall beauty and diversity.
Hostas Are Wonderful in ContainersPlanting some Hostas in containers can bring wonderful variety to the garden. It also allows plants to be enjoyed on a patio or other shaded area where they can't go directly into the ground. A potted plant can also bring interest to a bed of Hostas. Give it a try.
Keeping the Garden GroomedA little time committed to deadheading will keep the garden looking fresher and more appealing.
Primroses....Add a Little Color Where I Need ItThis time of year I get hungry for a little spring color. Primroses are the ideal plant to fill this need.
Jump Starting an Amaryllis BulbOften when I buy a new Amaryllis Bulb it has crisp dry roots. Here is a way to give the bulb some help in starting.
A Fall Container for My PorchI love to have a nice container on my porch. Even if I don't have much company, I enjoy it each time I come home.
Catfacing in TomatoesSometimes when we pick a tomato we find an ugly deformation. This is called a "catface" or "catfacing".
Tips for Growing Beautiful RosesIf you are growing roses, you want to grow beautiful roses! While growing conditions differ across the country, and all of these suggestions may not work in some areas, I think many of these tips may be helpful in growing the beautiful blooms that we all covet.
Cooking Sweet CornThe microwave is a great way to quickly fix an ear of corn.
The Ubiquitous PrimroseThe definition of the term ubiquitous is "existing or being everywhere at the same time, constantly encountered." Are primroses ubiquitous?
Extending the Bearded Iris SeasonThe most popular and widely grown of the bearded irises are referred to as "tall bearded," but there are several other classes of bearded irises that can extend the bloom season and provide variety.
Irises Come in All the Colors of the RainbowWhen you see the exciting irises that are being introduced today, it is hard to believe that their ancestors were shades of white, blue or violet. Hiding in the genes and chromosomes of those ancestral irises was the possibility of a vast spectrum of colors and patterns. These diverse beauties are now being produced by talented iris breeders who are giving us astonishing blooms in all of the colors of the rainbow.
Growing Roses in My Utah GardenRoses are considered to be challenging by many gardeners, but here in Utah I have found their care to be quite easy. The rewards during bloom season far exceed the effort needed in order to have a lovely rose garden. A near perfect bloom brings me great pleasure.
Farm Stand Fruits and VegetablesIf you would like to grow more plants than you have space for, or if you love vegetables but prefer growing flowers, you might want to look for a good farm stand nearby. It can provide that garden fresh produce you look forward to each summer while you continue to enjoy your flower garden.
Growing Hostas from Seed and Watching for SportsGrowing your own hosta plants from seed can be a fun winter project. All you need is the seed, some soil for seedlings and a little patience. In the summer you can watch for sports on your mature plants.
Microclimates in My GardenA microclimate is a small but distinctly different climate within a larger area. Here in my area of Utah there used to be many fruit farms. The farmers planted the trees on the foothills where it was a little warmer. Cold would puddle in the lower valley and often the blossoms would freeze there while those higher in the valley would survive. I see some differences in my own garden.
Add Some Red to Your Holiday GreensThe addition of a splash of red to holiday greenery will brighten your holiday designs.
Decorating for the HolidaysJudicious pruning around the garden can provide materials for holiday decorating.
Save Your Overwatered PlantsWhen you buy houseplants, especially African Violets, they have often been overwatered and may be standing in water. If the plant still looks healthy and appealing, go ahead and buy it, and when you get it home, put it on several layers of folded paper towel and wick out as much water as possible, sometimes repeating with fresh paper towel several times. It is often amazing how much water they contain. Then don't water them for several days.
