Nothing is sweeter than the fresh look and sweet scent of a bowl of Paperwhites blooming indoors in the dead of winter. But, now is the time to plant if you want to have that exciting experience! Start by purchasing the largest bulbs you can find. I got mine online from www.easytogrowbulbs.com. I could not find any large bulbs locally… Read more →
I’m a little dahlia obsessed lately. The perfectly symmetrical, boldly colorful and long lasting flowers just thrill me….makes them so worth growing! So, when my dad and I headed to Butchart Gardens this summer I did a little pre-trip work and found out we would be close to Swan Island Dahlias when we stayed in Portland so I called my… Read more →
If you love making flower arrangements you’ll definitely want to grow your own Baby’s Breath (gypsophila) when you read how easy it is! I have had the “Happy Festival” plant pictured above for 10 years. It started out planted from a 4″ pot into a large raised bed. When the bed fell apart I dug it out and planted it… Read more →
A plane flight, a ferry ride, a bus trip and we finally arrived at the world famous Butchart Gardens in Vancouver, British Columbia! It’s gorgeous and worth the effort to visit. As I planned to travel there with my dad in August, I thought ahead about what I should try to learn from our visit to this famous garden. What… Read more →
Watching the birds hang upside down on our big sunflower heads, working so hard to get at the seeds, made me wonder if chickens might like the sunflowers. A little research showed me that they love them and they’re good for them! Tossing sunflowers heads into the pen didn’t make it easy for the girls to get at the seeds… Read more →
August is when Dahlias come into their colorful glory! Most people look through catalogs to select those they can’t live without and then order tubers which are delivered the following spring. Here in Sonoma County we can drop by Aztec Dahlias in Petaluma, Calif. and see in person which Dahlias are on our “must have” list before placing an order!… Read more →
Zinnias are “perfect” to me because of the perfectly symmetrical way they grow. Their rows of crisp, even petals are extremely pleasing. They come in so many colors and bicolors, have a lovely green leaf and no scent to cause allergies. But, they had one drawback in my garden…they always got mildew. This year I tried a new variety though… Read more →
I’ve had sunflowers in every garden I’ve ever grown. While I loved their bright sunny faces, there were a few things I didn’t like. I didn’t like those that were 9 feet tall and produced one huge flower that was great for seeds but fell over in every vase I tried. Then there were those that fit in a vase,… Read more →
Early this summer I attended a wonderful Master Gardener workshop on growing hydrangeas. The teacher, Carlyss, a very knowledgeable gardener who specializes in hydrangeas invited those of us who attended her class to tour her garden this July. She grows nearly 250 hydrangeas on acres of garden surrounding her home. They grow under large old oak trees, and, in the… Read more →
If I had to give up all but one flowering plant in my garden I’d keep my Alstroemerias! There’s a reason you frequently see them in vases in restaurants and offered at florists and flower stands. They last in the vase forever! Well, maybe not forever but a long time. Pronounced al-stro-MEE-ree-uh these flowers are also called Peruvian Lily. They… Read more →