The ups and downs of the gardening world.
On a recent visit to the Naples Botanical Gardens in Naples, Florida, I was wowed by the gardens, available lectures, workshops, and tours for adults and children. Only in existence for 10 years, it is astounding what has been accomplished in that short time frame. Founded in 1993, construction didn't take place until nearly 10 …
Continue reading "Naples Botanical Garden-Florida Jewel"
Gardeners and Hellebores Ok, drumroll here....I think I can say that Hellebores are my favorite perennial plant. A well-kept secret of garden enthusiasts, Hellebores should be more widely known to serious and not so serious gardeners alike; this is a plant that is worth seeking out. What other plant resists deer, neglect, likes shade-even deep shade, is …
Continue reading "Hellebores-Every Gardener Should Have Some"
Having a bunch of succulents on hand from various projects, I wanted to create something special for Valentine's Day. Rooting succulents is easy and I wanted to make the rooting process attractive as well as productive. Succulent cuttings simply involves cutting a 3" terminal branch and removing the lower leaves. Leave them out for a …
Continue reading "Succulent Hearts For Valentines Day"
Cerinthe major atropurpurea , featured at Sissinghurst Castle in England, is actually a native of the Greek Islands. This hard to find annual is definitely a much sought after easy to grow annual from seed. Not available as transplants, you can get the seed from Renee's Garden Seeds. An unusually colored flower with indigo-violet drooping …
Continue reading "Start Honeywort This Spring for Great Cut Flowers and Bee Food"
Beekeeping has moved from the pastime of fusty middle-aged men to young urban couples and singles. It is trendy now to become a beekeeper! Who could have predicted that? When I worked at the bee booth at the Fairgrounds recently, I was amazed at the young (under 30!) people, both male and female who were …
Continue reading "Beekeeping For Newbees or Wannabees"
Taking ornaments off of my Christmas tree this season, I thought what a shame it would be to put it out to the curb for shredding into mulch. Wanting to make another use out of this hard working tree, I decided to decorate it with a bird buffet. A bird buffet and a dog buffet! …
Continue reading "For the Birds – Recycled Christmas Tree"
It is time for the Mid-Atlantic Nurseryman's Show (MANTS) in Baltimore. After attending the show last week, I am stoked for the 2020 gardening year and the new plants that are hitting the nursery shelves. In this post, I list the plants that interested me, but there are lots of other new varieties that will …
Continue reading "Gardening Trends- New Plants 2020"
It's that time of year again, where I review my most viewed posts from all over the world and I was surprised at some of the posts that were at the top of the heap. The top ten countries that view my blog in descending order are the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, India, Germany, …
Continue reading "Top Gardening Posts for 2019"
The indoor and outdoor display at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA ends its six-week run on Jan. 5. The focus is on "Shapes of Christmas" and includes a jaw-dropping 350 foot ribbon made of bending Italian poplar, covered with gilded wallpaper, and edged with crushed walnuts shells and glitter. Magical Conservatories A family tradition …
Continue reading "Longwood Gardens’ Magical Shape Christmas"
After picking out dead honeybees from a honeycomb frame recently, I pledged to use only plants that are neonic free. Neonics or neonicitonoids have been implicated in recent bee declines as well as other factors, such as loss of habitat and the game changer bee parasite- varroa mite. There are a number of studies that …
Continue reading "Updated: Neonic and Pesticide Free Nurseries"
