Attention Pansy Fans! These TRAILING PANSIES are a must have for anyone with even the slightest attraction to pansies. They survive very cold temps, they trail, and they bloom from Fall to Spring. They also are an ideal choice in a setting where uniformity is important. And these hybrids are trailing, which makes them perfect for containers and hanging baskets for those [...]
How Thirsty are YOUR Plants? Author and gardener Pamela Crawford is profiled by Steve Bender in an old issue of Southern Living. Pamela is an expert on growing beautiful flowers while saving water, money and time. In the profile, Pamela provides Southern Living readers with a ranking of nine popular plants according to their water needs , Teetotalers ("these stalwarts never [...]
The Toad Lily GardenWise is looking forward with our five favorite Garden Delights this week, in no particular order, for Fall 2011. Yesterday we started with an all-time eye-catching favorite, Pink Muhly Grass. Today we look at what I think is a garden must have, one that I've blogged about many times and just cant [...]
Larkspur is July's Birth Flower If you didn’t sow Larkspur seed in October for flowering in late spring, no worries. You can buy the plants at your local gardening center. Larkspur (Delphinium consolida,) which symbolizes an open heart, tends to be a bit fussy. But if you have success, Larkspur is a beautiful addition to any garden. And for those born in July, [...]
The Toad Lily With its beautiful orchid-like white flowers with purple flecks and graceful arching growth habit, Toad Lily (Tricyrtis hirta) compels anyone who gazes upon it to stop for a closer look. A must have for any garden, the Toad Lily blooms from late summer through the fall season and happily grows in the shade, providing an unforgetable eye-catching colorful interest. The plant typically stands 2-3 [...]
Larkspur – A Late Spring Bloomer If you didn’t sow Larkspur seed in October for flowering in late spring, no worries. You can buy the plants at your local gardening center. Larkspur (Delphinium consolida,) which symbolizes an open heart, tends to be a bit fussy, and I’ve not had much luck in the DC-area. But if you have success, [...]
Today it's all about one of my favorite Fall show stoppers -- Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaries.) It reaches about 4'x3', with a nicely cascading, fountainous habit of cloud-like foliage. It also has billowy and profuse blooms. Pink Muhly is a North American native, and looks great en masse in a sunny garden border with hot-pink Knock Out Roses, or as a [...]
Burning Bush is a Fall Favorite Don't call the fire department because that's not a fireball in your garden, it's a Dwarf Burning Bush (Euonymus alata "Compactus,") a low-care, beautiful shrub. With its upright, bushy and vase-shaped habit, Burning Bush is a Fall garden's best friend with its brilliant and intense fiery scarlet Red foilage. Your guests will do a double take when they see your [...]
A Late Spring Garden Delight Sow larkspur seed this month for flowering in late spring. The seed should be scattered in sunny borders that have been weeded & cultivated. Distinctive, feathery seedlings will appear by late winter and might need thinning in March. Avoid beds that are heavily mulched or treated with herbicides.
Tulips Mid-October through Mid-November is the peak time to plant Tulip bulbs. Tulipa 'flaming parrot' is one of my favorites. Go to your local garden center--or go online--find the varieties or colors that inspire you most, and add tulips to your spring garden plan! There's nothing more welcome than the sight of a beautiful Tulip in spring after a long winter. [...]