What to do with your garden obelisks in winter? Create a fun and beautiful Christmas decoration! Supplies needed: 1. Garden obelisk (I used metal, but wood would also work.) 2. 4 small cups or votive candle holders filled with sand, clay or melted wax. 3. Green garland (I used artificial, but real evergreens would […]
Fall Bloomers!
This is the time of year when my garden is looking a little (or a lot!) tired from the heat of summer and the end of the life cycle for the summer annuals. So the last few years I’ve tried to add blooming plants that hit their peak in the fall! Best of all, these […]
Ranunculus!
Time to Plant Ranunculus! Sometimes I feel guilty for having a favorite flower, but if I had to pick one, it would be ranunculus! All of the fall planted bulbs are gorgeous: freesia, daffodils, Dutch iris, etc., but the ranunculus are amazing with their dozens of papery petals and brilliant colors. And like the other […]
Got Grapes?
Thompson Seedless Grapes Why grow grapes? They make a beautiful and lush addition to a patio cover or fence AND provide delicious fruit! If grown on a patio cover, the hanging fruit is stunning and so fun to watch mature! Are they hard to grow? No! If anything, they grow too well and require a […]
Five Simple Steps to Designing Beautiful Flower Beds
For those of us who have no training in design, creating a cohesive, beautiful and long blooming flower bed can be a challenge. I should know! As a very left brain thinker, design is not my forte! But over the years I’ve found a few simple steps that are easy to remember and implement. 5 […]
Bountiful Berries: Part 3 – Boysenberries
Harvest in May/June Flowering in April YUMMMM!!!!!! There is nothing more flavorful than a boysenberry picked at the peak of ripeness! And the only way to get them is to grow your own, because they are so fragile that growers have to pick them before they get to that stage. Fortunately, they are easy to […]
Bountiful Berries: Part 2, Blueberries
How to Grow Blueberries If you live in an area that has acidic soil, you can plant blueberries right in the ground. But if, like me, you live in an area that has alkaline soils, it’s best to grow blueberries in pots in an acidic potting soil. Five Simple Steps to Delicious Blueberries: 1. Choose […]
Favorite June Flower: Shasta Daisy
Got Cut Flowers? Shasta Daisy One of my all time favorite cut flowers are Shasta daisies. They are perennial, super disease and pest resistant, and the clumps get bigger each year. They also tend to self sow, which I love as each year there are more plants and, therefore, more flowers to cut. In the […]