Thursday, October 11, 2007 Have you ever seen a well-designed, well-constructed rock garden? I have been lucky enough to have visited several in the US and Canada. In each, I have been amazed at its beauty and the skillful combination of natural elements and plants. Each one has been in a different area, where the design of …
Thursday, October 11, 2007 Which will compete better with Silver Maple roots, Epimedium or Hellebore? Can they be planted together? • Yes, Epimedium and Hellebore can compete with tree roots. Try mounding compost on top of the tree roots in which the perennials can establish themselves. Epimedium and Hellebore take …
read more »Thursday, October 11, 2007 Remember when the very idea of the color purple was like a bad word? Go to school in purple socks and risk getting laughed off the playground. It was a color that was almost as good as a laugh line. • But purple has changed. According to the color industry it's going to be this year's fashion …
Thursday, October 11, 2007 I never thought I'd be complaining about too much rain. Oh sure, some days when I am dying to dash out to the garden to rearrange a few things and put in a few new plants I am disappointed if a sudden rain shower thwarts me. But after what seems like several years of unrelieved drought and far too …
Thursday, October 11, 2007 Fragrant Double Tuberose • Coral Drops (Bessera elegans) • Non-Stop Begonia Mix • Apple Blossom Begonia • Begonia Champagne • Picotee Begonia Mix • Stars of India (Achimenes) • Fragrant Double Freesia Mix • Agapanthus Blue • Crocosmia (Saffron Fire Flowers) • Mexican Shell …
Thursday, October 11, 2007 Pleione formosaPleione formosa is native to the higher altitudes in China and the Himalayans, but are only hardy to approximately 32-40 degrees Fahrenheit (zone 8-10) in winter in the home garden environment. • It is often grown by orchid enthusiasts as a container plant, but being a terrestrial …
Thursday, October 11, 2007 For many of us, the idea of a secret garden has a certain appeal. Perhaps it is our romantic side, coming to the front. Perhaps it is simply that we loved the book of that name. We may seek a place to which we can escape when we feel overwhelmed, angry or frustrated - and there is no place better …
Thursday, October 11, 2007 I've always loved reading mysteries. Sometimes I can predict how all the various plot twists will resolve themselves, but the best ones continue to surprise me right up to the final showdown. In a way, gardening is a lot like reading a good mystery story. You do your best to choose plants that …
read more »Thursday, October 11, 2007 I can see you scratching your head over this title! Orange has been considered an outrageous color for as long as I can remember. In fact, I remember being flabbergasted when I heard that the Color Marketing Institute had declared it one of this year's hot colors. I mean - ORANGE??? Can you even …
Thursday, October 11, 2007 Sometimes, especially when gardening season is just getting launched, we can see in our mind's eye all the potential that our garden may have - if everything grows the way it should, if the weather is just right, if we can keep up with the weeds and deadheading and watering. Early garden season is …