Annuals Articles
Supertunia petunias are some of the most versatile plants you can find. They are fantastic landscape varieties and look awesome when planted in a monochrome swath of color or when several colors are mixed. They also perform beautifully in patio planters, hanging baskets, window boxes, raised beds…actually, in any spot that gets at least four hours of sun a day. Six or more hours of sun a day helps maximize their flower power. If you live in a more northern climate, several hours of afternoon sun is the key to getting the best possible flower show.
At the end of each year, we always like to look back…before we look ahead. We like to see and learn from finding out what plants were the most popular with gardeners, and then we ask ourselves why? Was it varieties with bright colors, or plants that invite pollinators into the garden, or hydrangeas that offer blooms we can later bring indoors?
If you enjoy relaxing with a glass of wine and a good book at the end of the day, or sipping a good vino with friends and family, you may enjoy this list of plants that have wine-inspired names. Is it possible that a glass of wine (or two) inspired the names on this list? Let’s just say inspiration comes from many sources!
Do you find dark plants intriguing? Could your garden use a little more mystery? A goth garden might be just your style. Check out these ideas for designing a goth garden and the enchanting elements one might include.
Enjoy this just-for-fun list of plants with spooky names…‘tis the season for ghouls and ghosts galore and orange and black décor too!
I get the feeling that orange is an often-overlooked color. Yellow and red, two other hot colors, seem to get better PR than orange, and that is unfortunate since orange is awesome! Whether you combine it with yellow and red to create a party atmosphere on your patio or contrast it with cool blue for a high drama planting, you’ll realize that orange is a much more flexible color than you might have thought. Here are 23 plants with orange flowers to consider for your garden.
No one wants to see summer’s splendor end, but by growing the types of plants you’ll read about here, your garden can continue to be bursting with vibrant colors well into fall. A flourishing autumn garden includes a mix of many kinds of plants including fresh cool season annuals, grasses with prominent plumes, and perennials with fantastic fall foliage. Take your pick to see what kind of natural portrait you could paint in your own garden this season.
I wish I could claim this idea as my own, but it is one I learned of a few years ago when I visited the University of Tennessee Gardens in Knoxville. They had several different gardens that would surely appeal to children, including a garden gnome village and a hobbit house to explore. However, the garden that caught my eye was the Plant Zoo. The plant zoo was planted with varieties whose names referenced animals of all kinds. Sometimes the names were specific plant names, like Tiger Lily, but others were common names like Lambs Ear. The tags in the garden used outlines of the animal in the plant name. I love the concept and I think this would be easy enough to pull off in your home garden with your kids or grandkids helping. Such an easy way to get a child interested in a garden! The plant tags the University had, might not be easily replicated. However, if you want to ID your plants, I think clip art, Sharpies, river rocks, and mod podge would allow the kids to make rock markers for your zoo garden in no time!
Studies show spending time in gardens and green spaces or directly nurturing plants, is healthy for us. In fact, hospitals often use surrounding gardens and plants in therapeutic programs. This realization also leads to another great reality; we need to plant, protect and conserve our plants and green spaces.
You could harvest your next meal from your expansive vegetable garden, but what if you’re someone who gardens solely on a balcony or don’t have room for a dedicated veggie patch? Good news! You can grow plenty of herbs, small fruits and vegetables in containers, and you might find a few edible flowers growing in your landscape, too. Here are five tips to get you started.
