I never intended to create the Lantana stand. Never in my wildest gardening dream did I expect it to get this huge. There were no warning labels to prepare me for what it has become. And it all began so innocently… In the beginning, there were only a lonely tea rose and a few New Guinnea impatiens, I. hawkeri, growing in the neat round bed in the center of our new front yard. We bought the house in...
A friend showed me a video she had taken in her backyard of hummingbirds swarming around one of her feeders. She loves hummingbirds and works hard to attract and care for them. She plants containers filled with flowers she knows they like, and maintains multiple feeders kept stocked with sugar water. She told me that she has several tiny feeders on stakes that she places among the flowers in her containers. There were so many tiny birds flying about...
The Historic Red, White and Blue Red, White and Blue is the iconic color scheme of an American summer. These colors each have deep meanings and various interpretations. American revolutionaries adopted these colors for our colonial flags beginning in 1776. Yet red, white and blue were also the colors of the British flag, and the British Red Ensign Flag, a field of red with a Union Jack in the upper left corner, which flew over Colonial and British ships from...
Do you have a hanging basket that is struggling in summer’s heat? Do you have plants under-performing because you can’t keep their container sufficiently watered? The Hydration Equation Keeping plants supplied with water and nutrients is an ongoing challenge with any container planting, especially with baskets and window boxes. Plants require water and nutrients for strong growth an abundant flowers. A hanging basket is an extreme environment for many plants. Baskets will dry out quickly on a scorching, sunny summer...
Have you ever watched a bumblebee explore a Hibiscus flower? Each flower is large enough for the bee to crawl around the depths of its funnel shaped petals to collect as much pollen as possible. Short, powdery stamens grow like bristles on a bottle brush from a long, tubular pistil. The bee emerges white with pollen and satisfied by the flower’s nectar. Hibiscus shrubs, commonly known as Rose of Sharon, bloom from June through November in our area. Each...
A friend was excited to buy milkweed plants at a WBG plant sale several years ago. They aren’t easy to find commercially, and few people raise them from seed. When I saw her again a few weeks later, I inquired about how her plants were doing. “Oh, I must have done something wrong. They’re not looking so good. Most of the leaves have disappeared,” she replied. I quickly reassured her that it was unlikely she had done...
Pollinators, like this American Lady butterfly featured in our June banner, move from one plant to another while searching for protein-rich pollen or high-energy nectar to eat. As they go, they are dusted by each plant they visit with pollen and in turn, they leave pollen behind. This pollen transfer fertilizes the plants enabling them to produce fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. These foods form the foundation for the food chain for humans as well as other species. According to...
Colorful and enticing plants fill every table and rack at garden centers in May. Even the most experienced gardener may feel a little overwhelmed with so many interesting choices. Annual or perennial? How big will this get? Will deer and bunnies eat it? How long will it last? Sun or shade? Will it grow in a pot? Will it stand the heat? How much care will it require? And most importantly, will it go the distance and survive all season?...
Colorful flowers and enticing plants fill every table and rack at garden centers right now. Even the most experienced gardener may feel a little overwhelmed with so many beautiful choices. Annual or perennial? How big will this get? Will deer and bunnies eat it? How long will it bloom? Sun or shade? Will it grow in a pot? Will it stand the heat? How much care will it require? And most importantly, will it go the distance and survive all...