By Claire Jones
Catching Up My two Italian bee packages arrived in MD this weekend and I am very excited. First promised in April, a cold and wet spring in Georgia held up the delivery for an unprecedented two long months. By this time of year, the packages should have been installed, the bees settled in and raising brood, plus storing honey for …
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Strawberries are the ultimate berry - sweet, easy to pick, and useful in tons of desserts. Healthy too! When my friends say "Let's go and pick strawberries and make jam for everyone in one day!",  I jumped at the chance. Call it strawberry bonding! The day was perfect, with a nice breeze, the temps below 80 …
Continue reading "Jam Session"
Last year, I posted about installing a stone labyrinth for a client. We started in the fall, worked through the winter, and just finished up the spring plantings. Go to Healing Labyrinth-Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, to see how I created and implemented the design and installation. The theme for the plantings was pollinator friendly shrubs and perennials …
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I love putting containers together and saw some especially beautiful ones this spring that stopped me in my tracks. I did not create them, but I wished I had! I took pictures and thought maybe one day I would duplicate them. I am constantly amazed at what others put together so creatively. Like a canvas …
Continue reading "Container Lust"
Grafted tomatoes has been touted as the biggest development to happen in the last 2o years in gardening. That is a really big claim! I can think of others- the popularity of container gardening comes to mind right away and how about the popularity of heirloom varieties? So, I was intrigued when I heard about this new thing come …
Continue reading "Grafted Tomatoes-What’s Next??"
I love different types and colors of potatoes and am always ready to try purple or even more exotic colors. The different hues can be expensive at farmers markets and grocery stores, so I try to grow them but have always been discouraged about how much room the plants consume as well as the labor of …
Continue reading "Leaning Tower of Potatoes"
Peonies are blooming right now and I am in heaven! I love the flowers for cutting, fragrance, and Wow factor. Plunk some peonies into a vase, and it looks like an arrangement by a master. You don't need to arrange them - they just sit in a vase and say "look at me!" No one …
Planted Furniture for the Patio I went to a cocktail party at a plant lovers house, saw his planted table and was enthralled! I was sure that I could create one just as good, if not better. I looked around for a table that I could buy and convert to a planted table, but it …
Continue reading "Plants at Your Fingertips!"
I get a lot of questions about taking care of Knock Out Roses at this time of year with people unsure of what to do with those vigorous Knock Out Roses that they are sure will be engulfing their yards soon! You really need to hack them back to stubs and people are scared to …
Continue reading "Mow Down those Knock Out Roses!"
I post a lot about miniature gardens and accessories and am always looking for different plants to set these gardens off. I found a series of miniature plants that sport stunning color combos for 2013! They are called 'Little Cutie' Coral Bells. The colors are phenomenal, and they are spicing up containers for the spring. I got …
Continue reading "Little Cuties Are A Rainbow Of Colors"
Finesse With Containers Anyone with a flower pot can put together a container in an afternoon with a trip to the local big box store or nursery. But here are a few pointers which help with the final result that will turn your finshed product from the pedestrian geranium with vinca vine to a showplace masterpiece …
Continue reading "Containers With Pizazz ! Not Your Ordinary Container!"
Have you seen this blooming on your property??? If your answer is yes, get ready to do battle!! This is a really nasty invasive that hales from Europe and Asia and is taking over North America. It is Ranunculus ficaria, Lesser Celandine, or more commonly just a cute little buttercup. It was introduced as an ornamental plant in …
Continue reading "Beware of the Buttercup Bully!!!"
