By Claire Jones
Who wouldn't want to grow a flower that smells like chocolate cake? Chocolate Cosmos, Cosmos atrosanguineus, has velvety, burgundy-maroon flowers so named because of their sweet, cocoa-like fragrance. The fragrance is due to vanillin, an organic compound also found in cocoa and is most noticeable on warm and sunny days. The flowers are similar to …
Continue reading "Chocolate Cosmos Growing Guide"
ReWilding is a big buzz word in the horticultural world right now. But what does it mean for you and your garden? According to the Oxford Dictionary, ReWilding is to restore an area of land to its natural uncultivated state, used especially with reference to the reintroduction of species of wild animal that have been driven …
Continue reading "Top 10 Ways to ReWild Your Garden"
My next tour coming up will be the Netherlands and Belgium, including the garden that is on every gardener's bucket list- Keukenhof. I was there a few years ago and spent an entire day at Keukenhof at peak bloom time and got so many ideas of new tulips and ways to use them. You can …
Continue reading "Tulips, Windmills, and Cheese!"
Fresh off the MANTS (Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show) floor in snow-covered Baltimore, I made lots of fresh contacts and found many exciting plant introductions that I want to use in my future landscaping projects. I am stoked for the 2025 gardening year and the new plants and ideas that are hitting the nursery and garden …
Continue reading "Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show – 2025"
I had the opportunity to visit the legendary gardens, The Lost Gardens of Heligan, in the Spring of 2023, located near St. Austell, Cornwall. One of Europe's largest garden restoration projects, and on the bucket list for any adventurous gardener, Heligan (means willow tree) is one of the most fascinating estates in England. Also named …
Continue reading "The Lost Gardens of Heligan"
After the final hard frost of the season, sometime in mid-November here in USDA zone 7 Maryland, I am starved for winter color. Much of my winter interest is present with pealing bark, stem colors, and berries, but I am especially interested in flowers that bloom in the coldest of weather. Flowers in December, January, …
Continue reading "Favorite Top 10 Blooms for the Winter Garden"
Decorating with succulents at Christmas makes the perfect topiary tree centerpiece needing much less care than a floral arrangement and looks good for months. I started my tree last February so the succulents would have plenty of time to grow in, but you can create a stunning tree by using rosettes of succulents from full …
Continue reading "A Succulent Christmas Tree Centerpiece"
Decorating the historic Manor House at Ladew Topiary Gardens in Monkton, Maryland, in festive holiday splendor has been going on for 42 years by local designers and Garden Clubs. I was honored to be asked to decorate a room this December and chose the Butler's Pantry, adjacent to the kitchen, where normally food would be …
Continue reading "Decorating for Christmas at Ladew Topiary Gardens"
Late summer is Basil time around my house. After growing all summer in my veggie garden, it is full and bushy, even though I am harvesting it regularly. Heat and sun loving, this summer has been both, and the Basil this year is loving it! The hydroponic stuff you buy in the grocery store doesn't compare …
Continue reading "For the Love of Basil"
Maryland is tomato central right now. The ripe orbs are rolling in and I am inundated with a river of them from only 14 plants. Started in early March in my greenhouse, the spring was so warm that I planted them in the ground the third week of April. Our traditional last frost free …
Continue reading "Bonanza Tomato Bumper Crop: What To Do With All Those Tomatoes!"
"Foraging" is a big trend in gardening circles these days. To forage means "to search widely for food or provisions", according to the Oxford dictionary. I would also add: "to harvest from your garden for flowers and foliage to enjoy nature's beauty". Think of a forage garden as a beautiful marriage of your garden and …
Continue reading "Embracing Weeds : Found Floral Design and Edibles"
Many concerned gardeners want to transition their home garden dominated by non-natives to a more pollinator friendly native garden once they realize the benefits to the environment. Native gardens increase biodiversity, connect to natural ecosystems, and provide habitat for native wildlife. The goal for planting natives in your garden is to contain at least 70% …
