By Claire Jones
Once in a while, a new plant comes along that I fall in love with—for its ease of growing, beauty, and all-around usefulness. This time, it's the annual Monarch Magic Ageratum, introduced by BallFloraPlant, a one-of-kind plant . Commonly known as Floss Flower, it gets its name from the fine, thread-like texture of its tiny, …
Continue reading "Ageratum Monarch Magic – Butterfly Magnet"
Gardening here in the mid-Atlantic the past couple of summers has been more challenging than previous years because of our increased and prolonged heat 'domes' where we have hit the triple digits for multiple days in a row. Excessive heat can affect all the plants in your garden adversely and can negatively impact growth, development, …
Continue reading "Strategies for Gardening in Extreme Heat"
Gardeners with perennial flower gardens might already have a go-to method for readying their beds for fall and winter, but there are new ecological friendly ways to clean up your plot that are more in tune with nature. Chop and Drop is exactly what it sounds like. You chop (or cut) dead plant material, then …
Continue reading "Save Time and Money with Chop and Drop"
Bird House Gourds, Lagenaria siceraria, a type of tropical squash native to northern Africa, have been on my radar for a few years and finally I decided to bite the bullet and grow them last season. Using my large cattle fence arbor, which usually supports cucs, cherry tomatoes, and beans, I knew I would have …
Continue reading "Seed to House – Growing Bird House Gourds"
In the Mid-Atlantic region where I live, we have had quite a bit of rain and the resulting emergence of weeds overnight has been overwhelming. I see the weeds pop up in open mulched areas as well as close to the base of established plants (hard to get to) and between pavers. Weeding can be …
Continue reading "Tackling Weeds and Saving Your Back"
After just returning home from a trip to England that included the world's greatest floral experience - Chelsea - I wanted to pass on my favorites and highlights. Many consider attending to be an experience of a lifetime, and I totally agree, and even though I have been there four times, it never gets old. …
Continue reading "Experiencing the Chelsea Flower Show"
For a hearty vegetable casserole that makes awesome leftovers, try this Primavera Casserole. I am getting lots of fresh spinach, asparagus, and herbs from the garden this spring and was looking for a way to combine them. Primavera simply means spring time and I use a lot of spring ready vegetables. The vegetables are interchangeable …
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The Chelsea Chop is not a knife technique, ax throw, or dance move. A gardener term, the Chelsea Chop is a  pruning technique used on herbaceous perennials where you trim back the actively growing plant growth by 1/3 to 1/2 of its height, typically done in late spring, when the Chelsea Flower show is held. …
Continue reading "Chelsea Chop: How and When to Use It"
Using several types of raised beds over my gardening career- all wood- I was excited to discover and start using the new modular metal ones available at Vego Garden. Wooden raised beds work fine for a while, but will ultimately deteriorate over time. So, I was interested in trying something more lasting with these food-safe …
Continue reading "Gardening with Vego Garden Raised Beds – Transforming Your Backyard Oasis"
With over 1000 varieties, Salvia is a huge genus in the mint family, and comes in a dizzying variety of colors, sizes, and hardiness. Annual, perennial, temp perennial, or small shrubs, most of the varieties have stunning and colorful flowers paired with fragrant foliage. Tolerating a wide variety of soils and conditions, Salvias need minimal …
Continue reading "In Celebration of Salvias – King of Deer Proof Plants"
Spring renewal is in the air and I love using my foraged curly willow in floral arrangements and structures for the garden. The unseasonable cold has kept my stock of curly willow supple and ready to turn into projects. The first tiny leaves have appeared but are easy to pull off. Most of my curly …
Continue reading "Curly Willow Easter Nest Centerpiece"
Honeywort has been on my radar for years as a bee flower power-house. I have grown it for about 10 years and people who see it in my garden are intrigued as they have never seen it before. I have only ever seen it grown in the UK, but it is quite easy to …
Continue reading "Honeywort is the Star of the Pollinator Garden"
