Flowers

Did you know that this is the year of the hosta? I didn’t just make that up. The National Garden Bureau (NGB) declared hosta “perennial of the year” in an …

How late is it too late to write a geranium fall care guide? Usually, if a care guide comes late in the season, it’s because I procrastinate a great deal. …

I often feel the need to defend growing annuals whenever the topic comes up in conversation. Most of the ornamentals in my garden are perennial, but there are always some …

Under the right conditions, bougainvillea can grow out of control. The frequent pruning they require throughout the growing season provides many opportunities to propagate bougainvillea from cuttings to grow additional …

I sometimes worry when I notice that the articles in which I confess some of my gardening mistakes are more popular than the ones in which I explain how to …

Strolling through local garden centers as the leaves begin to change, there is rarely a fall basket without a chrysanthemum playing peekaboo in a color display of orange and yellows.  …

If I had to choose the gardening philosophy closest to my lazy gardener’s heart, it would have to be “live and let live.” Or rather “live and let die … …

Dipladenias are full of surprises. To begin with they masquerade under different names. You might know them as Rocktrumpets or as Mandevillas. Although dipladenias are bushier than the vining mandevillas, …

In my mind, I’ve always associated hollyhocks with summer holidays at the beach. Even this year, my beach vacation was punctuated with oooh-ing! and aaaah-ing! over the majestic hollyhock torches …

The path going past my rhododendrons is looking extra worn out, and I’m the reason why. You see, I was pacing back and forth for a month in anticipation of …

The only reaction I seem to be capable of whenever I see lupines in a garden is to stop and stare. Some people call that admiration, others might call it …

I like big boastful plants. A quick perusal of my article portfolio on this website will show that whenever I write a single-plant article, it tends to be centered around …

As an introverted writer, I’m really fun at parties. As soon as new acquaintances find out that plants and gardening are how I spend my work days as well as …

Bloom bloom bloom, now let me hear you say way-ooh! I debated on whether or not that should be the intro to my article; but there’s something about the blanket …

After a well-deserved summer vacation, most people generally come back home with a few souvenirs; or maybe sporting a nice golden tan; or, as is the case of my husband, …

Last year was a year of extreme drought around the world. From North America to Europe and on to Africa and Asia, few countries escaped the parched earth, fires, and …

Hostas reward gardeners with an ever-changing landscape as they grow back year after year. The lush spring leaves, midsummer blooms, and subtle autumn foliage color make gorgeous mass plantings in …

As I’m writing this article, closely on the heels of the spring equinox, I’m looking out the window at my garden just starting to wake up from its slumber. One …

I cherish fleeting moments in the garden, but I sometimes think that not much else seems as fleeting as the blooming and fading of camellia flowers. After months and months …

It seems like only yesterday I was writing an article on how to prepare your roses for the winter months. While at the same time, it also seems like this …

If I had read clematis care advice before buying a single clematis plant, I would have surely abandoned the purchase altogether. While I am generally pretty savvy about deciphering plant …

“I can totally start these flowers from seed,” I mumble under my breath as I weave my way around stands upon stands of starter plants at the gardening center on …

I’m writing this article in early February and the countdown to spring is on. I can almost smell the change of seasons in the air. The days are getting noticeably …

As the saying goes, two things in life are certain, though allow me to choose not to list them here. But as a gardener, I’d like to petition to add …