by Karen on March 11, 2010
The unusual fragrant flowers that appear in late winter to early spring are the outstanding feature of the versatile plant. The bell-shaped lemon-yellow flowers have red to purple anthers and are borne in dangling clusters about 2 inches long on leafless branches, resembling the flower clusters of the shrimp plant. Each cluster consists of 6- 12 flowers and each shrub has an abundance of clusters making the tree quite showy during bloom time. The oval leaves that follow the flowers are pale-green with blue-green pubescent undersides and are deeply pleated. This is a fine shrub for a woodland or border and is especially nice when planted so that the spicy sweet fragrance of the flowers can be enjoyed at bloom time. As a bonus, the branches are beautiful in winter bouquets and the plants make bonsai subjects that are to die for! [click to read full post]
by Karen on March 10, 2010
When spring arrives bulbs like tulips and narcissus come up and bloom everywhere. As summer approaches you watch for bulbs like gladiolas and lilies. And in autumn you might see fall blooming bulbs like autumn crocus. But are all of these plants really bulbs? The bulb catalogues and gardening books treat them all as bulbs, and they all have a fleshy underground structures that look nothing like the network of roots of most of the plants in the garden. Some really are bulbs but others are actually corms, rhizomes, or tubers. [click to read full post]
by Karen on March 9, 2010
The bright yellow flowers of Winter Aconite stand out against the bare soil or the winter snow in late winter to early spring, a great reminder that spring really is coming. The low growing plants look wonderful in rock gardens or planted in drifts in woodlands where they naturalize easily especially in alkaline soil. This is a great selection for a place near the house where you can enjoy its early bloom time. [click to read full post]
by Karen on March 8, 2010
Here’s a unique garden idea from Japan; growing different colored plants to create a picture. The Japanese do it with rice and the pictures they create are huge, covering a whole field. Hundreds of thousands of rice plants are used, with different varieties providing the different colors. [click to read full post]
by admin on March 5, 2010
This crossword puzzle tests your knowledge about Spring flowering bulbs. All the answers are common names of bulbs. To complete the puzzle click on one of the Across or Down clues, type the answer into the box, and click the OK button (or “return” on your keyboard). Have fun!!! [click to read full post]
by Karen on March 4, 2010
The pink to white flowers of Bodnant viburnum in winter is a very welcome sight especially after a series of gray cold days. In mild climates the flowers may begin opening in fall but their winter appearance going into early spring is more common. As pretty as the flowers are, beauty is not their only virtue; they are fragrant so the plants should be placed along a path or near an entry way where you can enjoy their scent. And of course stems can be cut for a wonderful winter bouquet. The attractive shrubs have medium textured green leaves in summer and can provide support for flowering vines such as clematis; in autumn the foliage turns orange, red, and burgundy giving color to the fall garden. ‘Dawn’ does well as a specimen plant, part of a mixed border, or a hedge, and is a good subject for topiary, bonsai, and espalier. [click to read full post]
by Karen on March 3, 2010
The cool weather of spring and fall invites the planting of broccoli, a vegetable that is tasty, versatile, and good for you. A ½ cup of cooked fresh broccoli contains 23 calories and two anti oxidants, beta carotene and vitamin C, that help ward off cancer especially colon and rectal cancer. Broccoli is delicious raw with a dip or in salad, steamed with our without a sauce, in stir fry, and as part of a casserole. It teams well with chicken, turkey, beef, and ham and makes a hearty soup with cheese. If nothing I have mentioned tempts you, consider that it makes a wonderful addition to flower arrangements. Yes, broccoli can be classified as floral; those tiny green nobs that are eaten are the buds of flowers that open with yellow petals if left in the garden or refrigerator too long. [click to read full post]
by Karen on March 2, 2010
One of the earliest shrubs to bloom in our garden is our pussy willow and the arrival of its fuzzy catkins renews spirit like nothing else. Long before the first bloom appears, however, I cut some branches and bring them inside to force them into bloom so I can enjoy them while nothing else is available. If I put them in a vase without water once the catkins appear they last for a year or more. Meanwhile the shrubs outside thrive in a wet area of our property where they soak up some of the excess runoff when it rains and provide a leafy screen from spring to fall. They are large shrubs but if you have room for even one you will be handsomely rewarded; just be sure that you buy a male because it produces the larger and prettier catkins than the females. [click to read full post]
by Karen on March 1, 2010
The stately Stuart period Ham house and garden sit on the backs of The River Thames in the outskirts of London offering a glimpse of 17th century life. The mansion, built in 1610 during the reign of King James I for Sir Thomas Vavascour, later became the property of Elizabeth Maitland Duchess of Lauderdale, who altered and improved the house and initiated the garden design seen today. The garden was one of the few that escaped the England Landscape movement but became overgrown until 1975 when the National Trust took over the property and decided to restore the garden according to its original 1670s design using plants that were typical of 17th century gardens. Today you can see formal parterres, a “wilderness’, kitchen garden, grand terraces, and beautiful statuary. [click to read full post]
by admin on February 26, 2010
This simple game tests your gardening knowledge by identifying five plants shown in photos from a list of possible names. Two photos of each plant are accompaned by a clue describing the type of plant or its broad characteristics. [click to read full post]
