Upcycled Wine Bottle Hummingbird Feeder

For all of you hummingbird fans out there this is a really great little feeder that recycles those wine bottles that are so plentiful during the social summer months! Great gift idea too! Glass beads for the handle to hang all over garden make for a flurry of activity!   You can get one here:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/72565022/upcycled-wine-bottle-hummingbird-feeder  

Petite Perennials....Smaller Scale Favorites

Perennials have long been a popular choice for adding color to gardens.  However, today many homeowners don't have the space or the time for extensive perennials borders.  You can still incorporate many of these perennials if you choose your cultivars carefully.

Bold colors of Phlox have been introduced in cultivars that are both compact and disease-resistant, including the Flame Series and the Volcano Series.

Bee Balms which are a magnet for hummingbirds and butterflies can be an amazing color show but most varieties are quite tall making them too large for the small garden.  There are pint-sized selections such as Fireball and Petite Wonder that will suit any small space with vibrant grace.

 

Explore the new plants and new cultivars.  There are so many options and choice sure to fill any space!

Everything Goes With Black....BLACK VELVET PETUNIA

I think I am in love!  These are incredible!  The world's only black petunia. A 'goes-with-everything' petunia to pair up with other sun-lovers. What a dramatic statement alone or mixed with bright pinks, corals, and yellows!  Game on...I am on the hunt for these!   Stay tuned for planter pictures~

Add Texture & Color With Lamium...Showy Ground Cover

One of my favorite fast growing perennials to be used as a ground cover!  Lamium (Spotted Dead Nettle)  prefers a semi-shady dry area with well-drained soil but will tolerate a wide range of soils and moisture.  It is best to cut this plant back after the first bloom to promote compact growth. This plant is also deer resistant & can also be used in containers with ease for a trailing addition of soft color and texture. 

Lamium is one of the best choices for a tough yet showy perennial ground cover. This selection forms a spreading patch of small silver leaves with a narrow green edge. Clusters of soft salmon-pink flowers appear in spring, then continue off and on until fall. Fairly tolerant of dry shade, once established.  Stems will root into the ground where they touch, and any new plants that form can be easily moved in spring or fall. Also easily divided.

Colors of Peonies

The peony comes in a variety of colors that add texture and dimension to any garden.

Of all the flowers you can grow, peonies are often the most luxurious and spectacular blooms in an early summer garden. Among the many reasons to grow peonies are fragrance and color. Doubles are extremely fragrant whereas single blooms are much lighter. Some have no scent at all. Colors range from white, cream and ivory through myriad pinks and roses. Several lovely yellows, which are intersectional crosses between herbaceous and tree forms, are also available, though the cost for these rare peonies is high.

Pinks

Peonies come in a large range of pinks, all the way from soft baby pink to stunning, bright fuchsia pink. The Albert Crousse variety is a double-flowered peony that comes in a light pink, is mildly fragrant and is a graceful addition to any cut arrangement.

Peonies come in many shades of pink.

White

White peonies come in variations of crisp whites and soft creamy whites. The Amalia Olson variety is an all-white variety that may have a tinge of blush upon opening. This variety is very sturdy and highly fragrant making it a favorite for cut arrangements.

Peonies also come in several variations of white and cream.

Yellow

The yellow varieties of peonies are a stunning addition to any garden. These varieties are a bit more rare and will be more costly. The Itoh Bartzella is a vigorous, bright yellow variety that can have blooms up to 6 inches in diameter, making for a stellar show. It is also used as a cut flower with a mild, spicy fragrance.

Yellow peonies are a relatively new color on the market.

Multiple Colors

You can also find varieties of peonies that have multiple colors among their blooms. The Bric Brac variety has twisted petals of cream to white with magnificent cherry colored, streaked ruffles along the edges of the petals. This peony brings both color and texture to the garden.

Taming Forsythia

Taming Forsythia....Not as hard as it may seem.  Forsythia is very durable and could be cut back at any time really.  BUT...it is getting ready to bloom shortly so you may want to wait until you get the best benefit of the vibrant yellow flowers before you trim back.  After that feel free to prune away!

Are Hydrangeas Salt-Tolerant?

 By Annelise Ford, eHow Contributor

updated: March 16, 2011

Chosing the right hydrangea for salty conditions is important to keep plants in excellent health.

Hydrangeas are widely used shrub in many landscape applications. They possess the ability to combine structure, color and interest within one plant, filling their growing space with bountiful beauty. Some varieties are often listed with more salt-tolerant plants, while other varieties may not be as tolerant of saline conditions.

1. Hydrangea Macrophylla

   • Some hydrangea varities have a thicker leaf cuticle which allows them to be more salt tolerant.

     Hydrangea macrophylla has been shown to tolerate salty conditions quite well. This variety of hydrangea is used in many home landscapes as well as commercial applications. This variety generally has a mop-head flower and blooms most of the summer season. The flower heads can be dried as well.

   Hydrangea Serrata

   • Some hydrangea varities are not very tolerating of salty conditions and may sustain damage.

     Hydrangea serrata, commonly called the woodland hydrangea is another good choice for salty conditions. This variety of hydrangea tolerates salt just as well as Hydrangea macrophylla. Hydrangea serrata originated in the mountains of Japan and Korea and is said to be generally more hardy than Hydrangea macrophylla.

   Hydrangea Arborescens

   • Hydrangea arborescens, commonly called smooth hydrangea responds poorly to salty conditions. This rapid-growing variety of hydrangea is a common choice for landscape shrubs. However, if regularly exposed to salty conditions this plant will likely suffer damage and will most likely struggle to survive.

   Hydrangea Paniculata

   • Hydrangea paniculata, commonly called the pee gee hydrangea is the only variety of hydrangea that can be pruned into a tree form. Unfortunately, this variety will not thrive under salty conditions, in fact it is the least salt tolerate of the different varieties. If exposed to salty conditions the foliage will become necrotic and the plant most likely will not survive.

Is Flowering Quince Deer Resistant?

 

By Annelise Ford, eHow Contributor

updated: March 19, 2011

Deer resistance does not mean deer proof.

Flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) is an attractive shrub that blooms in early spring. Surprisingly, the flowers emerge from bare stems, before any leaves appear. This shrub has been nicknamed the Cinderella of spring as its bright blooms appear very early in the spring season. This shrub is commonly known to be deer resistant.

1. Deer Resistant

   • The term deer resistant does not mean that deer will never cause damage to the plant. No plant is completely deer proof. Deer resistant simply means that deer are much less likely to forage on your plants and shrubs. However, if they get desperate there are no guarantees that they will completely ignore any plant.

   Conditions That Force Deer To Forage

   • In the past several years new houses and community growth has crowded the deer population into the shrinking wooded areas, and the deer are forced to go into the nearby lawns for accessible meals. This has been an increasing trend causing landscaping headaches for many homeowners.

   Keeping Deer Out of Your Landscaping

   • Many homeowners opt to install fencing to keep the deer population at bay in the wooded areas. There are also many products on the market to deter the deer from foraging. It may become a costly venture to deter deer, but one thing to remember is that deer will return out of habit and if you can deter them enough they will hopefully develop the habit to avoid your garden.

   Other Pests

   • Deer may leave your Flowering Quince for last choice, but the bunnies will help themselves.

     Rabbits will forage on the leaves of the Flowering Quince leaving foliage damage. They are also

How Tall Is a Burning Bush?

By Annelise Ford, eHow Contributor

updated: March 26, 2011

Learning the growth habits of landscape shrubs is an important step to the planning process.

The Burning Bush is a highly ornamental shrub that features mottled bark and attractive winged fruits or showy foliage and white berries, varieties of euonymus can climb as vines or form small trees or low-mounding shrubs. It is a popular choice for landscape planning as many of the varieties have brilliant fall color that becomes a centerpiece in the late season garden.

1. Euonymus alatus Compactus

   • Annual pruning may be necessary to keep shrubs at desired sizes.

     Slow growing, Compactus can eventually reach a considerable size even though smaller than the species. Old shrubs that are never pruned can reach 8 feet in width and nearly as tall. Fortunately, they respond well to shearing and shaping, and can be used either as loose hedges with pruning, or as natural specimens allowed to take their full natural broad layered shape.

   Euonymus alatus Rudy Haag

   • Brilliant color is a must have in any fall garden.

     Rudy Haag Burning Bush has an excellent habit and form making this a popular selection. This variety is quite compact with average heights of 4 to 5 feet with equal widths. The fall color can be spectacular. The small, yellowish green flowers that appear in May are not showy much like the small fruits that appear in the fall. This very compact, slow growing shrub performs best in full sun.

   Euonymus alatus Nordine Strain

   • Consulting a local nursery or landscape professional is a good place to start in deciding which shrubs suit your landscape needs.

     The compact selection called Nordine, was introduced because of the abundance of fruits it produces. Nordine is another example of a more compact version with heights and widths much like the Rudy Haag selection. This variety may be harder to find locally and may need to be ordered through a plant nursery.

   Euonymus alatus Phellomanus

   • Euonymus phellomanus has small inconspicuous flowers in spring, followed by vivid lipstick-pink fruit in autumn, which split to reveal conspicuous orange seeds. This specimen will reach heights of 8 feet with widths at 6 feet. Another notable feature is the corky, winged stems which are particularly eye-catching once the leaves fall in the winter.

Heirloom Lettuce...The Salad Trend Is Everywhere!

This beautiful variety steals all the attention in the salad garden. In Europe, this Austrian heirloom is called Forellenschluss romaine and is one of the most prized of all varieties. A dark green leaved romaine splashed with wine-red speckles. Imagine dipping a paintbrush in red paint and giving it a hard shake onto your romaine lettuce. You've got the picture. Your taste buds will like it too, for its rich buttery flavor.  I have ordered some of these seeds and will get them started to go into the lettuce planters for the farm market!  Salad is in...now if I could only convince my boys that it is not poisonous!

Ornamental Peppers...Colorful and Interesting Trend

Ornamental peppers are another trend growing interest for the garden and especially spicy for container gardening!  There are many varieties out there.  Some are edible and some are not...read your tags! 

Depending on the variety, the peppers appear in shades of white, purple, red, orange, and yellow -- often with multiple colors on the same plant. They like rich, well-drained soil that is evenly moist.

Railing Planters...TOO COOL!

New planting toys!!!  I love this planters!  Cool colors AND more places to put flowers!!!  Again the perfect thing for those of you with limited space in apartments, condos etc!  Also perfect for people like me who can never have enough flowers everywhere!  Game on...hurry warmer weather...these are going along the fence filled with Verbena!

Praying Hands Hosta...The MUST HAVE Hosta!!!

I am generally not a hosta freak BUT I do like this hosta a lot!  It has some great potential for giving height in containers!  This is definitely a MUST HAVE for those who collect hostas!  Amazing! Perhaps we should call this the un-hosta, as Hosta 'Praying Hands' is the most un-hosta looking hosta to ever hit the market. Each small, 18" wide clump is composed of strangely folded, dark green crinkled leaves, each with a narrow, creamy yellow border. Indeed, a clump resembles a multitude of hands folded in prayer. Due to First Amendment concerns, it cannot be planted near courthouses in Alabama or near any Federal government building. The upright clumps are topped with 18" spikes of light lavender flowers..a hummingbird treat in late summer. This sets a new standard for "unique" in the hosta world.   Gotta have it!  Ordering 2 trays of liners to get growing!

2011 Perennial Plant of the Year

Amsonia hubrichtii grows 36 inches tall and 36 inches wide in a mounded form. This hardy perennial grows in hardiness zones 4 through 9 and is a versatile North American native.


Amsonia offers a variety of features throughout the seasons. From late spring to early summer, two- to three-inch wide clusters of small, light blue, star-shaped flowers are borne above the ferny foliage. The alternate-arranged leaves are bright green in spring and summer, but turn a bright yellow-golden color in fall.

• Light – Plants thrive in full sun to partial shade
• Soil – This plant performs best in average, moist well-drained soil but tolerates less moisture. Once established, it can tolerate drier conditions.
• Uses – This perennial for the seasons is an asset in borders, native gardens, cottage gardens, or open woodland areas. It is best when massed. Arkansas blue star is attractive when mixed with ornamental grasses and plants that have attractive seed heads.
• Unique Qualities – Light blue flowers in spring are followed by marvelous foliage in summer. Golden-yellow fall color is second to none among herbaceous perennials.
• Hardiness – USDA Zones 4 to 9

I do not have this in my garden but I have a dozen on order to put a couple in my gardens and share!  I am anxious to watch this perform through the growing season and to see the fall coloration.

Veggie Wall

There are many creative ways to achieve a vertical garden.  This style of vegetable garden has found its own niche as many people crave the garden fresh veggies but have limited space.  This unique garden opens up all kinds of ideas and new uses for materials as well as a chance to repurpose materials you have.  I will be using this in my garden this year along my fence for all kinds of fresh salad greens.  Not only to conserve space but to keep the bunnies from eating my fresh crops!  Put on your thinking caps and incorporate this in your garden for more space and also creative ideas to recycle materials.  I have some extra gutter material that I am going to attach to the inside of our fence and plant with greens and herbs.

Creeping Jenny...Great For Beds and Even Better For Containers

Creeping Jenny is a perennial ground cover that I love to use in landscape beds and also in containers!  Its bright color and vibrant yellow flowers are awesome and its trailing habit is perfect for containers!

Creeping Jenny is a  low-growing, rampant, evergreen groundcover with rounded, brillant green foliage. In summer, it produces many cup-shaped, bright yellow flowers.Noteworthy characteristics: This cultivar can withstand damper soils than many other types of ground covers and can tolerate limited foot traffic.Care: Grow in a moist, but well-drained soil, rich in organic matter. Soil should not dry out in summer. Full sun or partial shade, but color is best in full sun.
I have used this in many of my own containers and it will come back in the new season...no replanting!  These can be easily split and moved around the garden as well.  You will see this a lot in many custom container plantings...but I think many people do not realize that this will come back!  This should be relatively easy to get at a good garden center and very easy to get from your local landscaper.

Salad Garden Is "IN"

Planting a salad garden is one of the biggest trends for the upcoming summer garden!  Fresh greens and garden fresh salad are HOT commodities and more people will be planting all sorts of greens!  Greens are easy to grow and can be grown in all sorts of containers for those with limited space.  Don't be afraid to experiment with containers.  Almost anything can work!  You can also grow indoors year round with little garden stations like the Aero Grow.  Really neat!  There is a link to the Aero Grow on my side bar that will give you a coupon code...They are really pretty amazing!  You can have fresh greens and fresh herbs all of the time! 

Why Aerate Your Lawn?

The "hole" truth about aerating your lawn

Aerating your lawn is a great way to reduce thatch, loosen up compacted soils and make it easier for water and nutrients to reach the roots of your turf.
Even with the best care available, lawns can thin out and lose color due to excessive thatch buildup, too much foot traffic or pet traffic through specific areas that create hard or compacted soils, or periods of high temperature, high humidity, or drought. Aerifying and overseeding is recognized by turf experts such as golf course superintendents as the best treatment to control thatch, helps reduce those compacted areas, fills in bare spots and revitalize growth.

Aeration/Seeding—
the two step process guaranteed to improve your lawn

An aeration treatment removes small cores of soil and thatch to allow air, moisture and nutrients to penetrate down to the root zone. The cores brought to the surface contain microorganisms, which help the breakdown of the woody thatch tissue layer just below the lawn's crown. As the thatch layer is broken down, it is converted into organic matter that will then combine with existing soil particles.
Also, as the cores begin to breakdown over a period of several weeks, the holes gradually fill in with a mixture of organic matter and soil, and the filled hole allows roots of existing grass plants to spread out and grow deeper, creating a healthier, thicker lawn.

Ideal time for Aeration

Because the aeration process is stressful on lawns, it should only be done during periods just before active growth is expected. For cool season grasses, those typically found in the northern half of the country, this would be in early spring or early fall, the 2 times of the year when cool season grasses really grow. During the hot summer months, cool season grasses really slow down in the growing department and this is not a good time to be aerating. If you're planning on aerating in the spring and you plan on using a crabgrass control product, you'll want to aerate before the pre-emergent application is made, which is as a rule around the time when forsythias first start blooming.

Time to start thinking of SPRING!

The Ginkgo Tree...Fan Shaped Leaves Are A Stunning Fall Show

 The stately tree it comes from (Ginkgo biloba) has been prized in landscapes for its beauty for centuries. It grows up to 75 ft. tall and can live for several hundred years.

     Ginkgo, also called maidenhair tree, is easy to recognize by its unique fan-shaped leaves, which turn a brilliant golden yellow in autumn. They remain on the tree until late in the season and then cascade to the ground, sometimes all in one day. This extraordinary tree can adapt to just about any climate. (It survived the last ice age, after all.) It suffers no pest or disease problems, and it tolerates a wide range of soil pH, and air pollution and salt. Ginkgo takes extreme heat and cold (to about -30 degrees F), and thrives in both the North and South, from coast to coast.

Ginkgo does need full sun and plenty of room to grow. Be sure to plant a male tree; the female fruits are messy and smelly. Male trees to look for at the nursery include 'Autumn Gold' and 'Princeton Sentry'.

The fruits are not only messy but smell terrible...however, they are considered a delicacy in some Asian countries.  I have smelled the fruits and cannot believe that people eat them but I have seen people collecting them from the ground at a nearby tree....HOLY STINK BATMAN!  Make 100% sure that you are getting a male tree!



The leaves are amazing on this tree and when they begin to turn colors in the fall they literally look like millions of fluttering butterflies!



Sky Pencil Holly...Sleek, updated style.

This popular, versatile shrub can be planted to accent your home, either in rows for a narrow hedge, or alone as an ornamental. However you use it, expect little maintenance.

You’ll be fascinated by the Sky Pencil Holly’s shape – growing skyward naturally without the need for trimming (unless you want to keep them at a desired height).

If you are looking for a sleek, updated, stylish look, use these Japanese Hollies with their tall, narrow, columnar shape.

Very few shrubs can give you this kind of height without encroaching on nearby plants. Perfect for when you want to add height or a focal point to flower beds, groundcovers, entryways, etc.

Because of this unique shape, its possibilities are endless. No matter where you plant your Sky Pencils, their spectacular form will attract attention! It's one of the few plants whose branches grow upward, which is why it got the name Sky Pencil.

Perennial Hibiscus

Perennial Hibiscus or Rose Mallow are one of the centerpieces in one of my large landscape beds.  The flowers are huge...salad plate of larger in size!

If you have always loved the looks of hibiscus, but thought it could only grow in very warm climates, you should try planting perennial hibiscus. While there is a tropical or Chinese hibiscus that does need tropical or sub-tropical temperatures, perennial hibiscus can be grown almost anywhere. And, the great thing is, it won’t be killed by winter weather.

Perennial hibiscus dies back in the winter but then comes bursting forth again in the spring. And, because it is a perennial, you only have to plant it once and it will magically reappear every spring. Only the tops of the plants die off, while the roots just take a rest and start producing new shoots in the spring.

Turn Lanudry Soap Bottles Into Handy Scoops



Rinse out very well before use!



Grab a pair of scissors and cut off the top of that detergent bottle and use have a scoop for like a thousand different uses!  These are great to take to the beach to scoop sand and water for those summer masterpieces.  You can scoop just about anything...bird feed, salt for sidewalks, potting dirt...you name it!  I have also used them for watering pots...easy watering can!  I have to say that the kids love these the best...we take several to the beach and let others have them to take home too.

Trailing Begonia...Brillant Show Stopper for Hanging Baskets & Pots

The trailing begonia is has become one of my favs in the last couple of seasons.  They are bright, colorful show stoppers that stand up and show off.  I have used them quite a bit in custom pots for customers who are looking for WOW!

This stunning semi-trailing Begonia is free flowering from April to October. Each plant is covered with 100’s of flowers throughout the growing season. Begonia Million Kisses does not require deadheading or trimming.  They can handle full sun with proper watering and do not seem to scorch.  I love using this in custom pots...fills quickly and elegantly overflows!

COLOR OF THE YEAR 2011

Honeysuckle is the Pantone color of the year.  Courageous...Confident...Vital...  This is the color that fashion, interior decorating, gardening, retail displays etc will be looking to incorporate this year!  Bold and empowering this color is said to help people face troubles and meet the challenges of everyday life!

Incrediball Hydrangea

I have at least 5 different varieties of hydrangeas in my gardens..including this one!  Incrediball Hydrangea is really amazing and puts on a great summer show.  The flower heads are ginormous!

The huge white blooms have a slight green tinge and measure an incredible 12" wide! Stems are so strong that they’ll easily support these enormous flowers, even in a rainstorm. A superb improvement over Annabelle, with giant blooms that have roughly four times as many flowers as Annabelle. The show begins in midsummer with huge round blooms clustered atop large branches surrounded by medium green oval leaves. Astonishing blooms keep coming for up to two months in this hardiest of summer-blooming hydrangeas. Cut back in spring to promote flowering on summer wood. Fantastic as a specimen shrub or in a border.  This specimen should be fairly easy to get around town at any gardening center!

The Purpose Driven Gardener

Fruits and vegetables don't only taste good--they look amazing in the garden too!  Homeowners are seeing the value in incorporating them into their gardens!  Small fruit shrubs like blueberries will be hugely popular again this year!  Enjoy your fruits and have a nice shrub with fall color!

Weeping Larch---A Dramatic Specimen Tree

Weeping Larch is a graceful, small, deciduous conifer with elegant drooping foliage and branches.  I absolutely love this unique specimen tree as it draws immediate attention to the landscape.  It does best in a well-drained open site, with cool, moist soil. It will tolerate wet soil.  Fertilize with Holly Tone once or twice a season for optimal health.  This tree may be a little more difficult than some to find but your local landscaper can get them for you.  I have two on order for customers already!

Hardy Ice Plant...Drought Resistant!



I have this planted along some boulders in the full sun and
it looks fantastic and requires little to no care during the season.

 Ice plants are drought tolerant, and experience few insect or disease problems. So they make a gardener’s life a little easier. In general the only problems might be deer damage, and possibly scale. They make excellent ground covers for banks and slopes.
It does prefer dry and sandy soil and does not like wet soil in the winter. Hot conditions keep the flowers blooming most of the summer and it requires little to no care. Delosperma looks great as a ground cover in a rock garden or in front of a perennial border.  This one may be slightly hard to find.  I always order several to keep on hand!