Love Hummingbirds? Grow Some Crocosmia!
Hummingbirds have a weakness for red flowers. So even though it’s not MY favorite color, I always try to have a few red flowers in the garden — just for the hummingbirds. Some years it’s salvias and hibiscus. Others it’s fuschias or geraniums. Always there’s CrocosmiaRead More
A Midsummer Tour of Our Trial Garden
August is just a couple days away, and in our New Jersey trial garden the heat is definitely ON! We are located in the eastern part of the state about 10 miles from the ocean and summertime temperatures are typically in the 90’s. This 3/4 acre garden,Read More
How to Grow Dahlias in a Cutting Garden
It’s midsummer and the dahlias are coming on strong. This year, my cutting garden is filled with 70 of these solar-powered flower-producing machines. Hopefully this is the peak of my dahlia obsession and I’ll be able to scale back next year. (Yeah,Read More
Midsummer Maintenance Tips for Perennial Gardens
Part of what makes public gardens like Sissinghurst, Kew or Longwood so impressive, is how well the plants are tended during the growing season. Keeping a perennial garden looking good from May to September is about more than good design and smart plantRead More
8 Tips for Growing Better Lilies
Lilies have an elegance few other flowers can rival. With such big, exotic-looking blossoms, it seems like they’d be tricky to grow. But they’re not! Here are eight tips for growing lilies that will help you succeed with these gorgeous summer-blooming flowerRead More
Best Ground Covers for Shade
Shade tolerant ground covers solve a multitude of landscaping problems. These plants thrive in cool, moist areas where lawns usually struggle. They hide uneven surfaces and are not fazed by steep, inaccessible slopes. Most are long-lived perennials that get moreRead More
American Flowers Week: Make a Flower Arrangement and Join the Fun
Next week is American Flowers Week and we are inviting you to help celebrate! This annual event is designed to raise awareness about the value of locally grown cut flowers. To participate, you don’t need to be a flower farmer,Read More
5 Tips for a More Bee-Friendly Flower Garden
Many years ago, I had a neighbor who was a beekeeper. We used to joke about him giving me a discount on honey, because I was sure his bees spent most of their time in my flower garden. I didn’t realize how trueRead More
8 Tips for Growing Better Dahlias
Dahlia fever is running wild through the gardening world and there’s no sign of it stopping anytime soon. If you have caught the dahlia bug, here are eight tips for growing bigger, better flowers this summer.
How Was Your Spring Bulb Garden?
One of the best things about a spring bulb garden is the surprise factor. When I plant bulbs in the fall, I usually have a plan as to color combinations and placement. But by the time spring arrives, it’s hard to remember whichRead More
