 With the coming of spring, I am calm again. Gustav Mahler
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Change the Bloom Color of Your Hydrangeas
The common bigleaf hydrangea will indicate just how acid or alkaline your garden soil is by the color of its blooms. You can change the color of the blooms by modifying the soil's pH, though this may take several years. |  |
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How to Grow and Care for Baptisias
These tough, dependable, long-lived perennials make an impressive statement in the garden. The most common species has spires of blue flowers in late spring and early summer; other species and hybrids bloom in a variety of colors. |  |
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Planting a Child-Friendly Garden
Gardeners love to share their interest in gardening, and sharing with their children can be particularly rewarding. Here are some suggestions for making gardening enjoyable — and safe — for young children. |  |
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Hardscapes in the Garden
Plants may set the mood, but it is often the hardscapes that separate great gardens from good ones. Benches, arbors, patios, and other features define the space, frame the best views, and provide places for reflection in the garden. |  |
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Weed Early, Weed Often
Weeds are opportunists, and right now opportunity is calling. Nature doesn't like bare soil — especially the rich soil of garden beds — and wants to protect her precious resource. |  |
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Together with AgroThrive "My hydrangea hasn't bloomed in 3 years. I got those free samples and tried them, they had so many blooms and a little goes a long way. Love the AgroThrive, I sure will be making future purchases." -Lisa from Ketucky, AgroThrive User Submission. Click here to shop.
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Coral Bells (Heuchera cylindrica)
Water Requirements: Average, Does Not Like Wet Feet
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Water Preferences: Mesic
Leaves: Good fall color, Unusual foliage color, Semi-evergreen
Uses: Groundcover
Wildlife Attractant: Butterflies, Bees
Resistances: Deer Resistant
Pollinators: Bees
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
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Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Water Preferences: Mesic, Dry Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Plant Height: 12-24 inches
Plant Spread: 12-15 inches
Flowers: Showy
Flower Time: Late spring or early summer, Summer, Late summer or early fall, Fall, Other
Suitable Locations: Xeriscapic
Uses: Cut Flower, Suitable as Annual
Wildlife Attractant: Birds, Butterflies, Bees
Resistances: Deer Resistant, Rabbit Resistant, Drought tolerant
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Silvermound Artemisia (Artemisia schmidtiana 'Silver Mound')
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Water Preferences: Mesic, Dry Mesic, Dry
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Plant Height: 24 inches (2 feet)
Plant Spread: 36 inches (3 feet)
Leaves: Unusual foliage color, Fragrant
Flowers: Inconspicuous
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Summer
Suitable Locations: Xeriscapic
Uses: Windbreak or Hedge, Erosion control
Resistances: Deer Resistant, Rabbit Resistant, Drought tolerant
Pollinators: Various insects
Containers: Not suitable for containers
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Together with Bluestone Perennials Lower Your Maintenance and Grow Your Enjoyment!
Don't have time to keep up with a high maintenance garden? No problem! We have a bevy of beauties that thrive with minimal care. Pick the right spot for your new plant. Plants will be most successful when located in their ideal conditions, be it sunny, shady, wet, or well-drained. Choose short and sweet for the front of the border, full and lush for the middle, and tall and stately for the back. Then you won't be trimming, shaping, or moving plants that feel too big for their area. Water well the first year. By giving new plants good moisture the first year, they'll set down a robust root system. Keep an eye on them in year two, but well-established plants won't require constant watering and will be more resilient to weather changes. Now you're ready to browse Bluestone Perennials and find your perfect plant fit!
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 Photo by GigiPlumeria
"Another color change, the petals didn’t fully form but still pretty."
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 Photo by Australis
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 Photo by Valery33
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 Photo by GigiPlumeria
"My first hoya bloom."
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 Photo by Joy
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 Photo by Barron_Beaux_Arts
"This shows the size about 18 years ago, when in full bloom. I believe it was planted in the 1950's by the original owner of my home."
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 Photo by Hemlass
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 Photo by Betja
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 Photo by sedumzz
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 Photo by Iraygus
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Together with Victory Seed Company This is our patio cucumber we're loving this year. On Feb 23rd, I sowed 4 seeds and then 2 weeks later I potted the seedlings up into a 5 gallon grow bag with regular potting soil. Just six weeks after that, we're harvesting cucumbers right on our patio! This hybrid variety is called 'Pick a Bushel' and it won the 2014 All-America Selections award. It's perfect for containers and small spaces, with compact bush type plants producing sweet-tasting light-green cucumbers with a nice firm texture. Perfect for pickling when harvested early. Fruits left on the bush-type vines can get up to 6 inches long and can be enjoyed fresh in salads. And so early! We have it in stock, along with dozens of other exciting new varieties, plus over a thousand tried-and-true varieties, all at VictorySeeds.com.
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Active threads from our forums:
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The numbers from this week:
377 members joined.
4,238 posts written in our forums.
1,495 photos posted to the plant database.
777 plants added to personal inventory lists.
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 If you want to be happy for a lifetime be a gardener. (The plant is Variegated Tapioca.)
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