 If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind? -- Percy Bysshe Shelley
|
|
An Artful Garden
When you first see this country cottage with its handsome paving and rich mix of perennials, annuals, and shrubs, the |  |
|
|
Tutorial ~ How To Make a Hollow Concrete Sphere
Concrete statuary in some of the gardens I've visited has always captivated me. Unfortunately most statuary I've priced is quite expensive and with my tight budget the chances were slim that any of these creations would ever find themselves in my gardens. However, several years ago I was intrigued when I stumbled upon instructions for making "hollow concrete spheres". I was pleased to learn the cost of materials is fairly inexpensive and last year successfully completed my first sphere. I'd like to show you how easy it is and hopefully inspire you to create your own hollow concrete sphere! |  |
|
|
Growing Plants on Trellises
Instead of imagining your garden as a flat canvas, look at it as a three-dimensional space. Picture plants growing up -- on trellises. There are a number of reasons, both aesthetic and practical, for growing plants on vertical structures. |  |
|
|
Orchestrating Color Throughout the Season
From early March when the forsythia first bursts into bloom, to around mid-October when the last anemone dies back, my garden is a constantly changing flower display. |  |
|
|
How to Grow and Care for Air Plants
Tillandsias, and other members of the air plants, do their best work up high. Travel in the southern United States, or Central and South America, and you see them living way up in the trees, sometimes covering entire branches like some kind of vegetative fur. But unlike the basketball star Mr. Jordan, who is simply able to reach great heights, these plants seem to live and grow in nothing but air. |  |
|
|
How to Create a Water Garden
Many people think that water gardening is difficult. Water gardens look so exotic. But nothing could be further from the truth. |  |
|
|
Split-Leaf Philodendron (Monstera deliciosa)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Partial or Dappled Shade, Partial Shade to Full Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 10a -1.1 °C (30 °F) to +1.7 °C (35 °F)
Plant Height: To 75 feet and higher (23 m)
Leaves: Evergreen, Other
Fruit: Showy, Edible to birds
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: White
Suitable Locations: Houseplant
Uses: Groundcover
Edible Parts: Fruit
Eating Methods: Raw
Resistances: Humidity tolerant
Toxicity: Other
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger, Needs excellent drainage in pots
|  |
|
|
Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema 'Silver Bay')
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 10b +1.7 °C (35 °F) to +4.4 °C (40 °F)
Plant Height: 30 to 32 inches (76-81cm)
Plant Spread: 30 to 32 inches (76-81cm)
Leaves: Evergreen, Variegated, Other, Broadleaf
Fruit: Showy, Other
Flowers: Inconspicuous
Flower Color: White, Other, Green
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Other
Suitable Locations: Houseplant
Resistances: Humidity tolerant
Toxicity: Other
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger, Needs excellent drainage in pots
Parentage: Manila Whirl x Ernesto's Favorite
|  |
|
|
Rose (Rosa 'Gypsy')
Bloom size: Large: 4-5"
Bloom shape: High-centered
Petal count: full: 26-40 petals
Rose bloom color: Dark red
Rebloom: Good
Class: Hybrid tea
Extra Color Info: Dark orange-red
Growth Habit: Medium-tall, 4-5 feet, upright
Fragrance: Mild
Hybridizer & year: Swim & Weeks, 1972
Optimal growing zones: USDA zone 7 and warmer
Awards: AARS
Plant Habit: Shrub
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 7b -15 °C (5 °F) to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
Plant Height: 4-5 feet
Plant Spread: 2-3 feet
Leaves: Deciduous
Flowers: Showy, Fragrant
Flower Color: Red
Flower Time: Spring, Summer, Fall
Uses: Cut Flower
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Parentage: ((Happiness x Chrysler Imperial) x El Capitan) x Comanche
|  |
|
|
Monk Orchid (Oeceoclades maculata)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade, Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 9a -6.7 °C (20 °F) to -3.9 °C (25 °F)
Plant Height: 6 - 8 inches
Leaves: Other
Fruit: Other
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Other
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Late summer or early fall, Late fall or early winter, Fall
Uses: Will Naturalize
Wildlife Attractant: Butterflies
Resistances: Humidity tolerant, Drought tolerant
Containers: Needs excellent drainage in pots
Conservation status: Least Concern (LC)
|  |
|
|
Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Blue Bubble')
Hybridizer: Gossard
Year of Registration or Introduction: 2013
Foliage type: Dormant
Scape height: 31 inches
Bloom size: 5.5 inches
Bloom time: Midseason
Plant Traits: Rebloom, Diurnal
Bud Count: 21-25
Branching: 4-way
Bloom Traits: Bitone or Reverse Bitone, Eye or Band, Edged
Bloom Form: Single
Color description: cream to near white bitone with a patterned eyezone of blues and violet purples and a very green throat, petals sepals and edge are patterned
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Flowers: Showy, Fragrant
Ploidy: Diploid
Parentage: ((Almira Buffalo Bone Jackson x Faulkner sdlg) x (Picasso's Paint Brush sib x Faulkner sdlg)) x (Almira Buffalo Bone Jackson sib x (Faulkner sdlg x Almira Buffalo Bone Jackson sib))
|  |
|
|
 Photo by shive1
|
|
 Photo by SL_gardener
|
|
 Photo by Joy
|
|
 Photo by Serjio
|
|
 Photo by SL_gardener
|
|
 Photo by Serjio
|
|
 Photo by drirastucker
|
|
 Photo by Baja_Costero
"Old plants, 8 inch pot"
|
|
 Photo by Baja_Costero
"All four colors visible here. Early winter, recently separated offset, 8" pot"
|
|
 Photo by drirastucker
|
|
Active threads from our forums:
|
Thread Subject
|
Forum
|
Replies
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The numbers from this week:
305 members joined.
2,895 posts written in our forums.
797 photos posted to the plant database.
340 plants added to personal inventory lists.
|
|
 Winter is a season of recovery and preparation. -- Paul Theroux
|
|
|
