Perennially Yours Blog
Container gardening is more popular than ever so let’s take a peek at some fun and unusual spillers dazzling patio pots, hanging containers and window baskets. The common recipe for designing containers is that they should include a thriller (tall, bold plant in the center or back – depending on where the pot is viewed…
Container gardening continues to rapidly rise in popularity. Aging baby boomers as well as millennials are discovering the joy and ease of gardening in containers and raised beds. Everything from edibles to ornamentals to flowering shrubs and conifers are fair game. May is when many of us start diving into bags of rich, organic potting…
Healthy lawns make stunning ‘picture frames’ for beautiful flower gardens. And I’m not taking about chemically-dependent lawns! With all of the wonderful organic products now available, there is truly no excuse to be spreading chemicals that negatively impact children, pets, wildlife and our groundwater. Stop it!…..pretty please? As many of you know, my family used…
Phlox stolonifera This native phlox is a wonderful alternative for the all-too-commonly-planted moss pinks (Phlox subulata). Phlox stolonifera blooms as long as subulata but has the added advantage of overlapping, round flat leaves that prevent weeds and grass from seeding where it is planted. Flowers can be purple, lavender, pink or white. Plants range in…
Superbells ‘Evening Star’ Riveting! That’s the reaction you will have as you stare at Proven Winner’s new hybrid Calibrachoa ‘Evening Star’. This continuous blooming annual (commonly called million bells) pumps out lovely lavender flowers featuring a yellow star pattern and deep purple throat. ‘Evening Star’ will get 6” – 12” tall with flower-laden stems that…
Before pointing an accusing finger at thieves that have ravished your flower or vegetable garden, first ask to see their teeth. Rabbits have a full set of choppers that make a clean, sharp, angled cut on leaves and stems. Deer lack upper incisors and therefore tear at their food, leaving ragged edges. Plus, rabbits usually…
I love Gardener’s Supply Company’s striking, lightweight fencing that embraces sustainable practices. They offer willow, reed and split bamboo products. These multi-functional sections are 13’ long and range in height from 3’ to 6.5’. (Reed fence pictured on the right) I enjoyed reading online customer reviews and the creative ways that the panels were utilized.…
Now is the time to prune back shrub roses (unless they are once-blooming heirloom roses – prune these after they finish blooming in early summer). Don’t be hesitant or nervous with hand pruners. Prune with gusto, removing at least half or more the length of existing canes. Prune just above an outward facing leaf bud…
Garden Design magazine’s spring 2016 issue is pure eye-candy coupled with the most take-away design tips yet! One of the fascinating reads is about Chanticleer, a cutting-edge public garden in Wayne, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia. Bill Thomas, the executive director and head gardener, shares 15 creative design tips for transforming gardens, large or small. Many…
I am excited to be giving an exclusive how-to gardening class as the ‘opening act’ for the Proven Winners Grand Garden Show on Mackinac Island in northern Michigan. I will be teaching ‘Designing a High-Impact, Low-Maintenance Flower Garden Featuring Remarkable Perennials, Flowering Shrubs and Annuals’ on Sunday, August 28 from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. at…
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