Yesterday's post was about planting containers that are hummingbird magnets. Well one of my must-have plants for this purpose is Salvia 'Black and Blue.' Name:  Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ Type of Plant:   A perennial in zones 8 to 10, this plant is a...

Name:  Athyrium niponicum var. pictum  Aka Japanese painted fern Type of Plant: Colorful fern for shade and part-shade in zones 3 to 8. Why I love this: Everyone wants more color in a shade garden, and this is a plant that steps up to do the job! Plants grow 12 to 18”...

May is Gifts From The Garden Month. How will YOU celebrate? Need a life-affirming expression of faith and hope?  Grow something from seed.

I passed by this window box today and practically cheered out loud. Whoever planted this did it up right! Too often we're hesitant to fully celebrate spring at this time of year and plant our window boxes or containers fully..."I'll just wait another month and fill...

Name:  Hydrangea paniculata Bobo Type of Plant:   Dwarf shrub for foundation plantings, perennial gardens and containers in full or part sun. Why I love this: We all love the classic Hydrangea paniculata because it blooms for a long time with white flowers that turn...

When the spring bulbs and shrubs start to come into bloom we might be reluctant to cut the flowers to bring inside. The landscape is still so bare and brown that it seems like we need every single flower to remain in the garden! But by using a few Mason jars with lids...

Name:  Birdhouse gourds aka Lagenaria siceraria Seed Savers Exchange 0770 Open-Pollinated Gourd Seeds, Birdhouse, 25 Seed Packet Type of Plant:  Annual vine that can be grown along the ground in a vegetable garden or over a fence, trellis or arbor. Grow this plant in...

Name:  Maxibel Green Beans Type of Plant:  French/Filet green bush bean. Plants grow 22 to 24 inches high. Grow in good vegetable garden soil in full sun. Plant when the soil is warm. (Usually when nighttime temperatures are reliably above 50 degrees F.) Why I love...

Last week I was blessed to visit Ojai, California for a couple of days. Whenever I'm traveling I look for gardens and garden centers to visit, of course, and in addition to hiking the hills around Ojai, and deeply inhaling the fragrance of the flowering citrus trees,...