A Bouquet That Roots
As I’ve set about picking a bouquet every day through the fall, todays bunch is also a reminder about a weekend project. It’s time to take cuttings of those annuals that we want to save from year to year. So today’s bouquet is from some of the plants that I’ll be rooting. These will probably root in this vase if I continue to change the water every day, but they are also among the plants that I’ll put additional cuttings into seed-starting mix. That way they will root even if changing the water slips by me…
Today’s bouquet is made from two varieties of Plectranthus and Little Ruby Alternanthera. All of these are among my favorites for mixing with flowering annuals in containers and I don’t want to be without them. Next to the bouquet is a seed pod from my fur balls plant, Gomphocarpus physocarpus. In addition to picking annuals to root I’ll be cutting things that dry as well.
Starting Plants From Seed
One of the great pleasures of spring is starting plants from seed. Here is a photo-recipe for how I start most of my seeds, using the fantastic zinnia seeds from Renee's Garden. In fact, Renee's has provided some packets of zinnias for me to give away in conjunction...
Comfort Broccoli
Fair Warning: Those who only like broccoli if it’s bright green and crunchy should stop reading right now…this is not your dish. But if you’re willing to entertain the idea of broccoli being comfort food, and a great accompaniment to just about any meat, fish, poultry...
First Smart Phone for Plants!
Just when you think that technology can't go further, you discover a new piece of mind-blowing equipment. This morning I saw a tweet about the new pPhone the just-released smart phone created for plants. Think of it...my plants could call to let me know if they need...
The Importance of Composting
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,...
I Love Agastache ‘Acapulco Orange’
Name: Agastache Acapulco Orange aka orange hummingbird mint Type of Plant: Perennial to tender-perennial for full sun and containers. Hardy in zones 6-10 (maybe colder – let me know if you’ve grown this in a cold zone 5, OK?) Why I love this: There are so many...
Garden Tile Poetry
Do you love words and plants? Do particular song lyrics, sayings or poems speak to you? Combine it all in the garden as my friend Pat Dyke did. “The Song of Solomon is such a beautiful poem,” Pat says. It is a verse that speaks to everyone who loves spring, but “The...
Spaghetti Squash With Mixed Mushrooms
The sauce for this dish is made by pureeing equal parts mushrooms with stock and crème fresh or part-skim sour cream. So it tastes very creamy and rich but the amount of fat isn’t that great. I cook spaghetti squash in the microwave because it’s fast and retains the...
Shadowy Garden Design
As I looked through my garden photos recently I came across this shot taken at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. It got me thinking about placing plants next to hard surfaces. When we design gardens we consider the textures and colors of foliage, the height of the...
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