Is anything prettier or more dramatic than amaryllis in full bloom? What we call ‘amaryllis’ are really ‘hippeastrum’—members of the amaryllis family. The plants that are really ‘amaryllis’ are the Amaryllis Belladonna and relatives. These days, however, hippeastrum has been called ‘amaryllis’ for so long, we’ll never be able to get people to call them … Read more
I’ve pulled up all my spent summer veggies—the tomatoes that were “done”, the squash that looked, well, squashed, and the last crop of bush beans that had given out about a month ago. I’ve already planted some fall vegetables—I have some fat little kale plants, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli in right now. But these cool-season … Read more
Horror writers over the years have picked bats to play the villains in some of their books but, in reality, they’re heroes in the garden! Because October is Bat Appreciation Month, I’m sharing an updated version of an earlier post on why bats are so important. Interesting Bat Facts Here are some interesting facts about these … Read more
We’ve got a great assortment of spring-blooming bulbs, so here is what you need to know: Planting Bulbs by the Numbers October is a good time for planting most bulbs. The exception is tulips, which should be planted in November—they like to be planted in cooler soil. To store them until time to plant, keep … Read more
It’s time to think about moving houseplants back inside for the winter. One of the first things I do is move all the plants right up next to the house—just outside the window that they’ll be in when I move them inside. That gets them used to lower light while they still have Mother Nature … Read more
I’m one of those people who believe that onions and garlic make everything taste better. If a recipe calls for half an onion, I figure adding the whole onion will make it even better. Same with garlic. And since fall is a perfect time to plant onions and garlic—and we just got fresh garlic and … Read more
This coming Wednesday, the 22nd, is the first “Official” day of autumn—for some of us, anyway. Three Seasons Rather Than Four Eight hundred years ago, people basically thought of three seasons–Summer, Winter, and Harvest. Spring was sort of glossed over as a “pre-summer” period known as Lenten. The word “Harvest” comes from an old Norse … Read more
Surprise Lilies, Magic Lilies, Resurrection Lilies, Naked Ladies, Spider Lilies, Hurricane Lilies—these are all nicknames given to various types of Lycoris. Lycoris – Beautiful Flowers With Many Names Lycoris are strong perennials that send up lush foliage in the spring, which then dies down, and they bloom in late summer without foliage—hence the nicknames Surprise … Read more
Yesterday was Labor Day. It’s hard to believe the first day of fall is a little more than two weeks away on Wednesday, September 22nd. I’ve already noticed it’s getting dark earlier every night. Just a month ago, sunrise was at 6:18 a.m. and sunset was at 8:14 p.m. Now sunrise is at 6:44 a.m. and … Read more
I love the iris family of flowers! And right now is the ideal time to plant this hardy, beautiful gift from Mother Nature. Let’s learn some interesting facts about irises, and talk about how you can plant them in your garden to create an amazing rainbow of colors in the spring. Interesting Facts About Irises … Read more
