Hanging a sprig of mistletoe over your door this holiday season? Here are some interesting facts about this holiday staple. The botanical name for mistletoe is “phoradendron” which means tree thief. While mistletoe is capable of performing photosynthesis, it more commonly grows as a parasite, sending roots down into a tree to leech nutrients away. … Read more
IT’S OFFICIAL…CHRISTMAS SEASON IS HERE. LET’S KEEP IT REAL!! Thanksgiving has passed and December is fast approaching. We are officially entering the holiday season. Buying a Christmas tree is on everyone’s mind. It is fun to learn some background facts when it comes to our fresh trees and greenery that we use for holiday decorating. … Read more
I love paperwhites. They are easy to bloom—and fast! What’s more, they are inexpensive and beautiful. Narcissus papyraceus—paperwhites—are native to the western Mediterranean from Greece to Portugal to Morocco. They are a variety of daffodil. Even though they are a daffodil, they are not winter hardy here in Virginia. They will bloom easily in a … Read more
STROLL OUTDOORS TO FIND MATERIALS FOR YOUR HOLIDAY DECORATIONS Thanksgiving is here so now is the time to concentrate on decorating your home for the upcoming Christmas season. Finding the right materials to decorate for the holidays is as easy as taking a stroll through your gardens. Personally, I find it so rewarding to use … Read more
We are surrounded by beautiful poinsettias right now so here are some interesting tidbits about them: Poinsettia, botanically Euphorbia Pulcherrima, is named for Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S minister to Mexico. He was an avid amateur botanist who, in the 1820’s, sent home to South Carolina cuttings of a beautiful plant he’d seen … Read more
THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS FAST APPROACHING A living Christmas tree not only provides holiday cheer but can provide a valued landscape plant with proper care. Using a living tree is a “growing” – pardon the pun – trend amongst homeowners these past few years. I realize the idea of using a living tree for Christmas … Read more
One of the plants you’ll see almost everywhere this time of year is Christmas/Thanksgiving/Holiday cactus. So here are some interesting facts about these beautiful seasonal bloomers. When they bloom in their native habitat in Brazil, they are beautiful spring bloomers that the locals call “Flor de Maia” or May Flower! Holiday cacti are a small … Read more
THE FACT THAT IT IS NOW NOVEMBER DOES NOT MEAN TO PUT AWAY YOUR GARDENING TOOLS AND HIBERNATE JUST YET! Here we are in early November with the holidays just around the corner and we are still having great weather to be outside and doing needed gardening tasks. Yes, it feels like fall with our … Read more
Amaryllis just showed up a couple of weeks ago and I’m already getting a lot of questions on how to grow these beautiful giants. The good news is they’re a whole lot easier than you might think. There are just a few things to keep in mind. In every grocery store these days, you can find amaryllis … Read more
We all know that water is a precious natural resource and an essential component of our lives and landscapes. Without it, nothing on Earth would survive. Did you know that less than 1% of all the water in the world is available as fresh, clean water? With all the rain that we have had this year, … Read more
