The musings and adventures of an enthusiastic grower
It’s time to give another plant the spotlight, sing its praises, and discuss its drawbacks. This week I chose gomphrena, or globe amaranth, as it is also known. You may remember that I included gomphrena as one of my favorite cut flowers in my Playing Favorites post in August, and I thought it was time …
It's been a while since I've shared a Plant Spotlight post, and I realized as seed packets are arriving in the mailbox, poppies are one of the varieties I'm most excited to grow in 2023. Back in elementary school, I remember vividly that each year we celebrated National Poppy Day when learning about the significance …
Each season, I like to try something new. Something I've never planted before and have limited knowledge about growing: I enjoy the challenge and exhilaration of trying a new variety. I love the learning process, from the research before planting to the harvesting and enjoyment (if I'm lucky enough to get that far). Often, I'll …
In June, you may remember that I attended a peony workshop at Bear Creek Farm in Upstate New York. Well, imagine my delight when I discovered they also offer a dahlia workshop! Since it was my first year growing dahlias, and I had already completely fallen in love with them, I decided attending the workshop …
Who doesn’t love flowers? Capable of eliciting various emotions, from smiles of joy to tears of appreciation, flowers brighten our lives. We are so enthralled with blooming plants that they have become entwined within our culture, present in our celebrations, rituals, and everyday lives. When given as gifts, they have become symbols that express our …
When a plant catches my fancy, and I decide to give it a grow, I’m all in. I dive in feet first and don’t look back. Sure, the smart thing to do would be to try growing one variety first and see how it goes, adding more types in subsequent seasons if all goes well. …
In last week’s blog post, I discussed creating a pollinator playground garden by planting flowers that support pollinators. This week, I’d like to place a spotlight on one of my favorite plants from this garden, the zinnia. They come in a seemingly endless variety of colors, shapes, and sizes and have won my heart many …
There is something about flowers. For centuries, people have been fascinated with them, gifting them to express our joy, love, sympathy, congratulations, and well-wishes for just about any occasion. They elicit emotion, bring smiles to faces, and beauty to the world. Flowers are one of nature's many miracles. People Have Been Fascinated with Flowers for …
Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a peony workshop at Bear Creek Farm in Upstate New York. As many of my readers know, I am an avid peony fan. I have written about my peony obsession on several occasions, such as in my posts Confessions of a Hoarderculturist, A Peony for Your Thoughts, and …
I feel that I have made several progressions as a gardener over the years. When I first started gardening, I grew only a few ornamental perennials for their ease and reliability. Gaining confidence, I then progressed to edibles, and finally, I started dabbling in growing annuals. I’ve found that along the way I have grown …
THISTLE BE THE DAY 