Sweet William dianthus plants have long been one of my absolute favorite biennial flowers. As a biennial, the flowers require two growing seasons before they will bloom. In the first season, plants produce foliage. The following summer, they will begin to bloom. Though most all open-pollinated dianthus of this type will be biennial, there are…
Continue reading ➞ In Bloom: ‘Sweet’ Series Sweet William Dianthus
Mid-summer is always a difficult time for flower arranging in my small backyard. While most of the spring flowers have finished blooming, I'm often left with a small window in which there are very little plants blooming. Fortunately, some of the summer annuals had already started to bloom. Above, are the very lovely double doppio…
Continue reading ➞ An Arrangement in Shades of Blue
I don't know what it is about gardening, but I can't help but get excited when I see a big flower bed bursting in bloom. I recently stopped by my local community garden and found that the hummingbird beds were absolutely alive! Of course, I had to grab my camera and take some pictures. Most…
Continue reading ➞ A Thriving Hummingbird Garden
Each growing season, I try to add something new. Though some flowers are easier to grow than others, I can't help but want to celebrate even the smallest success. Below are some of the newest shades of pink in my garden. Carnations are always very difficult for me to grow. 'Benigna' carnations have started to…
Continue reading ➞ In Bloom: Pretty Shades of Pink
Over the years, I've managed to grow quite a few varieties of lisianthus in my small backyard. I always struggle to grow lisianthus, as keeping them happy and weed-free can be difficult for me. Still, I usually have pretty good results, provided I am able to start the plants early enough. This year, I grew…
Continue reading ➞ A True Beauty: ‘Celeb 2 Madonna’ Lisianthus
Admittedly, I've never been very good at growing lisianthus. Over time, I have definitely improved - but, I'm still working on it. I've always been drawn to lisianthus in deep, dramatic shades. 'Arosa 3 Red' lisianthus was no exception to this, as I was looking for a flower that would resemble true roses, but without…
Continue reading ➞ In Bloom: ‘Arosa 3 Red’ Lisianthus
I've always been fascinated with plant hybridizing. Attempting to grow my own beautiful dahlias is certainly no exception. Dahlias are octoploid. In simple garden terms, this means that each plant contains tons of genetic material. When dahlias are grown from seeds, gardeners don't know quite what to expect, as the seedlings very seldom resemble the…
Continue reading ➞ Growing Dahlias From Seed: My First Success!
Over the course of starting my own very small daffodil collection, there were always several varieties I skipped over when placing an order for bulbs. For whatever reason, the 'Chromacolor' daffodil never seemed to make the final cut. With its seemingly "normal" appearance, I just wasn't sure I could have justified spending the extra money.…
Continue reading ➞ New Additions: ‘Chromacolor’ Daffodils
Since beginning my collection of backyard daffodils, a true double white variety was one which I was truly missing. In my effort to find a nice pure white flower, I decided to try growing 'White Explosion' daffodil. After one season in the garden, I am so incredibly pleased with their addition. When the 'White Explosion'…
Continue reading ➞ Growing ‘White Explosion’ Daffodils for the First Time
I think that today's bouquet is really something special! The best part - I only used a few different types of flowers to create something that, I think, is truly memorable. Let's take a closer look at this pastel spring flower arrangement. In this arrangement, I'm using two kinds of tulip and two kinds of…
Continue reading ➞ In a Vase: Pretty Pink Spring Pastels
