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Trying to Hybridize Daffodils for the First Time!
Hi Lovelies! I mentioned a few posts ago that I should have planted more bulbs for spring. Maybe it wasn’t a post, it might have been in the podcast. Either way, I was talking about it somewhere! I’m seriously missing the fact that there are no new tulips, ranunculus, hyacinths, or anything else currently in bloom. However, I’ve still got my daffodils! I’ve got daffodils blooming everywhere! With a little extra spare time on my hands, it was inevitable that I would eventually get the bright idea to try creating my own daffodil hybrid! I’ll admit, when it comes to plant breeding, I am the absolute definition of the word…
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How to Cut Hyacinths to Use as Cut Flowers
Hi Lovelies, I planned on postponing this post for a little while, at least until I was finished editing the YouTube video to go along with it – but as always, I changed my mind. Using Hyacinths as Cut Flowers I have a kind of weird love of hyacinths. I love them because I think they’re totally cute and fragrant. However, I’ll admit that I don’t like the fragrance as much as that of some other flowers. Regardless that I sometimes find them a little overpowering, I think they’re beautiful and worthy of space in the garden. If you do a Google search of “Hyacinth arrangements” you’ll quickly notice that…
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Forcing Hyacinths Indoors
Hi Lovelies, With winter around the corner, and big bags of bulbs going on sale – it’s time to think about picking up some hyacinths to force over winter. Hyacinths require a cold period, therefore, you have to plan a little bit in advance if you want to see those fragrant blooms inside when there’s a foot of snow on the ground. Forcing hyacinths is relatively simple, in fact, even I was able to do so successfully on the first try. To begin, I needed a hyacinth glass or vase. I searched all over the place locally and couldn’t find any. I looked online, but they seemed a little too…
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Beginner’s Guide to a Gorgeous Spring Garden
Hi Lovelies, Well, we made it! Day 15 of Blog-tober! If I had known that 31 days of straight blog posts would be this difficult, I’m not sure I would have taken on the task – but, I’m enjoying it nonetheless. With tons of orders of spring seeds and bulbs landing on my front porch every day, I thought it would be fun to talk about some of the easiest ways to add some spring color to your life. Spring is one of my absolute favorite times of the year. Being able to finally thaw out and spend time outside is such a precious gift. However, when this was all…
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Growing ‘Ali Oop’ Dahlias
Hi Lovelies, It seems that I’ve managed to stumble upon another winner! I ordered ‘Ali Oop’ (like many of my other tubers) on a whim when things were on sale this year. While I’m not sure about the origin of the name on this one, I’ll just assume that it has something to do with the lovely, full round shape of the bloom (like a basketball, perhaps?) – and of course, mad dunking hoops skills. The internet machine tells me that it was introduced back in 1995 – the same year that the last episode of Full House was on. While we’ve come a long way in terms of technology and…
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Growing ‘Gay Princess’ Dahlia
Hi Lovelies, Well, it’s day four of Blog-tober and we’re still going strong – though admittedly, I may or may not be extremely worried about running out of ideas within the next week. Today we’ll be taking a look at another dahlia that I grew this season. In an effort to keep these reviews completely honest, I have to say the shape of this dahlia is one to which I am never drawn. In fact, it’s the only one in my entire garden with those toothy-type edges, and if it had not been given to me – I most likely would not have grown it. Alas, I was hoping for…
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Guide to Growing Ranunculus
Hi Lovelies, Buckle yourself in, because this blog post is going to be an exciting one. Well, I think it is. If you live in one of those awesome areas where the temperatures are relatively mild and ranunculus grow and overwinter outside without protection, this post probably won’t serve as much help. However, if like me, you are a persian buttercup obsessed gardener in zone 6 (almost 7), then this post is dedicated to you! If you aren’t acquainted with my dear friend Mr. Ranunculus, I suggest you pause and make a quick Google search in a new tab. Don’t worry, I’ll wait. I know, right. They’re totally swoonworthy, aren’t…