Nothing sings the song of autumn more eloquently than a sunflower withering on its stem. Mid-July I was at a nursery, purchasing a perennial that had been marked as a clearance item. Like the sunflower in the above photo, that Black-Eyed Susan [Rudbeckia] had passed its season, and it had withered almost to nothingness. When…
Category: #Lessons from My Garden
The Importance of Planting Pollinators in Your Garden
I have written several posts about the pollinators I plant in my gardens. Generally speaking, I focus on planting perennial pollinators. But I also add several annual pollinators. For instance, I plant Heavenly Blue Morning Glory Vines EVERY year, and the morning glories I plant are annuals. What Is A Garden Annual? An annual is…
Growing Morning Glories – Remembering My Grandmother’s Garden – Memoir Monday – Joy Comes in the Morning & Thomas Wolfe: Some Things Will Never Change
For weeks, I have watched my morning glory vines as they have slowly and tediously twisted themselves into glorious blue tapestry that has woven itself around my garden. Morning Glory Vines at the Back of My Garden – July 15, 2024 During the early part of summer, I praised my morning glory vines as they…
Antirrhinum – Snapdragons
Image Credit: Park Seed Black Prince Snapdragon – Heirloom “This dragon looks like it might really snap. A wonderful heirloom reselected for modern vigor and bloom power, ‘Black Prince’ Snapdragon is a glorious snapdragon with blooms of darkest crimson and bronzy foliage that complements the fresh greens of the spring or fall garden beautifully. “The…
Planning in My Garden and in My Writing
A peek into my garden on October 8, 2024 – This spot is the view directly out from my screened porch A peek into my garden on October 8, 2023 – This spot is the view directly out from my screened porch–BEFORE I created the garden there. What a difference a year makes–IF you plan…
Another Parable of the Soil: Prepare Your Soil – Plant in Faith – Lessons from My Garden
This time last year, I was spreading one of several truck loads of garden soil to create raised beds in my garden. I had lived in my current house for 6 months, and I had just begun my efforts to transform the barren field behind my house into a natural haven. View from my screened…