For some gardeners, adding flowering plants for late summer garden color is what makes or breaks their gardens. Springtime is the season for abundant flowers and colorful gardens. But by mid to late summer, most flowering plants are done blooming. As a result, late summer and early fall gardens can start looking a dull and tired. There’s nothing wrong with a garden dominated by green foliage. But extending the beauty of colorful blooms isn’t difficult. All you have to do is include plants in your garden that bloom later in the season. “Perennials that bloom in late summer and fall bring an added dimension to a garden,” said David Salman, chief horticulturist for HighCountryGardens,com. “These plants are essential for providing late-season nectar for all types of pollinators including bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and moths.” Here are some of the plants that Salman recommends for late summer garden color. Asters for Late Summer Garden Color Many species and … [Read more...] about Flowering Plants for Late Summer Garden Color
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Grow a Mini Wildflower Garden
If you have ever thought about growing a mini wildflower garden, you are not alone. Natural-looking flower gardens are more popular than ever. In fact, wildflower gardens (also called meadow gardens) are trending all over social media. Mike Lizotte is the author of Mini Meadows: Grow a Little Patch of Colorful Flowers Anywhere Around Your Yard. He is also the owner of American Meadows, a top source for wildflower seeds including regional seed mixes that make it easy to grow a mini wildflower garden no matter where you live. We asked Mike to give us some tips on growing a wildflower garden—or as he now famously calls them, a meadow garden. Here’s what he had to say. Can anyone grow a meadow garden? Yes, they certainly can. My definition of a ‘meadow’ certainly includes large, sprawling spaces. (If you have a large plot of land, count yourself fortunate!) But a 50-square-foot-patch of lawn or a planter box in a high-rise can also be a great place for a mini wildflower … [Read more...] about Grow a Mini Wildflower Garden
Best Roses for Backyard Gardens
The best roses are truly the superstars of garden flowers. They are revered all over the world for their beauty. As a lifelong gardener, it was difficult for me to select the 10 best roses to grow in a backyard garden. Many great roses didn’t make the cut. (Such is the downside of creating a Top 10 list!) All of the roses on my best roses list have edible petals. In fact, these roses have delicious edible petals. That’s one of the reasons they made this list of Top 10 Roses. (Just cut off the white part at the base of the petals, which can be bitter.) If you would like more information—including six recipes that use edible rose petals—read Garden Roses: Queen of Edible Flowers. A word about growing roses All roses need full sun, preferably at least 6 hours of sun per day. Roses prefer to grow in moist, rich, sandy, well-drained soil. Rose bushes also like to be mulched with a 3-inch-deep layer of organic mulch. Roses like to be watered deeply but infrequently—perhaps … [Read more...] about Best Roses for Backyard Gardens
Container Gardening for Beginners
Gardening is trending again, and container gardening for beginners is leading the way. People who have never grown plants before are suddenly interested in planting a garden. “Whether you live in a densely packed city or in suburbia, you can successfully grow edible plants and vegetables,” said Randy Schultz, content editor for Home, Garden and Homestead. “You can grow tomatoes, beans, spinach, squash and so much more. Container gardening for beginners is the way to go, and the time to start is right now.” What is container gardening? Quite simply, container gardening is growing plants in pots, planters, tubs, half barrels, an old cowboy boot or any other thing that can hold some potting soil and a plant. Basically, it is growing a plant in anything that’s not a traditional in-the-ground garden plot. That’s why container gardening for beginners is so perfect. No garden plot is required, and you can grow a single tomato plant or a few herbs if that’s all the space you … [Read more...] about Container Gardening for Beginners
How to Start a Victory Garden 2.0
The COVID-19 outbreak has forced millions of people worldwide to quarantine and stay at home. But instead of feeling helpless, thousands of people are turning to gardening by starting a Victory Garden 2.0. Why? Because growing plants and tending a garden provides stress relief, a healthy outdoor activity and food security. Many people don’t realize that gardening has a history of being a coping tool during times of national crisis. During the first World War, the U.S. government encouraged Americans to plant vegetable gardens. Today, in a time of crisis that seems a lot like a war, these “victory gardens” are seeing a huge resurgence. It's time we all embrace it. It's time for everyone who has a backyard, patio or a sunny balcony to start a Victory Garden 2.0 of their own. The History Of Victory Gardening Starting a victory garden is about as American as apple pie. Growing a backyard vegetable garden has been an essential part of American life since America was … [Read more...] about How to Start a Victory Garden 2.0
