Plow back with me in time to The Garden Blogger’s Fling in September, a few months ago. Owl Creek Farm in West Chester, Pennsylvania was a favorite. There were no ancient walls, limestone paths or turrets as backdrops but the design elements leaned towards English garden theory. Stepping into this garden, fed my plant lusting eyes but also my heart. I hope you will enjoy a look at Owl Creek Farm. Lush plantings such as these pink borders in the two photos above with several kinds of Coleus, Impatiens, Angelonia, and Lantana. Texans could borrow this scheme.Color Themed Gardens, yellow reigns h ..read more

November 21, 2023 This season of the year we are often asked to express what we are thankful for, of which there are many things; however, recently I have been reminded of how thankful I am to have a garden to tend, a group to garden with and organizations and friends who support these garden endeavors.   Several weeks ago when there was an impending  freeze,  I made my way to capture what I expected to be a transition in the looks of our colorful and vibrant landscape to a somewhat muted look.   Upon arrival, the brisk fall air welcomed , the pink shades of the muhly ..read more

In just a few weeks our year-long journey into the world of bees will come to an end. Until then, let’s explore, unarguably, the best part of experiencing honey. In April of 2014, Joe Field (our location prior to relocating and becoming Raincatcher’s Garden on Midway Road) master gardener volunteers hosted a honey-tasting event along with a fabulous honey-themed lunch. A local beekeeper was our featured speaker. To this day, it has been one of our most successful educational programs. Not only did we learn the ‘proper’ way to taste honey, but the menu was created with those complimentary flav ..read more

November 10, 2023 My history with wildlife eating my flowers is a long one. I once watched a wild turkey peck away at my johnny jump ups. Here in Dallas County, we are much more likely to encounter bunnies. Those little bundles of fluff that look so cute on a neighbor’s lawn may find your new pansies and their friends to be very attractive. Unfortunately, they may not limit themselves to enjoying only with their eyes and might proceed to dine on your new plants. How to keep plants from being nibbled by rabbits is a challenge faced in most gardens sooner or later. A quick tour of the internet ..read more

November 7, 2023 After what seemed like the summer that would not die, the trees begin to show color, we get rain and an early frost… it is time to plant pansies, violas and their friends for color that will carry us into spring. Members of Violaceae family, pansies and violas can be traced back to their wild relatives in 4th Century Europe. These sweet flowers have long been associated with love and thoughtfulness. As plant cousins, all pansies are violas but not all violas are pansies. In general (and perhaps easier to remember) pansies tend to have larger but fewer blooms, while violas hav ..read more

If you visit the courtyard at Raincatcher’s Garden, you will most likely notice a huge plant with heart shaped, velvety leaves in the northwest corner of our herb garden. The plant is Hoja Santa (pronounced O-hah SAN-tah) and it is native to Mexico and South America. The name Hoja Santa means sacred leaf in Spanish. Hoja Santa in The Raincatcher’s Courtyard I have also heard this plant referred to as Root Beer Plant. The unusual flavor of this herbaceous perennial has been compared to licorice, mint, tarragon and eucalyptus. It has a strong aroma and flavor of sassafras (hence the name Root ..read more

October 23, 2023 My heart is beating fast just thinking back to my four hours at Chanticleer in September. The history of the garden is interesting because without philanthropic foundations like Chanticleer’s, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to visit such awe inspiring gardens. This historical information is taken from their website. The Chanticleer estate dates from the early 20th-century, when land along the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was developed for summer homes to escape the heat of Philadelphia. Adolph Rosengarten, Sr., and his wife Christine built their country retreat in ..read more

October 9, 2023 After an especially punishing summer, it was refreshing for Raincatcher’s volunteers to pause and reconnect. The garden budget including planned improvements was presented by Lisa.Raincatcher’s volunteers gathered for lunch to celebrate fall gardening! Many of us think fall is the best gardening season of the year.  In the north garden we are harvesting okra, peppers, eggplant, long beans, and zucchini as well as preparing space for our new greenhouse.  Don Heaberlin, Beverly Allen and Ann Lamb, Dallas County Master Gardeners compiled this article. Raincatcher’s pansy ..read more

September 30, 2023 Dear Friends, I am reposting this on the last day of September because we had a few technical difficulties with our video last week. If you love basil or basil in a flower arrangement, you will eat this up! So please watch. Something in the air feels refreshing and hopeful. Summer heat is beginning to drift away as  cooler nights carry us into autumn’s blissful welcome. Have you felt the delicate whisper of magic moving through the trees as leaves are beginning to reveal their fall color palette? Our landscapes seem grateful for the transition to rainy days filled with ..read more

Starla and Ann at Carol Verhake’s garden,Boulderhaven, in Berwyn, Pennsylvania September 29, 2023 Dear Texans, we are sorry to inform you Texas is not the center of the garden world. Philadelphia is America’s Garden Capital. With over 30 public gardens, arboreta and historic landscapes within 3o miles of Philadelphia and the roots of horticultural history firmly planted in this area, we surrender the title to them. Starla and I toured 15 private and public gardens in 4 days with The Garden Fling, a group of 100 garden variety bloggers, instagrammers, and podcasters. When walking through Charle ..read more