The mad rush to get the gardens planted has come to an end. And now it’s time to sit back put my feet up and enjoy our hard work. Oh there will be tweaks here and there as a few flowers struggle. Sometimes it’s a little bit too much water to start out, or a windy day might dry the foliage. It might even be a pesty rabbit. There’s always something to do in the garden, and it might seem like the work is done, but there’s always an odd plant or two to replace. As I look back my my planting season, it’s obvious the selection wasn’t what it used to be. I was still able to create beautiful gardens ..read more

Sunflowers always remind me of fall. I love the way their flower head follows the course of the sun during the day, always turning towards the light, from east to west. Chrysanthemum are wonderful for bright color, in a wide range of shades to create pockets of bright oranges,yellows, and reds to mimic the fall leaves–to whites, pinks and purples for a softer tone. But not only will this flower provide a wide range of colors, it will also provide texture and contrast to your garden with the many shapes the flower heads come in. Coleus also come in many shades of fall colors, including shade ..read more

Floriography: Exploring the Victorian Meaning of Flowers Through out our lives, and our history, we are warned about danger. Our parents warned us about touching a hot stove. Our friends warned us about a cheating partner. Paul Revere warned the settlers that the “British are coming”. Nature warns us as well. The rattle snake shakes it tail before it strikes, thunder warns of storms, the ground hog of the possibility of a longer winter. Using the languge of flowers, the Victorians could also send warnings. The Petunia warns of resentment and anger Purple Petunia Monkshood warns of hatred and t ..read more

Floriography: Exploring the Victorian Meaning of Flowers Have you seen the movie Alona Holmes? The main character is left a secret message by her mother-using the language of flowers. This was a common practice in the Victorian era. I thought it would be fun to learn a few meanings and try out a message or two. Just another secret from my garden! Single flowers have specific meaning, and certain colors of the flower goes deeper into the meaning of the flower. Combinations of flowers will have other meanings. Some flowers will even have conflicting meanings, which could cause serious misunderst ..read more

Night Blooming Jasmine I have to admit, this one surprised me! Down here in Florida, Night Blooming Jasmine is a coveted plant. To have it in your garden is like having a wonderful treasure. It’s not because it’s a beautiful plant, It is large and can overwhelm if not trimmed regularly. You might even overlook it during your daytime walk. It seems to blend in with the other plants in the landscape. But if you have one, you will know the scent away where. It blooms release its heavenly scent, starting at dusk, getting stronger as the night progresses. But the Night Blooming Jasmine is toxic to ..read more

Monkshood Manchurian Monkshood Called the plant arsenic by roman naturalist, Plinius, they used it as an aid in taking down the kill when hunting. The plants contain the poison aconitine. They cultivate some species as ornamental plants, and a trained professional uses a few in traditional medicine. All species are extremely poisonous. But the first time I heard about it was when I was a teenager reading 4.50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie. To me, Dame Christie is the Queen of Poison. Did you know it was one of her most common methods of murder? Over 30 victims in her books (not to mention ..read more

The Angel Trumpet Angel Trumpets are not as heavenly as they sound. This beautiful plant is common in the south and makes a stunning show piece. It gives off a wonderful scent in the evening and attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. It is commonly used in the landscape as an ornamental tree or large shrub. My mother has several, in yellow and dark purple, and I’m always amazed at the number of butterflies that circle the plants. The flowers are huge! 5-6″ long with a deep throat which holds pollen in a protected area for the hummingbirds to access. All parts of the Angel Trumpet are p ..read more

It’s almost Valentines day, and our thoughts turn to love and romance. And one of the most common flowers used to express these deep sediments; ROSES. Each rose color has a special meaning, but the red rose is the ultimate symbol of love. Yet, roses have other uses than expressing our feelings for a loved one. Did you know that the fruit of the rose, the Rose Hip, has a high content of Vitamin C? They can be used in soup, tea, jam, jelly and marmalade. Compounds extracted from the rose are being used to fight against depression, Alzheimer’s, heart problems and HIV. Rose Oil is used in antioxi ..read more

The mad rush to get the gardens planted has come to an end. And now it’s time to sit back put my feet up and enjoy our hard work. Oh there will be tweaks here and there as a few flowers struggle. Sometimes it’s a little bit too much water to start out, or a windy day might dry the foliage. It might even be a pesty rabbit. There’s always something to do in the garden, and it might seem like the work is done, but there’s always an odd plant or two to replace. As I look back my my planting season, it’s obvious the selection wasn’t what it used to be. I was still able to create beautiful gardens ..read more

A ..read more