Today’s Garden Ideas

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

As temperatures continue to fall and snow is in the forecast, many of us with backyard ponds begin to worry about our friends under the water’s surface. It’s the snow, cold and ice that we need to prepare our fish and plants for, and with a few simple steps you can ensure the survival and health of your pond throughout the winter months. If you haven’t already, make sure that all of your plants have been cut back and put in the deepest part of your pond so their foliage does not continue to decompose causing gases to build up. All fish feedings should stop and not resume again until water temperatures reach 50 F. After all the fish and plants have been put to bed for the winter, most people wonder what is the best thing to do…keep their pond running all winter, or shut it down for the season. Either one will work fine as long as you take the right precautions. (more…)

It’s around that time buy a Christmas tree. But what kind should you buy? Artificial, fresh cut or live? And what variety? This depends on the length of time you wish to keep the tree inside. If you’re looking at more than three weeks to keep a tree inside, you should consider an artificial tree. If less than three weeks, a fresh cut tree is certainly an option; and if you keep a tree up for 10 days or less, you can consider a living tree. There are many varieties of trees you can choose when planning on a fresh or living tree. (more…)

If you live in a dry climate, one of your garden woes may be that you don’t have the advantage of more temperate climates to add some color to your fall garden. The Northern Hemisphere is blessed with a change in climate that allows for rich foliage and rich autumn colors to brighten up any landscape, but drier climates simply do not have that advantage. So how can you brighten up your gardens when you don’t have the temperature change to provide for rich autumn colors? (more…)

Shrubs are a wonderful way to add elements to your garden that provide both privacy and ornamentation as a means of highlighting focal points. When choosing shrubs, most people start off thinking about what they like and don’t like. Instead of going with this method, start thinking like a professional garden designer, and choose shrubs that will act as a landscape element in your garden – highlighting the pieces you want highlighting, and acting as a significant garden support element. (more…)

Morning Glories with their flowers of white, purple, crimson, or red will display brilliant color from summer until first frost. Morning Glories are fairly easy to grow in that they will quickly grasp on to just about any type of trellis or structure. The flowers are funnel-shaped and the leaves look like little hearts. Morning Glories get their name because the flowers open at dawn and close by late morning. On overcast days they will stay open. (more…)

Chinese Wisteria is a very elegant woody vine that brings a touch of romance to a garden. The flowers, also called racemes, come in soft pastel colors of violet or cream. Chinese Wisteria is a quick climber and needs very strong supports. If fragrance is important to you try the very aromatic ‘Jako’ or the dark purple ‘Black Dragon’ (more…)

The Saucer Magnolias with their teacup like pink, purple and white blooms herald the coming of spring. The satiny blooms and informal shape of the Saucer Magnolias, together with their delightful fragrance make any garden stand out and shine. (more…)

It is truly springtime when the Flowering Dogwoods are in full bloom. Their white, red, and pink blooms look like colored clouds dotting the landscape. Believe it or not, these are not the real flowers of the Dogwood. (more…)

Easy to care for, Forsythia is a woody shrub that produces glittering gold blooms along the entire length of their willow-like stems. When Forsythia is in full bloom it looks like a spectacular water fountain of gold. When the flowering season is over bright green leaves provide an appropriate background to smaller flowers. And even in winter, the arching bare stems add a graceful touch to any garden. (more…)