Eleanor of Aquitaine
The idea of private pleasure gardens during the Middle Ages in England was espoused by Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Dec 07, 2023•2 min
Focus on Flowers
Focus on Flowers is a weekly podcast and public radio program about flower gardening hosted by master gardener Moya Andews.
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Episodes
Gnats: Pesky Little Devils
Most of us occasionally get little black flies that look a bit like fruit flies around our houseplants. They're fungus gnats and essentially harmless, mostly...
Nov 30, 2023•2 min
Wild William Robinson
One of the most influential horticulturalists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries was William Robinson, the first to promote the idea of a wild garden.
Nov 23, 2023•2 min
Garden Cleanup
Fall is a great time to collect the seed pods from shrubs like baptisia and hardy hibiscus and store them in paper envelopes indoors until next spring.
Nov 16, 2023•2 min
Houseplants That Bloom
Houseplants that bloom help us to get through winter while awaiting next year's flowers in the garden. But often houseplants suffer from problems that we must address promptly to save a plant's life.
Nov 09, 2023•2 min
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Betty Smith is the author of the book A Tree Grows in Brooklyn about a young girl who is inspired by a tree. Unfortunately, the tree happens to be an invasive species.
Nov 02, 2023•2 min
The Mimosa Tree
You do not want this junk tree anywhere near your garden, as it self-seeds aggressively and many people are highly allergic to its pollen.
Oct 26, 2023•2 min
Cutting Down Plants
Continually cut back plants that have done their stuff to allow more room for those whose bloom period is yet to come.
Oct 19, 2023•2 min
Continuous Color
If you need something in bloom all through the growing seasons in your garden, check that you have these plants.
Oct 12, 2023•2 min
Naked Ladies
There are many common names for the pink lilies, Amaryllis belladonna, that pop up in our gardens during the hot days of August/September: naked ladies, magic lily, autumn lily, surprise lily, and resurrection lily.
Oct 05, 2023•2 min
Carefree Crepe Myrtle
Native to the Far East, crepe myrtles can be trees or but in my zone 6 garden, they usually die back to the ground each winter.
Sep 28, 2023•2 min
Clivia miniata
The winter-blooming clivia plant is one of the very few house plants that will produce flowers indoors in the dead of winter.
Sep 21, 2023•2 min
Shrubs for All Seasons
If you are looking for deer resistant shrubs to plant in your unfenced yard, the safest evergreens are spruce, juniper, and boxwood.
Sep 14, 2023•2 min
Recognizing Reality
Early on, I longed for all the more pretentious perennials, but now I prefer the tried and true.
Sep 07, 2023•2 min
Angelonia
Angelonia produces stalks of little flowers, similar to stock flowers, that last a long time on the plant, flowering steadily all through till late summer.
Aug 31, 2023•2 min
Always Cheerful
The plant has the unfortunate common name of "tickseed," derived from the Greek word "Koris," meaning bed bug.
Aug 24, 2023•2 min
Rudbeckia ‘American Goldrush’
This black-eyed Susan is a plant that we can all grow and that will be with us for as long as we garden.
Aug 17, 2023•2 min
Hibiscus moscheutos
Our Midwest Hibiscus moscheutos, (a.k.a. swamp mallow), is an herbaceous plant that has flowers that look so exotic that it seems tropical, but it is hardy zones 5-9.
Aug 10, 2023•2 min
Liatris spicata
Gayfeather (Liatris spicata) is a lovely native plant that attracts butterflies, bumble bees, and other insects.
Aug 04, 2023•2 min
Minimal Watering
Xeroscaping is the term for gardening while conserving water.
Jul 27, 2023•2 min
Excellent Echinaceas
The original perennial coneflowers were pink, but many new cultivars have been developed.
Jul 20, 2023•2 min
Cutting Garden
A mix of annuals, biennials, perennials, and shrubs ensures that your cutting garden always has something in bloom.
Jul 13, 2023•2 min
Deterring Peter
Peter Rabbit is cute, but he can be a problem for gardeners, especially when seedlings and small plants are available, and he wants them for his dinner!
Jul 06, 2023•2 min
Tough Native Plants
Native perennials are an essential part of our ecosystem and support wildlife. Some are more likely to thrive in our region than others.
Jun 29, 2023•2 min
Milkweed and the Monarchs
Monarch butterflies like to eat various species of milkweed, which have a bitter juice, that makes their caterpillars unappealing to predators.
Jun 22, 2023•2 min
Cuttings
If you want to get more plants from your existing flowering plants, a good way is to take cuttings.
Jun 15, 2023•2 min
Degrees of Shade
The degree of shade is an important factor in gardening, and usually for flowering plants, partial shade is the best.
Jun 08, 2023•2 min
Bougainvillea Vines
In warm climates, the showy, brightly colored bougainvillea vines romp over walls, fences, and even buildings, brightening landscapes with their vivid colors.
Jun 01, 2023•2 min
Sweet Candytuft
Both perennial and annual candytufts make excellent rock garden and edging plants.
May 24, 2023•2 min
Star of Bethlehem
The Star of Bethlehem name probably dates from the Crusades. The bulbs were brought home as souvenirs when ancient people made pilgrimages to the Holy Land. So, this sweet little flower has an impressive history.
May 18, 2023•2 min
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