I decided to go for something a little more unique for a couple of my container gardens this spring. It took me a while to find the right container, but I finally found these lovely, lightweight ashen colored large containers to use. I decided I wanted bright, colorful plants to greet me at the sides of my carport -- I went tropical! The neutral color of the containers I found makes the tropical plants stand out even more. The Tropical Color … [Read more...]
Don’t Throw Out that Old Bird Bath! Make It a Planter
One of my neighbors recently sold their house and as the new owner was cleaning out some debris from the yard, I walked over to introduce myself. I noticed he had an old, chipped, worn concrete bird bath in the trash pile, so, of course, I asked if I could have it. He even helped me load it into my hatchback! Upcycle An Old Bird Bath: How to Convert Your Bird Bath into a Planter When your bird bath can no longer hold water for the birds to … [Read more...]
The Flower That Thinks It’s a Balloon
Right when the balloon flower, Platycodon grandiflorus, is about to bloom, it does its best impression of a balloon. It's so good at it, I have to work really hard to keep myself from trying to squeeze it and make it pop! In addition to having a really fun bud stage, this is a hard-working perennial. I love a plant that you can put in the ground and forget about it. This one has been ignored in my garden for a few years now and each year, it … [Read more...]
The Showstopping Daylily
As I go about my daily routine each morning, I usually have a few minutes to check out my garden before I head to the office. One of my favorite spots in my yard is the 3 feet of ground surrounding my mailbox. The soil here is terrible and I didn't do anything to amend it, but I insisted on putting some plants here so that I wouldn't have to weed-eat around the mailbox pole. The soil is largely clay, so not much will grow in this spot without … [Read more...]
Bringing in the Beauty of Spring
Spring Beauties Just when I reach my limit with the bleakness of winter and cold temperatures, the tiniest of pink striped flowers start to poke their heads out of lawns and ditches. To me, the Virginia spring beauty (Claytonia virginica) is a harbinger of spring and warmer weather. These flowers bloom just before the false garlic – so they fill up the lawns and ditches before the taller flowers begin to grow leaves and bloom. In … [Read more...]
Fall Asters: Purple Blooms for Bees, Butterflies, & Beauty
Fall in Mississippi still tends toward the warmer temps, which means that bees and butterflies are still hanging around. The scorching heat and sun of the late summer has often killed off many of the most prolific flowering plants, meaning there are less flowers for the pollinators to feed on. Adding a few fall-flowering plants can provide a food source for pollinators and add some extra beauty to your garden for the season. How to Grow Fall … [Read more...]
My 2016 Fall Planter
I'm not cheap, I'm frugal. When it comes to my garden, that means I often repurpose plants from one planting or flower bed into another one. There's nothing wrong with that, right? In this case, I repurposed a croton from a container garden that had long outgrown its original pot and mixed it in with some heliconias that I purchased on sale with an existing fern and calla lily. The only new plant was the Ixora with the orange blooms. I know … [Read more...]
Fog Fruit – Mississippi Wildflower
I took this photo on a hot, steamy late August day on the banks of the Mississippi River near Vicksburg, Mississippi. The name of this plant just makes me smile. Fog fruit - I can just picture the fog rolling in from the river and resting around this little plant. Plant Names The scientific name of this plant is Phyla lanceolata. Common names include fog fruit and lance leaf fog fruit. Appearance of Fog Fruit The tiny little rings of pale … [Read more...]
The Cactus that Keeps on Blooming
Cacti are traditionally favorites of many gardeners because they are so low maintenance and perfect for high heat/low water locations. Because we get a lot of rain during certain times of the year here in north Mississippi, my cacti are in a container that I can bring in and put under my grow light when the cold, rainy season arrives. I neglect my cacti. I forget to water them or pay them any mind...until they bloom. And man, do they bloom. … [Read more...]
Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia)
I have to say that I love this plant. Nothing says 'good morning to you' like a bright orange flower. But it's not just me! The hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies have all cast their votes too. Just this afternoon I saw a ruby throated hummingbird feeding on one of the flowers. Tithonia is great for attracting and feeding pollinators. Mix it in with a few zinnias and you'll have a busy garden. This is my first year really growing Mexican … [Read more...]