The yard of the house I lived in two years ago was lined at the edge with these beautiful flowering shrubs. I had never seen them before and the neighbors told me they were English dogwoods. The flowers certainly resembled the bracts that make up the showy white part the dogwood tree, but something was a little off. After doing some online … [Read more...]
Attract Hummingbirds and Butterflies with Bee Balm (Monarda spp)
If you’re looking for a native, perennial plant to add to your garden that will be easy to care for, add great color to your garden, and also attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, bee balm (Monarda sp.) is a good choice. Hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees feed on the nectar of this flower. According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower … [Read more...]
Coleus: Colorful Shade Plants Easily Grown From Seed or Cuttings
Coleus are known for their colorful leaves and are a great addition to shaded or part-sun areas of your garden. There are some cultivars that are more tolerant of sun, so be sure to read the labels on your selected varieties. Here is a list of some of the sun-loving varieties. Cultivars can have wavy leaves, smooth edged leaves, or serrated … [Read more...]
Cross Vine: Bignonia capreolata
As a native plant, cross vine has a big advantage - it's easy to grow, hardy, tolerates the heat, has a low water requirement, and can grow in both full sun and part shade. It's in the same family as trumpet creeper (Bignoniaceae) and the flowers are very similar - trumpet-shaped, 2" long tubular and bright orange-red/yellow. Cross vine is native … [Read more...]
Bringing Herbs Indoors for Winter Cooking
Having fresh herbs to add to your cooking in the winter is a great boon – you just can’t beat that fresh flavor. Now is the time to plan so that you can enjoy the flavor throughout the winter. Depending on where you live, some of your herbs will survive outdoors even in winter. My herb beds are partially protected by a tree, so they have been … [Read more...]
How To Grow Tomato Plants from Cuttings
It stays warm enough here in Mississippi that we sometimes get the chance to have a second crop of tomatoes and other vegetables. For those of us who love home-grown tomatoes, it is definitely worth replanting to try and get a second round. At this time of year, it's impossible to find any tomato plants in our local stores. So in lieu of purchasing … [Read more...]