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 … [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 … [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 … [Read more...]
What’s Eating My Jalapeños?
You'll never believe what I found eating my jalapeños. It's a hot pepper so you would think that it would be protected from hungry critters. But, that is not always the case. I planted my jalapeño peppers in containers this year. They were grown in part shade just along the edge of my driveway. I have four plants and they are growing 10-15 … [Read more...]
The Butterflies are Back!
This summer, the butterflies have been noticeably absent. While I have seen some smaller butterflies, like these pearl crescents that were mating among the four o'clocks in my front garden, the larger beauties were just missing. It's been a strange summer. The temperatures got high very early in spring and they really haven't gone down. As I … [Read more...]
Stokes Aster – Beautiful and Blue
A few years ago, I acquired a new plant that has quickly become one of my favorites - Stokes Aster (Stokesia laevis). These stunning purple-blue flowers simply captured my heart. I really like incorporating native plants and flowers into my garden. They are easy to grow and very hardy AND they attract butterflies and hummingbirds. [Read my top … [Read more...]