Gardenig in Spain. Tips & Guides

THERE’S A FIRST TIME for everything, and this is the first time that I’ve ever grabbed a photo from the internet and posted about it. Blame my holiday-unwind mindset or the fact that I spend way too much time online now with the birth of The Sister Project, whatever.

Hyacinthoides hispanica, or Spanish bluebells, used to be called Scilla, and also Endymion. I have some mixed colors (pink, white, pale blue) acquired by those names growing in quite-shady spots from eons ago, where they have just carried on with virtually no care. Lately, though, I wanted to make more of a deliberate show, and ‘Excelsior’ (a nice blue), at about 15 inches high, came highly recommended.Other Spanish bluebell plusses: Animals don’t eat them, they can tolerate a fair amount of shade, are very hardy (Zones 3-8), naturalize well (meaning they multiply and persist, so keep that in mind when placing them), and as mentioned require no care.The scaled-down Narcissus above called ‘Hawera’ (Zone 4-9) is animal proof (like all daffodils) and naturalizes easily, too. Each 6-to-8-inch-high stem produces multiple fragrant pale yellow nodding flowers with tiny cups. Its delicate stature is deceptive; this is one tough little bulb

Thankfully, for the latter areas, I have old clumps of lower-light plants to divide, including those in this new slideshow of my top 54 shade subjects. I included some woodland-garden shrubs and trees for those seeking to manufacture some shade of their own—or wanting to add more understory structure to what nature has provided.a mostly alphabetical tour of 54 favorites for shadeplant profiles of shade subjectsPerennialsAstilboides tabularis Aralia cordata and Aralia racemosa Cimicifuga, or Actaea, racemosa Dicentra ‘Gold Heart’ Epimedium Ferns:Japanese painted, and Autumn fern plus a wider range

As vegetable beds or portions of beds come empty, sow cover crops, growing “green manure” to build soil health organically.Get after mice and voles (but never with mothballs!), before they set up winter housekeeping with you.Make easy herbed salts (great as gifts!) or flavored vinegars (ditto). Freeze som

That’s what the flowers, which are technically borne in clusters called racemes, look like to me: a string of little fans, or pennants, dancing in the breeze. The tubular blooms start out red, but fade gradually so that each raceme includes some red, yellow and white individuals.A few seedlings of Ipomoea lobata, spaced a foot or 18 inches apart, will lustily cover a garden arch with mostly three-lobed leaves, growing to 10 or even 15 feet in a season. They’ll manage well in full sun to part shade (but will definitely have the most visitors in the former setting).  I don’t fertilize energetic annual vines like this, because I want flowers, not just foliage.how to sow spanish flag seedsAS WITH OTHER morning glory relatives,

Among the minor bulbs, better animal-resistant choices include snowdrops (Galanthus); snowflake (Leucojum); winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis); glory of the snow (Chionodoxa); Spanish bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica); Ornithogalum, Scilla, andMuscari (grape hyacinth). The so-called autumn crocus (Colchicum), with its late flowers, are also apparently not tasty.Links to some favorite bulb catalogs are listed under Sources on my Resource page, and on that same page a bit higher up, you’ll find links to bulb

Have you ever noticed how the best summer gardens seem to shimmer, a quality that’s almost impossible to define but is inextricably linked to the kinds of plants used? Like the gilt on a beautiful picture frame, they give a burnished, almost luminous air to the planting so that it softly glows.

Do you think it’s even possible to have too many lavender plants?A fragrant favorite in flower be

USDA Zones: 7-11

I am Jeff Sisil. My wife and I live in Cypress, California. I started gardening about 20 years ago. Here are some current photos of spring plants and flowers. I’m having pretty good luck with hydrangeas and staghorn ferns. I also grow bromeliads, tillandsias, Spanish moss, succulents, nasturtium, senecio, and a few others. The challenge for me is managing the space. Our little patio garden brings us so much joy and beauty. I hope you enjoy our pictures!

As part of your Premium access, you can send your gardening questions to our horticultural experts each month. They will then answer a selection of the questions they receive, and share the advice at the end of the month.

If you held a flower popularity contest, petunias would certainly come away with a prize.Beloved for their masses of colorful blooms and

A tart gift from Mexico, tomatillos (Physalis philadelphica) are commonly used by chefs and home cooks throughout the United States and worldwide to add a piquant va-va-voom to sauces and chutneys.Beneath an intriguing yet inedible, papery husk lies a

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. In our attempts to save the bees, many of us are

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Tomatoes are one

Characterized by warm to hot temperatures and a long growing season, USDA Zone 8 includes the Lower South and affords almost year-round opportunities for gardening. It is one of the warmest zones in the United States. Enjoying typically mild winters, some Zone 8 plants experience multiple blooming and fruiting seasons. These perennials, evergreens, vines, shrubs, and trees will thrive in your Zone 8 garden.

A beautiful Florida landscape might bring to mind visions of heart-shaped Caladium leaves, oak trees draped in Spanish moss, and colorful dahlias—all well-suited to the Sunshine State’s unique subtropical climate and sandy soil conditions. How can you ensure success in your Florida garden? 

According to the National Gardening Association, tomatoes are the most commonly grown backyard vegetable, and for good reason.Not only is a fresh-picked, homegrown tomato extraordinarily tasty

Its time I tried the Scottish Bluebell in the garden, Bluebell  (Campanula rotundifolia) (Harebell)

If you want to utilize the empty space of a table with style, then have a look at these DIY Vintage Terrarium Ideas! 

There is nothing like a big slab of juicy, tasty, meaty… tomato? That’s right, beefsteak tomato plants grow hefty fruits with pink, red, or orange flesh that taste great fresh, and fit perfectly on burgers or sandwiches.While growing beefsteak tomatoes is si

Wood hyacinth, aka Spanish bluebell, is a flowering perennial bulb that’s suitable for cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-8.These versatile spring bloomers provide a riot of blue-lavender, pink, or whit

You can still grow some vegetables and herbs without having a big garden: TheseDIY Vertical Vegetable Garden Ideas can help you create more space for your favorite edibles!

Curious about the different names of Cilantro? We have translated Cilantro in Different Languages for you!

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Though often typecast as a mere Thanksgiving pie ingredient, pecans are more than deserving of a spot in your pantry (or freezer) all year long. That’s because beyond their delicious taste, these crunchy favorites are also packed to the brim with nutrition. Read on to find out just what makes pecans such a healthy addition to your lifestyle as well as some tasty pecan recipes to get started.

The day I meet David Godshall, one of the founding members of the progressive landscape architecture firm known as Terremoto, I climb the concrete steps outside his home in East Los Angeles, open a worn hinged gate, and see his garden for the first time. What I find is not quite what I was expecting, yet it makes perfect sense. Rather than the composed plants and austere rigor of the poolside landscaping Terremoto designed for actor Mandy Moore, for example, Godshall’s own garden is a tangle of mostly native and low-water plants, placed in a way that seemed haphazard but that the plants seemed to love. A dirt path is surrounded by bursts of unruly pitcher sage, sprawling California buckwheat, and Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’, all flourishing under the canopy of a Western sycamore. Cross-sawn timber planks from fallen local trees that otherwise would’ve been pulped weave through the yard like mini-bridges for his kids to play on. Raised beds tumble down the slope. A fashionable composter (yes, there is such a thing) sits under the eaves of a house that’s been painted black. Meanwhile, in one corner, a clawfoot cast- iron bathtub sits on a humble wood-plank base. This, I find out later, is where Godshall likes to bathe. 

In Winter our garden isn’t exactly something to rave about. However bog standard shrubs such as the Portuguese Laurel saves the day.

Have you ever wondered where to start when you decided your life needed more plants? Which plants to go for? How to style your space on a budget? Which plant pot to get for your plants? Where to find that big giant Ficus elastica? Or which brands make the coolest plant pots? We have got you covered in our new Domestika course “Home Styling and Decoration with Plants“. We included as much information, styling tricks and plant tips as we could to create a chock full online course for any plant lover. It is particularly focused on beginning plant lovers, but we believe it will also be fun if you’ve been living with plants for quite a while.

Follow our guide to learn everything about Growing Tamarind in Pots to enjoy its sour-sweet fruit, or add an appeal by keeping it as an ornamental bonsai.

I was talking to a fellow gardener and we were agreeing that this is a wonderful time in the garden – spring is underway and for the moment the weeds are smaller than we are.  Well, except for a sneaky few, they won’t actually get taller than I am, but they will certainly take over parts of the garden. Here, it’s the lesser celandines and Spanish bluebells that have resisted all control – try as I might they will be a major part of the garden for the next few weeks, especially in the woodland area, so I have largely learned to live with them.  And both are attractive plants and will die back in early summer, so it’s not all bad. That said, now is a

        I was quite delirious with excitement during the visit to

If you have your special day in the third month of the year then check out theBest March Birth Month Flowers and Their Meanings!

First, learn how to make a book planter a super quick way. Get super cheap old books from the thrift store, yard sale, library or friends. Remember, you’ll need to use thick hardback or hardcover books for this purpose. Why? Because hardcover books have protective covers.

Woodland Wonders Erythronium Bluebell – I suspect a hybrid between the wild bluebell and its Spanish cousin, both of which are in the garden. Spot the difference.

Most years we try and go on a walking holiday looking at flowers and birds with Naturetrek. This year it was the Picos d’Europa in Northern Spain which was a complete revelation. Awe-inspiring moun