16 Pretty Flowers that Start with 'G'

In South Carolina, where many of our ponds have been constructed in clay soils, pond water quality may be less than ideal for fish management. Liming can be an important step in a productive and healthy fish pond as lime can improve pH, hardness, and alkalinity conditions, all important factors in fish health. For highly-fished, low-flow ponds where fertilization may be needed to support a beneficial phytoplankton community, liming may be required for effective fertilizer applications. (Contact your local Extension agent to find out more information on pond fertilization and if it is appropriate for your pond.)

By now, everyone involved with gardening or growing plants has heard the term “soil health” thrown around. What is soil health, and why is it important?

Looking for the most beautiful and sweet-smelling blossoms? Discover a curated selection of the finest White Fragrant Flowers that will delight your senses and add a touch of elegance to any space.

It should be no surprise to me that it was Dave who created this new online application, since besides his garden expertise, Texas-based Dave is a programmer (and the founder of Dave’s Garden, which he ran before moving on to start All Things Plants). Dave was the guest on this week’s “A Way to Garden” public-radio show and podcast, where we discussed the new Garden Planting Calendar app. (Stream the show now; get it on iTunes, or Stitcher, or at RobinHoodRadio.com.)“My wife, Trish, is actually the one who pushed me to do this,” says Dave, adding that the Garden Planting Calendar took him only two months to develop and launch. It gives you first and last frost dates (where applicable) and sowing and/or planting dates by crop, based on the location you enter.The app started with just U.S. weather data, but Canadian users quickly said, “What about us?” so Dave added that i

I AM A PROPONENT OF GROWING YOUR OWN; you just have to check my freezer and pantry the last couple of decades to see that. But a vegetable garden is not without its costs or its commitments—cash and elbow grease both required, and then some. Vegetable harvests, like money, don’t grow on trees.

My inventory revealed I am also good on carrots, beets, Asian greens of various kinds, salad things (from mesclun mixes to lettuce, arugula and mustards), and all the herbs I like to grow. I’ve ordered tomato seedlings from a grower at my local farmers’ market; with my new book coming, I’m simplifying my seed-starting this year.HERE’S WHAT I AM allowing myself:CHARD, specifically ‘Argentata,’ with its giant leaves and thick white midribs; ‘Fordhook Giant,’ and ‘Ruby Red’ or ‘Rhubarb.’SPINACH, including ‘Tyee’ for good bolt-resistance among the Savoy types as the weather warms,  ‘Corvair’ (a recent smooth-leaf type, 40 days), ‘Regiment’ (new, 37 days, large leav

Those of you who are regular listeners know I have a similar fascination with other forms of fermentation and culturing–making homemade yogurt, or lacto-fermented concoctions from fruits and garden vegetables, for instance.Along those lines today we’re going to learn about sourdough, and specifically about how to grow your own homemade sourdough starter from a few humble ingredients.No, no mail-order packets of the stuff are used by Sarah Owens, author of“Sourdough: Rustic Recipes for Fermented Breads, Sweets, Savories, and More.” Originally a professional cer

Learn from him when and how to plant them for best results; which varieties stand up to wind and rain best without toppling; how to have a peony season that extends to about seven weeks of beauty, and even when to cut flowers and prepare them to be longest-lasting in a vase (that answer may surprise you). And yes, he’ll explain why those ants like peony buds so much. Read along as you listen to the June 10, 2019 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).The photo of Jeff below is by Rutgers University, which gave him a major award not long ago for his “unsung hero” role in horticulture. Here at A Way to Garden, we like to sing about Jeff, too. (We also like coral-colored peonies like ‘Co

As our conversation took that unexpected turn, from Begonia to Brugmansia and beyond, apparently my plans for what I’ll grow in pots in the garden this summer shifted, too. Long-blooming brugmansias in a range of colors—some not so big as the traditional types I’d known, and even one that makes a good big basket (top photo)—sounded really good. Other gems from South America and South Africa, some with hummingbird-attracting flowers and others (like Papyrus) just exciting for it’s form and foliage, caught my ear, too.Byron Martin of the famed Logee’s retail and mail-order nursery in Connecticut was my guest on the May 2, 2016 edition of the public-radio show and podcast, and he’ll probably   shake up your idea of annual color as well. Read along as you listen to the May 2, 2016 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes or Stitcher (an

His book, called “Spirit of Place,” profiles the making of his own garden in New England, but at the same time teaches us to take contextual cues from where we are gardening, along with other guiding principles of good garden design for any place—like how to create distinct outdoor spaces and also a sense of privacy, something that we all struggle with in gardens large or small.Bill Noble is the former Director of Preservation for the Garden Conservancy, and has worked with individual homeowners and public and private organizations to create, restore and preserve gardens for many years. In our

It’s a story of going the distance to see those old varieties into the future in the age of climate change, and of what goes into making a successful forward-looking orchard—from smart watering methods to native underplantings and more.Mark Richardson, New England Botanic Garden’s Director of Horticulture, oversaw the recent apple orchard restoration project there, and he talked to me about what imperiled the historic collection, what it took to save them, and lessons learned that ca

There are plenty of Fruits That Start With S., and each one has its own unique flavor and nutritional profile. Check out the bottom list for all the details!