2 for 1 Gardens - Literary Legends

Hey GPODers! Today we’re back in the flower-filled garden of Heidi Weirether. We first saw her garden a little earlier on in the summer (you check check out that post here: Heidi’s Colorful Garden in Fairfield County) and it’s incredible to see how much has changed in a month’s time! As with much of the northeast this year, Heidi is experiencing incredible hydrangea blooms—but that is just the tip of the floral iceberg in her sensational garden:

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Vicks vaporub is a popular household name manufactured by The Procter & Gamble Company. It is quite effective in clearing out the nasal passages thanks to its camphor, menthol, and eucalyptus oil content. However, its uses are not limited to this, and there are a few Vicks VapoRub Uses in the Garden, too! Let’s have a look!

Gardens are abuzz and harvest baskets are full. Here’s how to soak up the last of the season while prepping for the next.

Social media serves me a lot of skincare products, A LOT of them. While I’m mostly to blame for clicking on ads that ultimately adjust my algorithmic fate, I usually scroll past most magic potions and am very critical when it comes to actually adding anything to my cart. Personal discernment aside, I’ve definitely done my fair share of experimentation and testing, homing in on the best products and gadgets worth splurging on for better, healthier-looking skin. 

There's perhaps no flower that's inspired more poetry, art, and prose than a rose. From formal rose gardens surrounded by boxwood hedges to cottage gardens overflowing with roses, foxglove, and native flowers, these layered blooms are held up as the star of the garden. They're carefully pruned into formal arrangements and allowed to climb and cascade over charming trellises.

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Happy Monday GPODers!

Drought-tolerant plant combinations don’t need to be dry and boring. Xeriscaping, or designing a landscape to use as little water as possible, can be done while still maintaining a beautiful and interesting landscape. The physical traits that allow some plants to thrive without supplemental water can also lend fascinating colors, textures, and architecture to a design. Choosing plants native to areas where water is in short supply ensures that you are choosing plants that evolved naturally to withstand tough conditions.

Some planting combinations are designed to be stable and static, with reliable perennials that work well together and stay largely in proportion for years. Other schemes are more dynamic, changing dramatically year by year as plants self-seed and move around, perhaps making use of annuals and biennials to add interest.

The world has finally begun recognizing the value of indigenous, perennial plants in restoring diversity. Therefore, we have compiled a list of native American herbs and spices that lend stunning flavors, are replete with medicinal uses, and lure endemic wildlife back to your backyard.

Annuals are a topic that elicits strong responses from many gardeners. With the word come visions of manicured plantings, most frequently including foliage obscured by a lavish floral display. While some folks love the bright and reliable spreads of color, others meet them with disdain for their intensive use of resources and stiff appearance. Typically, when I think of annuals, I think of a different group and look entirely: increasingly, I usewater-wise annuals as texture-rich fillers that compete with weeds in new or revamped plantings, and as filler color where I expect to have a dull spot in the perennial beds and meadows. I’ve begun using them also as cut flowers, complementing the smattering of perennial blooms I cut for the kitchen counter. Such annuals blend effortlessly with naturalistic and cottage plantings, and reliably reseed each year. Many of these plants aren’t what come to mind when someone says “annuals”; if you’re more interested in annuals that complement your beds rather than replace them, read on.