Fall Foliage Combinations Full of Texture

Better Homes & Gardens

Q: I’m going away for Christmas, but I’m a bit concerned about all my houseplants in my absence. Do you think it would be a good idea to get a friend to pop by (we’ll be gone for nearly a fortnight) to water them while I’m gone? SK, Dublin

As an experienced and respected professional florist, Róisín Godfrey has spent the last eight years working alongside some of the biggest names in the industry in the UK and Ireland, a career that has taken her to some of the most beautiful private houses, hotels and art galleries in the world.

From when I was a child, I’ve always loved gussying up the table for Christmas. Lots of candles are a must, in order to give that necessary festive twinkle, ideally placed at different heights (nightlights, low candlesticks, tall candelabras), to really make it sparkle. Nice table linen and glassware are important too. But the table arrangements really wave the magic Christmas wand, providing that all-important bit of theatre to memorably mark this special day of the year.

[The following introduction is an excerpt from our second book, “Grow More Food: A Vegetable Gardener’s Guide to The Biggest Harvest Possible”]

Tomato plants supported by vertical strings on a Freyr trellis.

Looking for a greatgardening book to read or gift this Christmas? Here’s my pick of the crop from this year’s harvest.

Here are some of the most common reasons behind Snake Plant Leaves Falling Over and how to prevent it to keep it in its health and shape!

While growing plants from seed is less expensive, it does require extra steps when compared to growing plants or starts from your local garden center.

Annuals do more than just look good in the garden; they also make excellent cut flowers for floral arrangements—especially in fall as they give it their all and put out their last blooms before the end of the growing season. As with creating captivating combinations in garden beds and containers, a bouquet needs balanced and hardworking elements. Focal-point flowers and foliage give a strong visual anchor. Use color echoes and contrasts to evoke dramatic excitement and harmony. And don’t forget to include dynamic fillers and textures, which also help the leading players to stand out.

This extensive unirrigated planting of cold-hardy cacti and succulents basks on a warm south-facing slope in the Undaunted Garden at the Gardens on Spring Creek in Fort Collins, Colorado in zone 4b/5a. In late May and June, the cacti bloom in hot colors along with the ice plants. Thanks to these plants’ interesting evergreen forms as well as the finer textures of similarly dry-loving companion plants such as red yucca for contrast, the garden has abundant year-round appeal. The maintenance for this planting is simple and not extensive—a bit of cutting back and cleaning up of companion plants both as they finish blooming and in early spring along with weeding is all that’s needed. However, this requires agility and dexterity as many plants are sharp and prickly.

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