You can grow wildflowers in a border, a pot and a window box as well as in a meadow.
07.08.2024 - 16:23 / finegardening.com
Penstemon eatonii
Zones: 4–9
Size: 18 to 36 inches tall and 10 to 15 inches wide
Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; dry, well-drained soil
Native range: Central-west and southwestern United States
Few native plants have an extended bloom period to rival that of firecracker penstemon. Even when it’s not in bloom, the deep green leaves are a nice break from all the gray and blue foliage often found in dry gardens. Long spikes of flowers open in succession starting in early summer and continue for many weeks. The deep red tubular blooms attract hummingbirds, and the wiry stems need no staking. Firecracker penstemon also makes for a great cut flower. Don’t provide it with too much water or rich soil, however; it may bloom more heavily but fail to return the next year. This plant is best grown in dry, sandy, or gravelly soil.
Ceanothus velutinus
Zones: 4–8
Size: 2 to 10 feet tall and 5 to 15 feet wide
Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil
Native range: Western United States, southern British Columbia
I love fragrant foliage, and the shiny, resinous leaves of snowbrush ceanothus are a favorite with their scent of balsam and cinnamon. Fluffy panicles of ivory flowers appear at the ends of stems in early summer. This shrub grows well in infertile soil because the roots form an association with Frankia bacteria that help it fix nitrogen. Winter injury or browsing by animals may cause it to die back in winter, but since it blooms on new wood and can quickly produce new growth, that isn’t a problem. The height and spread of this shrub can be managed easily with pruning. It is not particular about soil texture or pH and can withstand moderate drought. Site it where it’s protected from dry winter
You can grow wildflowers in a border, a pot and a window box as well as in a meadow.
Got pests? Encourage native ladybugs to inhabit your garden instead of buying wild-harvested ladybugs to manage unwanted insects. Purchased ladybugs are expensive and potentially disease-carrying, threatening native bug species already living in your garden and the surrounding area. Your best bet is to attract and encourage native ladybugs to thrive and flourish, which will responsibly deter unwanted pests.
Growers in cold climates often utilize various approaches to extend the growing season or boost their crops, including cold frames, hoop houses, and greenhouses. Greenhouses—typically glazed structures— are often expensive to construct and heat throughout the winter. But, they have their benefits, which is why underground greenhouses can be viable alternatives.
Native plants, as the name indicates, grow naturally in an area or region. There is a growing shift among many people away from a manicured garden with non-local species in support of more natural areas, and especially, for embracing native plants.
Flanking our waterways in great mops of silver green, the willow is the most poetic and mysterious of trees. In many cultures – including ancient Egypt and ancient Greece – it was associated with immortality, death, and the underworld; old English folklore states that if you sit beside a willow and shed tears, the tree will cry with you. In China, where the weeping willow hails from, it represents strength and resilience, reflecting the instruction in the Tao Te Ching to have a flexible attitude: 'A tree that won't bend, breaks easily in storms.' Being pliant and strong, willow is used for weaving, and its light weight and hardness make it the best wood for cricket bats.
Join us this summer as we explore some of the UK’s best 2-for-1 Gardens to visit in August, for fun days out with all the family. Whether it’s an adventure playground or woodland trail for the kids, or a rose garden or restored Elizabethan garden for the horticulturalists, there is plenty to enjoy at these gardens. Visit using your 2-for-1 Gardens card to save money on your trips to all these wonderful gardens.
Espresso martinis have dominated drink menus for several years now, but a new coffee cocktail might be challenging their spot at the top of the happy hour list. Carajillos have arrived on the scene, and they’re a simpler, smaller-sized cousin of espresso martinis (tiny cocktails, anyone?). Made with just two ingredients, this espresso-based cocktail is just as tasty as an espresso martini, but much easier to recreate at home.
“Impossibly unaffordable” are two words that Californians are probably less than thrilled to hear. In a recent report from Chapman University in Orange, California, and the Frontier Centre of Public Policy (FCPP) in Canada, that’s exactly how four California metros are described. The 2024 edition of Demographia International Housing Affordability shows San Jose, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego listed among the top 10 least affordable housing markets—not just in the United States, but worldwide.
Asclepias incarnata
Cunila origanoides
Asclepias verticillata
Salvia greggii ‘Pink Preference’