Something Lovely North of the Border

With its long history of medicinal use, I find yarrow to be one of the most incredible and fascinating common garden plants.An herbaceous perennial and member of the

Today we’re visiting with Lisa Chapman.

It’s hardly a meal in the South without green beans on the table! Fortunately, the common garden bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is one of the easiest vegetables to grow, even if it’s your first garden. Sometimes called snap beans, garden beans are inexpensive seeds and fast growers, with some types ready in as little as 50 days. They’ll produce bumper crops so you’ll have plenty of green beans to cook fresh, freeze or pickle. With top picks fromAll-American Selections (AAS), which trials seed performance for home gardeners,  Johnny’s Selected Seeds, extension services at Clemson University, North Carolina State University, Louisiana State University, University of Georgia, and University of Kentucky, here are the best types of beans to grow in the South:

There’s absolutely nothing as amazing as a fresh-picked tomato still warm from the sun. In fact,tomatoes are one of the most popular plants in home gardens, alongsidebeans, summer squash, andherbs such as basil. But with hundreds and hundreds of tomato cultivars, or cultivated varieties, it’s tough to choose which ones you should plant to stand up to the heat and humidity of the South. Whether you’re a traditionalist and plant only heirloom types your Granddaddy grew or you’re all about experimenting with new types bred for improved disease resistance, you’ll get the highest yield when you grow a few different types. Just make sure to set plants out after all danger of frost has passed in your area, and give them at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Tomatoes do not do well in shade.

Jay Sifford freely admits his faults: He wears purple shoes, binge-listens to Cher, and had an epiphany regarding his design career while watching Mary Poppins. For landscape accents, he erects soaring violet and blue glass spears that could easily take down a charging ostrich. Most disturbingly, he loathes garden gnomes. But we forgive him because not only is he thoughtful and original, but he also fashions enticing outdoor spaces with plants, sculptures, and structures that linger in our minds. Headquartered in Davidson, North Carolina, Sifford makes the hour-and-a-half drive to his mountain home in West Jefferson as often as possible. He named his sanctuary “Rhodwood” for the massive, 30-foot-tall native rosebay rhododendrons (Rhododendron maximum) that frame the back of the house. Rather than the quotidian log cabin you might expect to see in these parts, the dwelling is a dogtrot house, an architectural style associated with Appalachia in which a central breezeway (ideal for a snoozing hound) separates the kitchen and dining areas from the bedrooms. Sifford painted the house black so it recedes from focus in the summer and gives the garden center stage. When plants are dormant in winter, the structure shines. Here, he shares a few of his tricks.

If there’s an annual I can’t resist buying each year, it’s zonal geranium (Pelargonium hybrids). The flowers keep coming all season and the colors are fantastic! Of course there’s the classic red bloom but you’ll also find pink, white, lavender, coral, burgundy, orange and salmon in an immense range of shades and patterns. Some are knock-your-socks-off intense — perfect for attracting attention wherever you want. Others are more like Dynamo Salmon above — a peaceful pastel that lends an elegant air wherever it sits. Besides all the flower power, some geraniums have foliage with pretty patterns that look good all season. What’s not to love about this traditional favorite? If geraniums haven’t made it to the top of your must-plant list, keep reading and I’ll show you five reasons

Are you looking for possible ways of adding a dose of vintage style in your garden for the upcoming season? If yes, you are just at the right place. Here I have collected for you some breathtaking designs that will turn your garden into a magical oasis meant to stand out from the rest of the crowd.

Tomatoes are a versatile ingredient, and when they’re perfectly ripe, they are exceptionally delicious.If I close my eyes, I can almost taste a sun-ripene

It’s an age-old debate that’s almost impossible to avoid when living with another person: Does silverware go up or down in the dishwasher? And is there even a right answer? Since the popularization of the dishwasher, how to load this appliance has been a hot point of contention, particularly when it comes to silverware. Should silverware be rinsed first? Should you organize each utensil so like is grouped with like? Should you use the silverware basket or the rack, if your dishwasher is a newer model? Some people are adamant that silverware should be placed handle-up, while others insist on handle-down—but those aren’t actually the only options.

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Zinnias are truly marvelous flowers, spectacularly colorful annuals that are incredibly easy to grow.And they come in a dizzying array of colors,

Hosta Julie Morss