I contacted them today to order flowers for my daughter’s birthday. It was so nice to speak to someone who was pleasant, helpful and knew florals! If you are shopping for an arrangement, please contact Edens Florist (508-748-0225):
This perennial stands above the rest - no pun intended! The long stems have large flowers that range in color from blue, purple, pink or white. I bought mine from Northwind Farm in Wisconsin; they were so beautiful and stately. Unfortunately, they didn’t come back. Reading through some gardening tips, I was pleased to read that Delphinium’s aren’t easy. You’ll need to prepare the soil before planting and cover them with 1-2 inches of organic matter in the spring.
Height = 4 to 6 feet; Blooms in early spring/summer
Spider Flower
Half hardy annual that grow tall and sturdy. Planted in the back of a border, these will certainly catch your eye and attract the butterflies! I saw a large grouping of them in front of a hotel in Wisconsin and was floored by their height and color. The stem is topped by globe shaped flowers in colors of white; pink and rose.
Easy to start from seed in the spring. Remove the plants after flowering but be careful of the thorny stems and the scent (wear gloves!)
Height = 2 to 3 feet; Blooms in summer
Living in Chicago, we spent a lot of time indoors during the winter months. This morning I picked up an old copy of Garden Design magazine (April 2009 - www.gardendesign.com), and read the article on Sansevierias. The Sansevieria was named one of the best plants for cleaning indoor air toxins by NASA and it’s low maintenance! Mid-February indoor air - could it use a boost? I thought I’d give it a try.
So I went shopping this afternoon to my local nursery and they had quite a variety of Sansevieria’s including those with gold edging or speckled foliage. I settled for the trifasciata which is the most common but I liked the height and price! They are also incredibly easy to grow - indirect light and little water (good drainage is critical) will keep them happy for a long time.
Do you create garden art? Send me a photo and I’ll post it for you!
What is everyone planting this year? Do you have a plant that you would like to see added to the plant list? Please send me a photo and the plant info and I’ll add it to our database. The photo needs to have a white background, if possible. email: mary@mygardenonline.com
I have been dreaming about this site for 4 years. I wanted to develop a place people could visit to explore ideas, see what others are doing in their gardens; see what others are creating… anything having to do with gardening. I want to provide a showcase for showing garden art, for talking about what works with what. Gardening is so much more than just planting plants. How people interact with their garden is as unique as each flower in them! My first garden was a mass of petunias. I bought 2 flats and stuck them in the ground. Before long I had a mass of color but not much else. After purchasing hundreds of books and walking through many gardens, I have developed my current garden with a composition. I have also learned that a garden can always change – that is why I enjoy it so much.
And that is why this website was so dear to my heart. My typical spring would consist of stopping by a nursery to “browse” and I would fall in love with a plant. I would bring it home and it wouldn’t fit in or I had too many or …I’m sure you understand! So, this site was designed to help “practice” gardening”. As our database grows, we’ll give you more options for trying plant combinations. With the help of your local nursery, you’ll find the exact plant or something really close that will make “your garden dream come true”!
Future posts will include sections on Green Gardening; Gardening with Animals; Local Garden Artifacts. With help from our readers and experts, I hope to provide reading material and artwork for everyone to enjoy!
My love and thanks to Emily and Andrew for spending spring / summer days with me either taking pictures of plants or wandering through “another” gardening center.
And thank you for stopping by,
Mary