I have been gardening all of my life, literally. When I was a little girl, I worked alongside my grandmother in her garden. As a young adult, my children worked alongside me and we discovered a world of fun gardening. Now my children are grown, and I am still gardening, at my own pace, in my own backyard garden retreat.
Raking leaves in the fall can be a back-breaking task. Raking, bending over to pick up the leaves, then bagging them is an extremely tiring job. Anyone who has ever raked leaves knows how much time and energy it takes. For those of us who have a lot of trees, it is a job that […]
During the fall and winter, birds are not as visibly active as they are during the spring and summer. You can encourage birds to frequent your yard by providing food and water for them. If you have shrubs or trees in you backyard, they may well take up residence. After all, they need protection from […]
Crepe Myrtles are one of the easiest care summer flowering bushes or trees available, which may explain why so many cities use them in public places. Crepe Myrtles can often sustain extreme pruning and come back strong with beautiful blooms. They also come in a variety of colors. One of my favorite bushes is the […]
We frequently water our gardens. We need to make sure we “water” the gardener too. Both are about life preservation! Let’s face it gardeners! We get out in our yard or gardens and we want to work. No one really likes to stop in the middle of a project to get water. If we feel […]
I’ll be the first to admit that having a garden utility cart makes a world of difference when working in the backyard. Up until a few years ago, I did not own a garden utility cart. In the past, I grabbed my children’s wagon when I really needed help moving supplies. Due to the debris […]
I really hate fighting a hose, but I really need to water my plants and flowers. While selecting my flowers last spring, I came across a fabulous invention. The Zero-G Expandable Hose! I love this convenient garden hose. I no longer have to drag a heavy hose, or even the big reel cart, from bed […]
There are several styles of faucet covers available to insulate and winterize your outdoor faucets. Anyone who has ever had a pipe burst, or a outdoor faucet freeze, knows these inexpensive faucet covers can save a ton of money and prevent extreme anguish. It is an awful lesson to learn the hard way. We have […]
Chrysanthemums are among the leading flowers for our backyard gardens in fall. It is no surprise that everyone loves mums and their large, beautiful blooms in autumn. They are great for container gardening or planted in the ground. Some hardy chrysanthemums will come back every year if you simply snap them back before the winter […]
One of the most spectacular visions in fall is the gorgeous Sugar Maple tree! Throughout most of the year, this hardy tree is green. However, in fall, the leaves turn such a brilliant color of yellow and orange that no one can ignore it beauty. This is one tree you simply cannot take for granted. […]
There are several styles of garden journals available today. Many years ago, when we bought our first house and I started my first “garden journal”, it was simply a composition book with notes. I did add those old school tabs on the edges of the paper to easily find certain notes and sections. However, that […]
Discover the Beauty of the Dwarf Firepower Nandina Bush
Some of the most beautiful bushes I have in my backyard, are my Firepower Nandina bushes. Their colors are variegated which means they complement just about any other plant, tree, or bush you have in your own yard. The reds and yellows of the Firepower Nandina are magnificent in the fall. Plus, these little bushes […]
The Jane Magnolia Tree
The Jane Magnolia aka Magnolia Liliflora The Jane Magnolia Tree Blooms Our home would not be complete without our Jane Magnolia Tree. Twenty years ago, our son chose a Jane Magnolia to give to me for Mother’s day. We promptly planted it and enjoyed its beautiful blooms. A few short years later, we moved […]
Alexander Magnolia Tree aka Tulip Tree
Alexander aka Alexandrina Magnolia I love all Magnolias, from the huge, gorgeous Southern Magnolia to the smaller Little Gem Magnolia. The Alexander Magnolia is one of my all time favorites. Some of the most beautiful spring flowering trees are magnolia varieties. When we moved into our current family home, we had to leave behind the […]
Flowering Pear Trees
Flowering Pear Trees ~ Our Gentle Giants My backyard is graced with two Flowering Bradford Pear Trees. We call the Flowering Pear Trees our “gentle giants” because they are huge, but when the wind blows they sway like graceful ballerinas. Their peaceful countenance beckons you to want to just rest under their shade and just […]
How To Paint Your Own Garden Figurines and Décor
Painting Garden Figurines and Outdoor Décor Painting your garden figurines can add a unique and personal touch to your yard, patio and flower beds. Over 20 years ago, I started painting a verdigris finish on the concrete figurines in my own private sanctuary, otherwise known as my backyard. After I painted my own backyard décor, […]
Best Wooden Bird Houses
Have Them Take Shelter Inside Best Wooden Bird Houses Wooden bird houses make the perfect nesting place for small birds. We often see them flying around our neighborhood and, of course, they love flying, but they need a place to nest and a wooden birdhouse is a great nesting place. My family enjoys watching the […]
Red Maple Trees
The Beauty of a Red Maple Tree I have several Maple trees in my yard. All Maple trees are beautiful, but in the fall my Red Maple tree is especially vibrant and strikingly gorgeous. The brilliant fall foliage is such a beautiful contrast to the overcast days and the fading summer beauty. I look forward […]
How to Grow Hydrangeas
Add the Beauty of Huge Blooms to Your Garden! I learned how to grow hydrangeas in my garden simply by watching my grandmother. She had the biggest, most beautiful hydrangea bushes in the neighborhood, perhaps the largest in the city. She also had a variety of color which I also thought was gloriously beautiful. Of […]
Rose of Sharon Flowering Bush
A Rose of Sharon Bush Makes a House Feel Like Home I love my Rose of Sharon Bush! When we moved into our house 21 years ago, the backyard was bare. There was no landscaping of any kind except grass. It just seemed so lonely and uninviting. Even before I finished unpacking all of the […]
The Yoshino Cherry Tree
The Yoshino Cherry Tree aka Prunus x yedoensis This Yoshino Cherry tree is truly a lovely flowering tree. It is the baby of our garden! When our son selected a Yoshino Cherry tree as the next addition to our garden, we were all thrilled with that choice. One of our neighbors has an adult Yoshino […]
Beautiful Bulbs for Fall Planting & Spring Blooming
One of the easiest ways to add beauty to your spring garden, is by planting bulbs in the fall. It does require a small amount of planning ahead though. You will need to select and prepare the garden area for your bulbs. Selection of your planting areas should be determined by the amount of water […]
Beauty of the Kousa Dogwood Tree
When the Kousa Dogwood tree blooms, it is a magnificent display of beauty! It is filled with stunning blossoms from top to bottom. There are over a dozen varieties of dogwood trees. We opted for the Kousa Dogwood tree because it is more disease resistant than other varieties. It is also climate tolerate and can […]
Crepe Myrtles are Easy and Beautiful Bushes & Trees
Crepe Myrtles are one of the easiest care summer flowering bushes or trees available, which may explain why so many cities use them in public places. Crepe Myrtles can often sustain extreme pruning and come back strong with beautiful blooms. They also come in a variety of colors. One of my favorite bushes is the […]
Mums – Hardy Chrysanthemums for Beautiful Fall Color
Chrysanthemums are among the leading flowers for our backyard gardens in fall. It is no surprise that everyone loves mums and their large, beautiful blooms in autumn. They are great for container gardening or planted in the ground. Some hardy chrysanthemums will come back every year if you simply snap them back before the winter […]
The Glorious Appearance of the Sugar Maple Tree
One of the most spectacular visions in fall is the gorgeous Sugar Maple tree! Throughout most of the year, this hardy tree is green. However, in fall, the leaves turn such a brilliant color of yellow and orange that no one can ignore it beauty. This is one tree you simply cannot take for granted. […]
Container Gardening with Flowers
Flower Gardening in Containers and Pots Container gardening in pots is easy flower gardening. Container gardening is a logical solution when you live in an apartment, have a small yard or if you have pets who like to run, play or dig in your yard. Plus, container flower gardening is just simply beautiful and convenient. […]
How to Plant and Care for Pansy Flowers (Pansies)
Pansies are hardy flowers that bloom in the spring, last through the summer and are often still sharing their beauty right into fall. Of course, to keep them blooming during the summer months, you must water them often. In the hottest part of the summer, I do water my pansies daily, and they keep smiling […]
