Growing and Using Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Fennel is a perennial that grows to five feet high. It has hollow stems and brilliant green, feathery leaves. Because all parts of the plant can be used, it is an almost perfect herb. A native to the Mediterranean, fennel has been an import wherever native Italians have traveled. In many areas of the world, it now grows wild.Growing FennelFennel is an easy plant to grow. It will thrive in harsh

Osmanthus Fragrans (Fragrant Tea Olive)

Osmanthus fragrans is an evergreen shrub for zones 7-9. In spring and again in autumn, this shrub is highly fragrant. For weeks now, our osmanthus have been blooming heavily. We have at least twelve of these shrubs! Needless to say, we have a fondness for this shrub. We planted osmanthus at a previous house as well.

Osmanthus fragrans can grow 10-20 feet high and 8-12 feet wide. With a medium growth rate, it is easy to keep these shrubs pruned, if necessary to fit the space. While they are drought tolerant, they also do well during periods of heavy rain. This is a deer resistant shrub.

These evergreens work well in a mixed border or for privacy screening. The dark green foliage may have reddish orange tints on the tips of new growth. Since osmanthus fragrans works well in full sun or partial shade with acidic soil, it can make a nice backdrop companion for perennial gardens and acid-loving flowering shrubs such as azaleas/rhododendrons, hydrangeas and gardenias.

Star Wars Clone Wars Weekend

Over the weekend we had a Star Wars Clone Wars Party. No, it wasn't anyone's birthday but the new season (cartoon) of Star Wars Clone Wars begins next week and the company wanted to spread the word. I signed up to be a host at HouseParty and they selected me and sent me the goodies.Like many parties, not everyone showed up, we competed with the town festival without realizing it. But or those

Dividing Time: Japanese Iris

Autumn is the time to divide clumps of iris ensata (Japanese iris) that have become too large. The best way to know if your irises need dividing is by the bare spot in the middle with blades splaying outward in a circle. This usually needs to be done every 3-5 years. My irises were planted in fall 2006, but they were crowded in gallon pots. My iris are planted in the rain garden where the soil stays moist. I've not had to use supplemental irrigation this summer due to frequent rains. During the drought last year, I sparingly used the drip irrigation (we are on a well).

I will dig out the clumps and separate into individuals. Before dividing, I will have the planting spot ready to keep the roots from drying out. Japanese iris like moist, acid soil, full sun. It is best to plant at least 24" apart to plan ahead for rapid expansion. Plant with the junction of the fans and roots about 1-2" below soil level. I will probably separate the individuals into about 3 fans each.

In my research, I've read that you shouldn't replant Japanese iris in the same spot. I did further research and found suggestions of digging out the soil, using new soil and/or flushing the soil to wash away the root secretions from the previous plants. Given the layout of my garden, I will have to replant some of the individuals in the same place.

When the foliage dies back (yellow) in the fall, I cut it and clear it away to keep thrip eggs from overwintering. Other problems are deer nipping blooms when the irises bloom in late May through mid-June. The damage hasn't been severe enough for me to stop growing Japanese iris.

Gardening Questions from Readers

How do you winter elephant ears (colocasia) in zone 7?

I wait until frost to cut back my colocasia. Last year, I put a mountain of mulch on top of mine and they came back just fine this spring. Some gardeners lift the tubers and store them in a garage or basement over the winter and replant in spring.

Do rabbits eat buddleia leaves?

I haven't had a problem with rabbits (or deer) eating any parts of buddleia. I've not had any problem with diseases on buddleia either.

Can I plant Knock Out® Roses in the fall?

All of my roses were planted in September. I'm in zone 7.

Is tall verbena deer resistant?

So far, the deer have never even tried the verbena bonariensis. I have a mass planting of tall verbena and it reseeds, too. It is a favorite plant. The color works in all other combinations. It is narrow, so it fits in everywhere in a sunny location. It attracts bees and butterflies, and I've even seen hummingbirds go to it for nectar.

Are Dutch iris deer resistant?

I've never had one bloom missing on my Dutch irises. I am confident enough to plant more. I have 100 more bulbs on order to plant in late October. That said, you never know what deer will try if hungry enough.

Do deer eat Spanish bluebells?

I've never had deer eat the Spanish bluebells in my garden. Spanish bluebells are planted in fall and multiply rapidly. The blooms last a long time. After bloom, the foliage is fairly easy to conceal with other perennials.

Do deer eat Lady Banksia rose?

Yes. For some reason, they didn't bother mine this year. I think this is because they found other food. In previous years, they ate every leaf and bloom that they could reach, but did not eat the canes.

What is the best time to see flowers in France?

I've been to the French Riviera in May and Provence in mid-June and saw plenty of flowers. I've also been to Paris in late June where we took a day trip to Versailles and saw flowers in bloom. Hopefully, I'll make it to Giverny one day!

Do deer or rabbits eat agastache?

Never had either critter try the agastache that I grow. No insect problems either. Agastache is one of my favorite plants. It has a long bloom season, too.

How do you divide agastache?

In spring, I take a sharp shovel and cut apart the roots into smaller plants. I suppose you could divide it in fall, but I don't cut mine back until spring.

What month to plant coneflowers?

I have planted coneflowers in April, May, early June, September and October. They need water to get established. No need to fertilize coneflowers (in my experience). Echinacea 'Ruby Star' is my favorite. I recently planted 'Prairie Splendor' because I got a great deal on them at a local store.

Can I cut back coneflowers after blooming?

I deadhead after the 1st bloom to get a 2nd bloom. After the 2nd bloom, I leave the cones as birdseed for the Goldfinch. If I shake the cones and no seeds fall out, then I cut it back.

All company names or products mentioned are registered trademarks/copyrights owned by those respective companies.

~* Black Paint, Dishes, & A Pumpkin *~

Good Saturday morning to all of you! I wanted to show you something else I've painted black. I found candle holders at a yard sale and never did anything with them until last week. They were originally taupe colored and just didn't do anything for me. Once they were painted black I knew I had made the right decision. I've seen many of you display things on top of the candle holders instead of candles so I decided to put my little Amish girl and boy from Home Interiors that I got when my dh and I were first married on them.

I have them on my windowsill above my kitchen sink.

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Another thing I wanted to show you is the dishes I picked up at Walmart. I found them in the clearance section. I got two boxes of them (4 place settings each). The name of them is Amber Field. I found them online, too, but the funny thing is it says they are only available online and not in the stores. They were cheaper in the store though...go figure...I guess it was my lucky day...well, I really shouldn't say luck...I don't believe in luck...things happen the way they are to happen...not by chance.

Hmmm...now I think I need new placemats!

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I found this resin pumpkin at Walmart, too. It was only $9.99.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit...as always, I enjoy your company...have a blessed weekend!

Lavender Planting and Care

The last few years have been difficult for growing lavender. Last year, we had a long drought, but I didn't lose any lavender. All of my Spanish Lavender put on a spectacular display this past April.

However, this summer has been very wet and I've actually lost a few of my lavender plants. The drought tolerant plants such as lavender, nepeta, stachys and echinops are finally starting to look better again, much to my relief.

I rely upon my email subscription to Sunshine Lavender Farm for reminders about when to prune or plant lavender. This week, I received my fall reminder that NOW is the time to plant new lavender and to trim existing lavender before the first hard frost. For us in zone 7, that means to carry out the task before Halloween. Rather than try to reiterate the instructions, I'm including the links to the instructions on the Sunshine Lavender Farm website:

Instructions for planting
Instructions for pruning

If you've not grown lavender before, the best advice that I can give you is to plant it high and dry, with well-draining soil. It will need water to get established, but it is best to water at the base of the plant to keep water off of the foliage. The Spanish Lavender that I grow blooms in spring, but Hidcote, Munstead and Provence bloom in the summer.

When I prune my lavender, I put the clippings around plants that are of interest to rabbits. The fragrance of lavender deters the little critters for awhile. Lavender is deer resistant, so it is a wonderful plant to use in a full sun garden.

There's another benefit to growing lavender. Here on our property, we have a natural stream in the woods as well as a manmade water feature. We do not have a problem with mosquitoes, houseflies or gnats. Until proven otherwise, we believe that growing lavender helps to repel these insects. We encourage birds, dragonflies, toads and frogs in our garden. These creatures also help with the insect control. We enjoy outdoor living without having to use insect repellants. We sit outside, eat outside, play and garden without any problem.

Given this belief, as well as the beauty and fragrance of lavender, I am going to replace the lavender that I lost to rain this summer. I may even add a few extra plants!

Dial Complete Giveaway

I was recently sent two botles of the new Dial Complete Antibacterial soap (ours was soothing white tea scented) but it also has a new feature, at least to us it did. Now I won't lie, we've been using the Antibacterial soap for a while, but this one has a touch of lotion in it which makes your hands soft after using it.Dial Complete has teamed up with The Life of a Homemom for their Campaign for

Gardening Challenge: Deer Resistant or NOT?

For the most part, the flower gardens were rarely browsed during the summer. That’s the way I planned the outer gardens. However, even deer will sometimes eat plants that are listed as deer resistant. I have a high tolerance for winter browsing if the plants rebound and perform without damage in the peak bloom period, so I refer to these as “deer tolerant.” If the damage is too severe to enjoy the plant, then I will either move the plant or shovel-prune it to replace it with something that is more deer resistant.

Recently, the deer have had an increased interest in the garden. This is too early for the winter browsing, so I’m attributing most damage to the new fawns frolicking through the garden as though they are pets! The large herd of deer sleeps in the meadow that borders the garden, but I find teeny-tiny hoof prints around the recently damaged plants. Rabbits are becoming more of a problem, so I am now having to research rabbit resistant plants as well.

First the good news: Agastache, amsonia, asclepias, baptisia, buddleia, canna, cestrum, colocasia, crocosmia, delosperma cooperii, echinacea, echinops, gaillardia, gardenia, ginger, hypericum, iris pseudocorus, lavender, monarda, nepeta, perennial heliotrope, perennial verbena, ornamental grasses, salvia, snapdragons, stacys, vitex, and yarrow have not been browsed by deer. The oak leaf hollies, carissa hollies, osmanthus fragrans, osmanthus ‘Goshiki’, nandina alba, clumping bamboo, eucalyptus, crape myrtle, magnolias and willows have not been browsed by deer. Spring blooming bulbs, such as Dutch irises, daffodils and Spanish bluebells, were not browsed.

The Japanese irises were planted in the autumn of 2006. When the irises are in bloom in the spring, there is occasional nipping of blooms, but not buds and not foliage. I love Japanese irises so much and the damage has been minimal enough for me to leave these in the garden. In fact, I need to divide my clumps and will continue to spread these throughout the rain garden and dry streambed.

Geranium ‘Rozanne’ was planted in May this year. At first, only a few blooms were eaten. Lately, the fawns can’t seem to leave these perennials alone. I find the fawns around these perennials all the time, so I’m convicting them of this particular browsing. I’ve decided to transplant these geraniums inside the fenced cottage garden. If it turns out that the damage is being done by rabbits (that can get inside my fence), then I’ll pardon the fawns.

I’ve seen occasional nips in the perennial ageratum, but nothing significant. This may also be rabbit damage.

The spirea shrubs were left alone until recently when the deer started picking off the fading blooms. These are deciduous, so I have no serious concern.

The mass plantings of Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ have been in the butterfly garden since 2007. The rabbits eat these flowers as often as possible, but the deer still munch the blooms occasionally. I’m not going to bring those inside the fence because the colors won’t work there. I’ll leave these plants in the butterfly garden. The Goldfinch also strip the petals while they hang on to feed on the seeds. I’m okay with leaving these rudbeckia for the wildlife to enjoy.

One of my Helianthus angustifolius ‘First Light’ has been constantly pruned by the deer all summer. It is blooming right now, so I’ll leave it in the outer garden. I noticed that the deer tried a few of the blooms, but the majority of the blooms were left alone.

Someone has been eating my heuchera. I don’t know if it’s the deer or the rabbits or both. The heuchera were left alone until recently. In the past, these were munched only during the winter and still flourished beautifully in the summer. I’ll try to find a protected location for these heuchera since they are evergreen in my zone.

Although the deer don’t eat magnolias, the deer will rub antlers on these trees. We recently pruned up the lower limbs on our southern magnolia to prevent further damage.

Heptacodium or Seven Son Shrub was planted in 2007. The deer eat the leaves and the blooms. This small shrub/tree is out front in a prominent position, so I’m going to move it to a less conspicuous place and not worry about the deer.

Loropetalum chinense rubrum is definitely deer food in the winter. I have already moved one of these shrubs inside the fence. I am contemplating moving the remaining one to use in an espalier fashion against my stone chimney as it’s blooming beautifully right now. I’d like to save it from being browsed by the deer this winter.

Much to my surprise, the fawns recently ate all of the blooms off of one of my lantana! I’ve never seen the deer show any interest in lantana until now. It was definitely the fawns due to the way my shrub-sized lantanas were browsed. I guess they heard me complain that these perennials were too large for the location!

As always, your experience with deer may vary from my experience with deer resistant perennials, shrubs, bulbs and annuals.

All company names or products mentioned are registered trademarks/copyrights owned by those respective companies.

Excitement over Salvias

Yes, I went plant shopping again! During our visit to Denny Werner’s garden, he said that Plant Delights Nursery sells a Winkler’s gaillardia that is purple. Since Plant Delights Nursery was also having an open house (the nursery is primarily mail order), it was a great opportunity to go shopping. Off we went to buy the gaillardia on Sunday. I came back with that gaillardia, and more. I had my mind set on salvia ‘Purple Majesty’, but a few more salvias found new homes in my garden.

I’m not a salvia collector, but I can’t seem to have enough of this plant in my garden! In fact, trying to comprehend the number of salvia varieties available is simply overwhelming to me. I foresee winter reading to research other salvias that will work well in my North Carolina zone 7 gardens. A great resource website with photos and information is Robin’s Salvias in the United Kingdom.

There are often articles about individual salvia, yet I see little information about the use of salvias in garden design. Salvia is the perfect plant in my full sun garden. The attributes of my favorites include: color and texture, a long bloom season, as well as deer and rabbit resistance. I’m using salvia more and more in my outer gardens. I’ve become so fond of salvia, that I’ve started adding them to my fenced cottage garden, too.

I’ve planted ‘Purple Majesty’ next to the red salvia greggii in the butterfly garden. ‘Purple Majesty’ sage has wide leaves such as found on ‘Black and Blue’, a hummingbird favorite. The deep purple blooms look great beside the red greggii that have been blooming since spring. The ‘Purple Majesty’ grows to about 4 feet, so I’m using it in the middle slope of the garden. Other salvia players in the butterfly garden include ‘Marcus’ and ‘Caradonna’, but I need to move those to more prominent locations. I also use tall verbena and nepeta for more purple in this grouping.

Another favorite greggii is ‘Dark Dancer’ that is already growing in two clumps in my front garden. I bought a third one to create a mass planting. Established companions include crape myrtle ‘White Chocolate’ for the deep burgundy foliage that echoes the deep raspberry bloom color of ‘Dark Dancer’, Echinacea ‘Ruby Star’, echinops ‘Ritro’, spirea ‘Neon Flash’ and a pink muhly grass. I’ve been moving agastache ‘Salmon and Pink’ to this vignette for another long blooming perennial. ‘Dark Dancer’ has narrow leaves and grows to about 3-4 feet high and wide. Right now, mine are in full bloom.

For my cottage garden, I have added the purple salvia greggii ‘Diane’ and the white ‘Texas Wedding’ to a narrow bed that is based on whites, purples and pale yellow blooms in summer. In spring, this bed is dominated by cottage pinks. These are short sages of 18” and 24”, respectively. On the other side of the stream in the cottage garden, I have already been “remodeling” a garden bed where I added salvia guaranitica ‘Black & Blue’ and a deep pink salvia greggii that was simply labeled ‘Autumn Sage’ that I had picked up on a shopping trip earlier this month. The deep blue and the deep pink blooms are a striking combination based on blue tones, especially since the two plants also have different leaf shapes.

Next summer, these autumn planted salvias will be large enough to be fully appreciated and we'll see how well these design combinations work in the garden! Let the excitement continue…




All company names or products mentioned are registered trademarks/copyrights owned by those respective companies.

A New Maintenance Plan for Buddleia (Butterfly Bushes)

There is an abundance of buddleia (butterfly bushes) in my gardens. These tough shrubs are not only magnets for butterflies and bees, but they also provide good privacy screening while serving as anchor shrubs in the garden. For full sun, they can take the hottest locations with minimal watering once established. Deer resistance is a requirement in my outer garden, so I make use of buddleia as flowering shrubs that deer won't eat. Zone requirements vary with maintenance of buddleia. My experience is based on my zone.

Here in zone 7, I always cut my buddleia back to about 12-16” in late winter in order to control the size and promote blooms. During the past few summers, I’ve made little effort to deadhead these shrubs during the growing season because the pruning is very tedious. I also have to deal with the bees who aren’t thrilled with my cutting off the shrub while they’re on a nectar meal! I've had them follow the trug full of cuttings all the way to the compost heap!

What I’ve learned this summer came out of using drastic measures to save a group of buddleia that were nearly blown over during a severe thunderstorm. At first, I propped up these leaning shrubs. But soon I realized that to save the buddleia, I was going to have to cut off the top weight. Using my cordless Black & Decker HedgeHog Trimmer, I literally whacked at least 2 feet of shrub off the top and sides of the ‘Royal Red’ buddleias. I then took my small hand pruners and cut back to leaf joints on the most noticeable branches. I did this during the first week of July, which is a really hot time of year! I decided that I had nothing to lose with this extreme deadheading session.

Within two weeks, all three buddleia were blooming beautifully and abundantly! So when another ‘Royal Red’ was recently disturbed by 13” of rain and substantial winds, I used the same severe pruning strategy. So, now in autumn, I have fresh blooms and lush foliage on that buddleia.

Next year, I will continue to cut back the buddleia in late winter. But, I’m also marking my calendar for the last week of June as a reminder to prune the buddleia in my garden with my new “extreme deadheading” regime. Given the results of the latest September deadheading, I will no longer be afraid to cut back buddleia during the growing season. Sometimes we learn new gardening techniques through necessity!



All company names or products mentioned are registered trademarks/copyrights owned by those respective companies.

~*I've Been Bitten By The Black Bug*~

...the black painting bug that is...I bought these letters last year at Target. They were white. They didn't look bad, but they blended in with the wall too much. I love how they now "pop" on the wall.

Same thing with these pictures...I picked them up at a thrift store a good while ago. The frames were gold and I quickly got rid of that and painted them taupe. They were ok, but definitely needed something better...black paint was the answer. Now I need to decide where I'm going to hang them in the bathroom. There are a few other things around my home that I'm itching to paint black...stay tuned!

A Sunflower for a Rain or Bog Garden

If you travel the country roads in many eastern states right now, you'll see the native version of helianthus angustifolius, also known as swamp sunflower. The native version can grow quite tall, sometimes reaching about eight feet.

In my perennial gardens, I grow helianthus angustifolius 'First Light' PP#13150 which is a more compact 4'x4' size. Swamp sunflower grows in zones 5-9. If you plant this favorite, you'll be rewarded with generous blooms in September until frost in zone 7. You can leave the seed heads for the birds in winter or cut back if you want a neater garden. Divide with a shovel to create more plants.

This swamp sunflower was one of the first perennials that I planted when we built our home in 2005. It is planted on the east side of the house beside an outdoor water faucet. White butterfly ginger is the companion for this sunflower and both are in bloom right now. The sunflower is literally a mass of yellow daisy-shaped flowers. I divided it for the first time last spring and added a clump to my rain garden where salvia uliginosa (bog sage) keeps it company. I purchased another pot and planted that one in a hotter location that has rich, moist soil.

Helianthus angustifolius is supposed to be deer resistant. The most exposed clump has been nicely pruned and shaped to just under 3 feet in height by the local deer herd. They did such a nice job pinching back the blooms and shaping the plant, that this clump looks better than the lanky clumps that were untouched. It has more blooms, too. Next year, I think I'll follow their example and pinch back the stems on the other clumps of swamp sunflower!

All company names or products mentioned are registered trademarks/copyrights owned by those respective companies.

Giveaway Alert

More giveaways are coming along with a ton of reviews, I just need a bit more time and scheduling on this computer. Hopefully, if all goes right I should have a computer by this weekend. Keep those fingers crossed for me as the librarians know my every move and I feel like I'm some type of spy or something. Not to mention trying to get all your posting done in a limited time and watching the

The Horticulturists' Garden

With the Garden Conservancy’s Open Garden Days in Raleigh, NC, Dennis (Denny) Werner and his wife Georgina opened their home garden to the public. Both Denny and Georgina are horticulturists. Denny is the director of the JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, a professor of horticulture, as well as a plant breeder. His recent work includes the new compact, low-growing buddleias such as ‘Blue Chip’. This is the first in the release of the Lo and Behold™ series of dwarf Buddleia. Every year, the Raulston Arboretum conducts field trials of bedding plants that provide gardeners with information about performance and growing conditions.

My husband and I were greeted enthusiastically by Denny who was ready to answer any questions that we had about his beautiful home garden. The 160 foot long perennial border thrills any gardener, but there are also wonderful garden compositions around the home, the pool and the wooded areas. There are island beds constructed to provide wonderful meandering paths through the backyard gardens. Hardscape and garden art accent the gardens, drawing the eye to creatively designed vignettes. Denny selected the plants for his garden. His passion for gardening is evident in his delight and joy in sharing his plantings with us.


The stars in the woodland edges are different forms of hollies laden with berries in shades of red to orange. The foundation plantings are deep and abundant with small trees, evergreen shrubs, ferns and hostas. Foliage and texture are pleasantly combined to add dimension to the front garden entrance. In fact, these vignettes are so stunning that I prefer to call these "gardens" rather than "foundation plantings".


One perennial that immediately caught my eye was an unusual gaillardia (blanket flower) in one of the backyard garden vignettes. Denny told us about the rare and endangered, Gaillardia aestivalis var. winkleri, known commonly as Winkler’s Gaillardia, a Texas native. This beautiful, heavy flowering perennial has white petals and a deep purple cone. It grows about knee-high and is a xeric plant. Denny has companions of salvia, nepeta and other drought-tolerant perennials in this area.

On the other side of this grouping are tropical plants, including a gigantic colocasia, introduced from Thailand. (Look for Colocasia gigantea Thailand Giant Strain to the left in the photo of Denny.) Denny uses a ‘Black Magic’ colocasia to add drama and contrast with the giant colocasia. A banana tree provides additional height and elongated leaves to balance the large elephant ears. Red-blooming hibiscus and canna provide additional leaf interest as well as punch from the bloom color.

The swimming pool gardens overflow with billowing bedding plants anchored by specimen ornamental trees and shrubs. A specimen tree under planted with coleus provides a sense of depth and shade while the prolific blooming petunias, zinnias and other annuals soften the patio around the pool. A water feature tucked into a corner of tranquility provides a transition from home to swimming pool. A little wooden picket fence surrounds the swimming pool gardens providing spaces for beautiful borders on both sides.

Whenever I’m in a wonderful garden, it’s difficult to leave. It was a rewarding visit. I came away with some great gardening ideas and met another wonderful gardener and plant expert. I appreciate the work of horticulturists who are dedicated to the research and development of plants for our gardening enjoyment.




Photos and Story by Freda Cameron. All company names or products mentioned are registered trademarks/copyrights owned by those respective companies.

Another New Blogger

I know I have many supportive readers and I'd like for you all to head over and visit a new friend to the blogging world, and neighbor to myself. Her name is Michelle and has a new blog called, The Other Mother. Please stop by and leave her a message, she's just starting out and I know whould get a kick out of having comments on her blog.

Identifying Flower Colors

Lately I've been coveting a color/colour chart from the Royal Horticultural Society in the UK. The chart includes 884 colors to use to correctly identify flowers.

If we used a standard color chart here in the US for flower color identification, then it would make plant shopping so much easier. It would take the guesswork out of trying to decide if a bloom color is going to be a red, red-blue, red-yellow, etc. Creating color combinations in a garden design would be so much easier!

I've noticed only one US online plant retailer using the RHS color charts, but since I don't have a color chart, I can't look up the color myself. The cost of the chart is hefty at 170GBP or $311 USD. A mini-guide is available for around $44 USD, but I still can't justify buying the RHS chart until color identification becomes standard for flower colors. I don't think the plant industry should create a new chart since there is already one in use.

Until then, I will say that my favorite flower color is magenta, as in my roses, azaleas, coneflowers and salvia that are still blooming this morning. That's as close as I can get to telling you the dominant color theme in my garden.

Morning Coffee in the Garden

Come to my house on a pretty morning and we’ll have our coffee on the waterfall patio. Hidden away in a little corner, the east-facing patio takes advantage of the sun, creating an idyllic spot for a long, leisurely morning. Listen to the waterfall and watch as hummingbirds, preparing for their upcoming migration, flit between feeders.

A large calla lily grows among the stones in the waterfall. I have divided it numerous times, and more leaves always sprout up from the roots. In the spring, the calla lily blooms a beautiful pristine white. Right now, it’s a proud stand of lush, graceful leaves. If we watch the water edges, we might see a little frog peering back at us from his rock ledge perch just below the water. The gold creeping jenny softens the edges of the patio while sedges and shrubs drip over the water.


Look out across the stream and you’ll see the butterfly garden where the blooms wane with the arrival of fall. The plumes of ornamental grasses sparkle from the backlighting of the sun. The osmanthus fragrans are in bloom, filling the morning air with a heavy, sweet scent. We might also catch a whiff of sweetness from the butterfly ginger blooming in the fragrance garden below the waterfall.

When we’re ready to stroll through the garden, you can choose the path. Through the gable gate, we can see the azaleas and roses repeating their blooms in the cottage garden. Or, we can start in the fragrance garden on our way to the outer gardens. Whichever path we choose, we’ll walk slowly to savor the morning and enjoy the tranquility found in gardens.

Garden Inspiration: Hoya carnosa (Wax Plant)

I’m going out of my gardening zone today to travel across the Web to the West Coast. Today’s inspiration is grown primarily as an indoor plant.

We’ll take a peek at a gorgeous plant grown by my dear friend Betsy. Not only is Betsy extremely talented with textile art , but she is also an avid gardener and photographer.

Betsy gardens outside and also grows indoor plants, among them the Hoya carnosa (also called wax plant or shooting star). Betsy says “The blossom is hard and waxy and gives off a powerfully sweet intense smell. I had to stop sewing one night when I had to close the windows because it was cold out and the fragrance just kept getting stronger and stronger.”

In some climates, the Hoya can be grown outdoors (zones 9b-11) in a hanging basket or potted with stakes. The Hoya is actually a tropical vine that likes indirect, bright light. It can reach a height of 15 feet! I did a little research and read about folks inheriting Hoya from their mothers or grandmothers. Some have been growing Hoya for over 40 years! This is obviously an incredible pass-along plant. Propagation of Hoya is by stem or leaf bud cuttings, and air layering. Hoya must be kept out of bright sunlight. There are many colors and I found some YouTube videos showing the time lapse progression to bloom.

Another interesting fact is that Hoya belongs to the milkweed (asclepiadaceae) family. The umbellate clusters of blooms do resemble the more common asclepias that I grow as hosts for Monarch butterflies. There are over 200 different species and some cultivars. Most commonly known is this Hoya carnosa, but collectors have many other species.

Now that we’re all tempted by this sensational Hoya, I did some Web surfing and found very few sources for purchasing these plants online. I suppose this a case of depends on who you know!

All company names or products mentioned are registered trademarks/copyrights owned by those respective companies.

Ringling Brothers Blog Tour

Do you remember going to the circus as a child? Did you ever get a chance to see a Ringling Bros Circus? These were my favorite, we only went to a few but they were a blast. I just loved watchig the acrobats, of course I was like the rest of the kids wishing to join them one day. In the meantime my favorite thing at the circus besides them was the pink cottony stuff, ya know the cotton candy.

~* Fall Goodies *~

I'm happy that I am finally able to post something to show you all! My camera battery wasn't holding a charge so I had to replace it, plus I've been SUPER busy. Also, we finally had fiber optic cable installed so now I am able to upload pictures really fast...I honestly don't know how I survived with dial-up. I'm enjoying the fact that I can visit your blogs and have everything load so much faster!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This is how I decorated the top of my computer hutch.

The top of my dining room table. The candles are Apple Cider scented and they are yummy! I purchased them from Wal-mart...I just have to pick up more!!!
The top of a dresser in my living room...the pumpkin decoration I found at Salvation Army...it was really cheap and is from Home and Garden Party.

This fall decoration I picked up at a yard sale for $1.00. It is hanging on my front door.

A wreath on my back door.

I hope you enjoyed this little taste of fall in my home!

Please come back again soon.

Save-a-Lot Giveaway

Ya'll know I've just started using coupons so this giveaway was a really neat and fun one for me. I mean a place that always has GREAT deals and here they were offering me gift cards for their store to my readers. Not only was I getting introduced to them but I can give something back to my readers too.How many of you can feed a family of four? Many of you can I'm sure, but how much does it

Libby Blog Tour

Oh we recently got a package in the mail with some GREAT songs by Sara Evans in it but besides the songs we also go VEGGIES. You know the one thing most kids protest, thankfully mine actually welcome the gross green things.With school recently starting many of us are wondering how we'll ever get the family back to the table. Am I right? Well there are ton of ways you can actually do this, in fact

Responsiblity Tour

Liberty Mutal wants to know just how responsible you are. So why not jump on this tour bus and find out what some bloggers are saying. I had a rather lengthy post for this but my time is limited now. ::Sniff::Sniff:: But MomCentral told me all about this and I would love to do them justice as well as Liberty Mutual, so for now I'll quickly mention it and touch up on it more when I'm back fully

Update

I'm updating to let ya'll know that I haven't dropped off the face of the Earth. I'm able to use the library once a day except a few since hubby is in college, so you should see more of me in the coming weeks. In fact, tomorrow I'll be posting about a giveaway right here. :) Yep, I thought that'd peak your interest and it comes in the some of 4 $20 GC. haha, not telling anymore than that

Mislabeled Plants: Just Tell Me the Truth

Has this ever happened to you?

You buy perennials on your "wish list" with a vision of specific color combinations. You wait until the spring or summer in anxious anticipation to see the results of your carefully planned design. The plants begin blooming. But wait...that gaillardia is supposed to be yellow, not burgundy and gold! That lantana looks like 'Ham and Eggs'!

It's not my imagination. My gardening friend also bought the gaillardias and saved the plant label. I planted my "yellow" gaillardia beside my nepeta. This was fortunate as the nepeta can handle this burgundy/gold color.

I'm no gaillardia expert. These are the first that I've ever owned. Last year, I hated them. This year, I hate to love them, but I do. They have bloomed continuously all summer long on pure neglect and full sun. I'm starting to give gaillardias more credit. Only, I need to know what color I'm really buying next time.

I lost my lantana label, but it wasn't 'Ham and Eggs'. I'm just guessing at 'Ham and Eggs' based on the pink and yellow bi-color blooms. However, the habit is not 2 feet high as would be expected with that particular lantana.

My lantana is more like 5 feet high and 8 feet across...or, so it seems. I've not actually gone out there and measured it. I tried in vain to dig it up and move it after it overwhelmed the flower bed. It won. Actually, there are three of those. I successfully moved one to the outer garden, but the other two are in beds flanking the walkway...and I have to cut our way through to be able to pass without being attacked by all the disturbed honeybees, bumble bees and carpenter bees that flock to these plants. Another continuous blooming perennial that survives on neglect and full sun. Even the heavy rains all summer haven't damaged these lantana.

If I'm to learn a lesson from this, it is to not buy seedlings in 2 inch pots. However, I like to buy in quantities and I don't want to have to wait until a plant is large to see it in bloom before purchasing.

So, my gardening friends, please tell me...



UPDATE: I have received some wonderful suggestions. Gaillardia 'Mandarin' and Lantana 'Athens Rose'

Garden Inspiration: Who Says Fall has to be Red and Gold?

Through the Web, we are able to share and see what’s going on in gardens around the world and gather ideas for designs. Today’s garden inspiration comes from Brenda in USDA Zone 5, western New York. Brenda describes herself as a compulsive gardener. Her alias is “gottagarden” on the GardenWeb forums where many gardeners are inspired by Brenda’s talent for designing gorgeous gardens.

Brenda provided the following description and photograph of one of her favorite vignettes:


If you are a purple lover, like I am, then you want to extend the use of this pleasing color in all gardening seasons, even fall. Here is the view from my kitchen window in early September. These colors are beautiful from mid August through October, providing a long-lasting display. Forming the background are purple butterfly bushes and the variegated ornamental grass, miscanthus. Butterfly bushes, or buddleia, grow in zones 5-9 and may sometimes die back in winter in the colder regions, only to emerge again in spring. The bushes and grasses add height and structure, even in winter when the leaves and blossoms are long gone. Dahlia bulbs are scattered throughout this garden to add bursts of color in a coordinating shade of purple. Sedum 'Frosty Morn' has variegated leaves and almost white flower heads that add splashes of light to the foreground all summer long, echoing the sparkles of white from the tall miscanthus. This unusual white-flowering sedum is hardy in zones 3-9. Finally, the verbena bonariensis provides a tall and airy veil. This verbena is a heavily reseeding annual that fills in all the gaps and creates waves of violet to tie the vignette together.

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Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)

This is the fifth home we have owned and while each house/property presented unique challenges this property has presented the problem of over growth. The landscaping is mature as far as trees, bushes and shrubs. There really is too much! Compounding the problem are several perimeter, pocket garden beds planted willy nilly with everything imaginable. Despite moving here the end of June 2007

Vinca major (Bigleaf Periwinkle)

One of our smaller garden beds has a pretty green and white creeping vine that has little purplish blue flowers in the early spring to mid-summer. It was quite apparent that the vine was of the spreading nature. It had filled the garden bed and was heading down the divider between our driveway and our neighbours. Our driveway is paved but his is gravel so the vine had no problem spreading and

computer issues

The cord to my computer has died, it will no longer let me recharge. So I will be out for a few days, I can get it fixed on Thursday but in the meantime I'll be computerless. EEEEKKK! Keep sending those good vibes. Doc says I only had laringitis and couldn't determine what I had before it.

Why I love the Net?

I love the net because no one at the other end knows when you are sick or not. But hate all other forms of communication. For the past week I've battled a sore throat and cough with fever. I thought I was doing good, I'd done all the myths, you know the whole:- pump yourself full of vitamins- take halls- apply VICKS- stay covered- sleep (well I tried that doesn't always work)Three of my other

McKinney's tough smoking ordinance takes effect today 12:37 PM CT

The law, passed one year ago by the McKinney City Council, prohibits smoking in most public places, including restaurants, enclosed workplaces, retail stores, stadiums, public transportation and apartment building common areas. It also limits the number of smoking rooms in hotels and motels.

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Wordless Wednesday: Game Day

The kids attended a Minor League baseball game over the weekend in Kansas City, their team didn't win but boy did they have fun. Hmmm, Cotton candy, hot dogs and lemonade. Did you think they wouldn't? Just look at that wink?Happy WW!

Sick in the House

EEEEK, everyone is getting sick in the house. Stay back, be warned, I've warned ya. Even though I've told the neighbor kids we are sick they keep knocking on the door. "Can such and such come out to play?""Ummm, they are sick.""So they can't play?"I'm confused and stare at them, "No they are sick. You want to get sick."They look at me puzzled before I shut the door. I swear, doesn't anyone keep