My lamium is blooming. I think this is Orchid.  It’s so sweet don’t you think. My oldest son visited with a friend this weekend. They have a farm and the little lambs were just born. They are only two weeks old. Look! My son sent me pictures of the babies. He took them with his [...]

Look closely. Is there something odd about this? Could it be that this clematis is coming back. I threw the tag away cause it died in the middle of the summer and I thought it was a gone-er. Notice too—the condition of the soil in the background and that in the garden. That was a [...]

I finally got my new gardening glasses. As many of you know, I am instructed by my eyer dr to wear these glasses every time I go outside unless I want to cause further harm to my maculars—one for each eye makes it plural. Since I don’t wish to do that—I ordered these glasses. They [...]

Tim Wood, my favorite plant breeder, has given us a Summer Wine finer than any of its kind. I tested this plant last year and fell in love. It has to be the finest ninebark I’ve ever met. She blazed right past the severe drought and long periods of high heat here in North Carolina [...]

When Spring first arrives, it is mixed with the browns and of last season and the blues of the sky. Just as in a nest of Robin eggs, the colors are repeated throughout the garden. So sometimes brown is a very beautiful part of Spring. Little brown bunnies hop through the broken branches that fell [...]

Featured in the March 2009 Cottage Style Magazine, is the Bed and Breakfast of Diana and Gary Simkins. I first became aware of  The Garden Cottage B&B located in Utah while surfing HGTV’s gardening board. Diana had just posted about her B&B gardens being listed in Cottage Style Magazine. I went over to her site [...]

This is my oldest son concentrating on the roof for Copper Top Cottage. This past weekend my two sons and MrD worked on the copper roof for my new shed/elegant hideaway. My boys rarely get the chance to spend time together as they live 5 hours apart. So I very much appreciated them working with [...]

Seems like this would be a little girl’s magical world of imagination. The roof is open and welcomes the sunshine, fresh air, and the woodland branches. I could hear their hushed little voices as I passed among them. Supertunia Vista Bubblegum They are everywhere and maybe sometimes you don’t see them cause you pass too [...]

The planting season here in NC is just beginning to start. Soon this place will be full of trees, shrubs, and bedding plants both annuals and perennials. I will continue to showcase them as they arrive. I hope you get inspired to visit your local garden center. Are you noticing how much floral work is [...]

Let’s start with lots of color and a new twist for this Spring. You haven’t seen bunnies like this! I took so many photos today that I won’t be able to fit the themes all in one post. I really did want to buy them all. They would be perfect in a container of bright [...]

This is just a tease! Do you want to see more of what this little shop has to offer. I have a huge Spring 2009 preview for you.  I took lots of pictures today just for you and cause I love this garden center! Let me work on it just a bit! I’ll be back [...]

What trick did I use this year to help my seedlings stay healthy? These are sunflowers seeds that have just emerged from their embryonic state. They’ve used up all the nutrients inside the shell and need a weak solution fertilizing each week. The shells that held the embryonic seed –are still attached to the seedlings. The shell protected the [...]

Bloomerang™ Purple Syringa x Reblooming Lilac This is a re-blooming lilac from Proven Winners Plants. I did not trial this one but was hoping someone who did would share their experience. I see it is due out in nurseries Fall of 2009 or you can order it from Wayside( Sold Out for Spring) and White Flower Farm( Sold out [...]

See the ball in the middle of this picture. I suppose it’s a bit smaller than a bowling ball. It’s got a vine growing on it. The owner of this ball ask me to identify it for him. He said he had ask a lot of people but no one knew. It’s not a decorative [...]

Isn’t it just fabulous how the sun comes up and sheds light on color? For us gardeners, that is the reason we plant another day. We plant no matter the disappointments of all the yesteryears. We plant new hope and life because the sun comes up and scatters dots of color across the canvas we call a [...]

There is a long list of attractive glowing features surrounding  Flambe® Yellow Chrysocephalum  apiculatum Strawflower. I grew this in my garden last summer and it lives up to its drought tolerant description. We had very high temperatures for most of the summer. It was also one of the worst droughts on record. Fertilize it regularly and [...]

I love Buddleias for their butterfly attracting personality. I’m on the Monarch butterfly route and they are starving on this leg of the journey here in NC. I feel badly if they don’t have something to eat. And who doesn’t like butterfles flitting about dancing all over your flowers? Buddleia Peacock, 5 feet tall and [...]

There is technology already discoverd that is promising for the suffering plant industry. This new technology will spur cottage industries for just about every object we use on a daily basis. Scientist are meeting this month in North Carolina to discuss the commercialization of nanotechnology. This new nanotechnology will cause our economy to grow greater [...]

Happy® Single First Love™ Dahlia hybrid I must tell you about these Dahlia hybrids from Proven Winners. There are some things that I have grown that scream for me to share and this is one of them. It bloomed all season with each bloom lasting an unusually long time. I was so impressed. You’ll have [...]

I like ornate pieces added appropriately to a home that make it stand apart from the rest. How do you set your home apart and make it unique. This home has some lattice work fastened to the open porch and has a vine growing on it. I can picture it covered in roses. Can’t you? [...]

Lizart has a very interesting way of bringing out the beauty in cats! This is a post dedicated to you cat lovers. I don’t have a kitty but sure wish I did. I’ll have to stick with these non-furry varieties. Aren’t they grand! Beth Nadler brings you a colorful kitty that is perfect for you [...]

Maybe you haven’t seen some of these beautifully crafted items for Easter. This is an Bunny Bag from Rosemary’s Garden. Most of the sites I’m featuring are listed on Etsy and Replacements.com. I’m so impressed with the quality and beauty these artist bring to the market. As I’m browsing and thinking about Easter which is [...]

Tuscan craftsman have hand carved these alabaster eggs exclusively for Williams-Sonoma. At their site, you can see several sophisticated and classy glassy ideas for Easter. Isn’t the glass basket below a nice piece for the Spring table? I really like announcing Spring at my house. If I get excited then everyone joins in. Did you [...]

Look what my grand dog potted up today. This tired her out and she’s resting now. At one point she tasted the potting soil but it didn’t agree with her. In a few minutes, she barfed it back up. I warned her. I had already tasted it and confirmed it was awful. She potted up [...]

This a repost as I was waiting on the approval from Williams-Sonoma to use the photos. I had read and then reread their copyright rules and just wanted to make sure I was in the clear to use them and just received that confirmation from their public relations office. Thank you Williams-Sonoma. Please enjoy everyone [...]

Welcome to last year’s garden. These are all pictures I took of the flowers from Summer 08.  Pink petunias and they are either wave or PW’s Supertunia Bubblegum. I don’t remember. Envy Zinnia Plumbago Agastache Color Spires Citrus Blend Lantana Supertunia Vista Silverberry Rainbow Knockout There was a hiccup in my blog yesterday. My blogroll [...]

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Navada is proposing a new environmentally friendly green power grid as part of the upcoming enegry bill. I reported on the need for a new electrical grid for the United States just recently. Mr. Reid would like to see the energy produced by wind and solar be part of [...]

See how one woman is specializing in heirloom grains. Women are managing more farms these days than at any other time in our history. Jennifer Greene is passionate about farming and educating others on the process from grain to flour. Jennifer says, ” keep it simple”.

Robotic weeding for “Space Age” farming is here. From the series America’s Heartland, we learn that the students at the University of Illinois are on the cutting edge. They have invented weeding machines that navigate the fields and eradicate the weeds. A big boom for farming and eliminating tedious chores. The robots seek out and [...]

Consider Felicia Cape Town for your containers. I’ve grown this is the ground and in containers. I love it.  For a real treat, see how Cherry used them in her garden. You can find them at your Proven Winners Nursery   photos and info from Proven Winners and permission to use them was granted Cape [...]