Gardening articles and interests of Wade
It’s getting near the time when houseplants–like children being called in for supper–must return indoors for the winter season. They’ve hung out on a porch or patio, soaking up the sun and renewing themselves all summer. Now it’s nearing the time for a well-deserved rest. But there are a few …
Grab your spades and shovels, gardeners. Like it or not the fall planting season is upon us. A bit of preparation now will yield big results next year, so don’t be short-sighted and put off these recommended activities. For fall color. Unfortunately, if you haven’t been nursing your annuals along …
From one year to the next, growers begin their season with high hopes. And yet, so much of what we hope to do is affected by the fickle weather patterns so prevalent today. As a young boy I would complain to my grandpa if my garden wasn’t getting enough rain, …
Gardens, particularly an English “cottage garden” can get quite unruly unless the space has a definite border of brick or timber. I have used cross ties, landscaping timbers, limestone rock and old brick to contain and frame a garden. Fallen logs are a favorite as well. And though I have …
For as far back as I can remember I have associated stately hollyhocks with my childhood homes in Kentucky. I spent a lot of time with my grandmother, and hollyhocks were her lifelong favorite. Recently a cousin sent me an old black and white photo of grandma–circa 1940’s–and in the …
Nothing looks better on a fence, or a pergola, than a full blossoming vine. In this case I’m speaking of perennial vines, not the annuals like morning glory or moon flowers. Here in west Kentucky I have used a number of vigorous perennial vines that grow quite profusely in our …
Some Hummingbirds will wait patiently for their turn at the feeder, but there are some among the tiny wonders that live for the chase. It’s not uncommon to have dozens of hummingbirds fighting over the feeder out in the country. Apparently it isn’t enough that I plant flowers full of nectar; …
Just some of my sunflowers, which love the rural countryside around Kuttawa, Kentucky. Same medicine has thousands of names to make it differentiate from the other brands. on line viagra You want to make your profile as attractive as possible and sildenafil tablets without prescription http://robertrobb.com/robert-robb/ while there are …
The gorgeous Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is blooming again. Found along the highways–usually on rocky dry banks–this species of milkweed is native to eastern North America. As its name implies, butterflies flock to this orange beauty. But did you know you can grow this wildflower successfully in your own garden? …
How many times has someone said to you, “I just can’t grow African Violets”? I’m here to tell you that you can, and you will love them. I had heard about how hard it was to grow African Violets so often that for many years I wouldn’t even try to …
One of my earliest memories involves my grandmother’s “zillion” zinnias. She had rows of zinnias in her vegetable garden, large zinnias overflowing an old tire near the back door, and zinnias around the mailbox–placed there to welcome the rural mail carrier each day. Who can resist these beauties? The colorful …
My cactus finally bloomed, after only 16 years of waiting. Sixteen years ago, as I raided the seed package carousel at the local Walmart, I came upon one package entitled “Desert Cactus Plants.” It had a photo of various types of cactus, none of which I was familiar with. We …
Time to spice up that old wall with a splash of summer-long color. There is a tendency among gardeners who want to dress up their concrete walls to plant some creeping phlox and be done with it. And why not? Phlox is a perennial that will return to bloom year …
The portulaca is blooming again–and boy, is it a stunner. I have used portulaca all the traditional ways—concrete pots, flower beds, and as an under-planting for larger flowering plants like zinnias. Once I stuck a handful of plants into the hollowed-out portion of an old stump. That ended up looking …
I don’t know how it is with growers in your neck of the woods, but here in the Midwest there’s a race each year for bragging rights. The race is to see who can produce the first vine-ripened tomatoes, and if it can be done by the 4th of July …
It’s Hydrangea time in the Midwest. Hydrangeas are a lovely perennial with either beautiful blue or pink flowers. There are also white varieties. Hydrangea leaves tend to burn in the hot sun, and they are lovers of moisture, so place the young shrubs in a semi-shady location that gets plenty …
Maybe it’s one of the few perks of climate change–but folks around the upper south are growing tropical plants outdoors a lot more than they used to. And with good reason. Banana plants make good and fast shade The tropical plants most used around our region seem to be elephant …
The blackberry patch in the wild can be treacherous. Left to its own devices, the newer growth rises up to supplant the older dead vines. In this way the young leafy vines rest atop the older, woody vines. In spring the entire patch is crowned with a golden green, then …
My favorite perennial, the lovely and fragrant peony, has come and gone again. In our area it buds and blooms almost exclusively in May each year. Does anyone else get excited when this long-lived plant pokes its tiny pink stalks out of the ground early in spring? I cannot describe …
Don’t you just love it when you buy a plant and it rewards you by thriving? Below is a photo of a pot of amaryllis blooming in May and June. At last count there were 40+ blossoms that came and went. Considering how large and showy they are, that’s a …
