Category Archives: flowers

Growing Mexican Sunflowers for Orange in the Fall

Posted on September 29, 2021 | Leave a comment

Mexican sunflowerThis year I grew Mexican sunflowers (Tithonia rotundifolia) for the first time, and I must say, I highly recommend this annual. Although I should also say, I did not grow this plant intentionally. In fact, I have never been interested in growing Mexican sunflowers before because of their signature orange flowers. I don’t mind a strip of orange here and there in marigolds or zinnias but broad strokes of bright orange seemed too garish. Continue reading →

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Mandevilla: Tropical Beauties Worth Keeping

Posted on September 9, 2021 | Leave a comment

mandevillaRecently I was given a mandevilla plant, which is a popular summer bloomer in the DC metro area.  I have always admired these vigorous climbers with bright, large, trumpet-shaped flowers. Usually, I see pink, red, or white blossoms, but there are other colors on the market. Continue reading →

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Deer-Resistant, Fall-Blooming Obedient Plant

Posted on September 2, 2021 | 2 comments
Obedient Plant

Obedient Plant

A familiar fall bloomer in this area is obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana). These remind me of early American gardens: Thomas Jefferson grew these Native American perennials at Monticello, and George Washington had plantings at Mt. Vernon. Philadelphia plantsman John Bartram also grew them and sold them in his catalog. They are passalong plants, easily divided and shared.  My plants came from a friend who pulled a clump from her garden several years ago. My original plant has thrived and spread via rhizomes (underground stems) but only a few feet in the same garden bed. Not too much but just enough to provide extra plants to share and abundant flowers to cut for an arrangement. Continue reading →

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Got Deer? Here Are a Few Deer-Proof Bulbs for Spring Flowers

Posted on August 20, 2021 | Leave a comment

snowdrop blossoms in the woodsNow is the time to start thinking about purchasing spring-blooming bulbs in the Washington DC metro area. There is a wide variety of choices but if you have a severe deer problem, you may want to plant deer-proof bulbs. I know, you say, there is no such thing as “deer-proof.” However, with bulbs there are a few that are actually poisonous. The amaryllis family offers three popular critter-proof bulbs that contain lycorine, a poisonous crystalline alkaloid. Somehow, animals know about lycorine and stay away from these bulbs plus the bulbs perform well in this area and last for many years in the garden. Continue reading →

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A Little Patch of Wildflowers

Posted on July 12, 2021 | 3 comments

wildflowersThis spring I had an opportunity to create a wildflower meadow on my property. It is rare to have a blank slate to be able to start a wildflower meadow: an area with good soil and no plants, including no weeds. I was inspired by Mike Lizotte who showed photos and gave step by step instructions on Instagram. Owner of American Meadows, an online seed company, Mike wrote a book called Mini Meadows: Grow a Little Patch of Colorful Flowers Anywhere Around Your Yard. He shows how easy it is to sow wildflower seeds and grow a patch of beautiful flowers for the summer. Continue reading →

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Subscribe to DC’s Free, Local Gardening Newsletter

Posted on June 23, 2021 | Leave a comment

Enter your e-mail here to subscribe to Pegplant’s Post, an e-newsletter about gardening in the Washington DC metropolitan area. This monthly communication lists local gardening events, recently published gardening books, recipes, articles, and tips specific to this area. Each issue also features the opportunity to win a free plant or gardening-related product. For the upcoming July 2021 Pegplant’s Post, the giveaway is a Kimono hydrangea from the Bloomin’ Easy Plants.

Bloomin’ Easy has made it easy for homeowners who appreciate the beauty of a landscaped yard but need to be able to do it in a way that is not time consuming or too difficult. Bloomin’ Easy provides support to people who have purchased the plants with videos and tailored care reminders. The free care reminders are specific to each plant and offer simple advice to maintain the plants so they always look their best. These e-mails let people know when it is time to mulch, fertilize, prune, etc. The website provides video tutorials on how to plant, fertilize, and prune. Plants are sold through garden centers in North America including Canada.

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Honesty, Money, and Sincerity: What More Could You Want in a Plant?

Posted on April 5, 2021 | 2 comments

silver dollar flowers

Some plants provide beauty in the spring and then step off stage, only to be forgotten until next spring. Others provide beauty in the spring, come back with an encore in the fall, and stay with us all winter long. The silver dollar plant (Lunaria annua) is the latter, a plant that keeps coming back to center stage. These are blooming now in April in the Washington DC area.

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Bleeding Heart Blooming Early in March

Posted on March 30, 2021 | Leave a comment

A few years ago, a friend offered to give me the root of her bleeding heart plant she called Fred. This was in the fall but unfortunately it was some time before I could drive to her home. By the time I picked up Fred, the root was dry and hard. Continue reading →

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National Plant a Flower Day

Posted on March 12, 2021 | Leave a comment

Today is National Plant a Flower Day. I always have flowers in my garden. Before this pandemic, I used to cut the flowers and bring them to my office. I am no flower arranger, I just put the zinnias, marigolds, and cosmos in a vase on my desk. My colleagues loved them. Invariably they would smile and strike up a conversation. Some would be brave enough to ask me to bring flowers for them while others were inspired to bring flowers of their own into the office. Continue reading →

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Don’t Forget to Order Bulbs for Summer Blooms!

Posted on February 27, 2021 | Leave a comment

Many gardeners focus on obtaining seed now to start their garden in the spring. But given the increased interest in gardening it may be best for gardeners to also focus on ordering summer-blooming bulbs as soon as possible. It will be too cold to plant them now in the DC metro area and some nurseries do not even ship them until later when it is warmer. But given the high demand for seeds, gardeners may want to select and order their summer blooming bulbs now to make sure they have them when it is time to plant in May. Continue reading →

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