Category Archives: flowers

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 →

3 Comments

Posted in flowers, native plants

Tagged , , ,

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.

Leave a comment

Posted in flowers, subscribetonewsletter

Tagged , ,

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.

Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in flowers

Tagged , , , ,

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 →

Leave a comment

Posted in flowers

Tagged , , , ,

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 →

Leave a comment

Posted in flowers, seeds

Tagged , , , , ,

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 →

Leave a comment

Posted in bulbs, flowers

Tagged , ,

Spring-Blooming Crocus

Posted on February 11, 2021 | 1 comment
crocus

crocus at Brookside Gardens

February brings the spring crocus. These ephemeral beauties are actually perennials. After blooming in February and March, they go dormant in the summer and reappear next spring. Crocus are grown from corms, which are relatively small and cheap compared to other spring blooming bulbs. Continue reading →

1 Comment

Posted in bulbs, flowers

Tagged , , ,

Winter Blooming Witch Hazel

Posted on January 14, 2021 | Leave a comment
Early Bird

Early Bird

One of my favorite winter bloomers is witch hazel, a small shrub like tree.  The flowers themselves are only a few inches, but their unique shape and ability to cover dark, bare stems with flashes of color add quite a bit of excitement in winter gardens. The flowers are really clusters of four petals shaped like thin ribbons emanating from a dark, leathery base called a calyx. Depending on the cultivar, these inch to two inch long ribbons are translucent yellow or mustard yellow, red/orange or brown/orange, or scarlet red or rust red. On warm winter days, the ribbons unfurl but as temperatures drop, the ribbons curl back as a protective mechanism against the cold. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Posted in flowers, trees

Tagged , , , , , ,

Flowering Tobacco Plants for Deer-Resistant Flowers

Posted on December 14, 2020 | 4 comments

flowerThis past weekend I visited Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA. There was plenty to see – quite a lot of plants were blooming but there were also plants with red berries, or beautiful foliage, or bright stems. One plant that stood out for me was the flowering tobacco. The large leaves were vibrant green and some plants still had flowers. Continue reading →

4 Comments

Posted in flowers

Tagged , , , ,

Post-Fall Chrysanthemum Care

Posted on November 28, 2020 | Leave a comment

chrysanthemums are perennial plants

As chrysanthemum season winds down and the flowers change from beautiful yellows, oranges, and reds to dull, dark brown, gardeners need to trim these plants. In my view, when a plant has become unsightly, it is time to make changes for the greater good of the landscape. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Posted in flowers

Tagged ,