It’s Gardener Bloggers Bloom Day, the 15 of every month. Winter is a good time to visit the local conservatories to get one’s fix of “Bloom.” Recently I discovered Blueberry Ice bougainvillea at the Brookside Gardens conservatory in Wheaton, Maryland. This plant fascinated me because it was exactly opposite of the type of bougainvillea I grew up with in the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia. In the tropics, we had bougainvillea vines climbing up the sides of houses and buildings, as common as wisteria is where I now live in Northern Virginia. The green leaves and papery thin salmon flowers (really modified leaves called bracts) colored the buildings for months at a time. So I was intrigued by Blueberry Ice at the conservatory because it had cream/green variegated leaves, it was only about 2 feet tall, and it had bracts the color of grape popsicles. Think of how useful this small tropical plant could be here in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Grown as a summer annual, Blueberry Ice would thrive in a hanging basket, window box, or container. It will scoff at our heat and humidity and reward us with color all summer long. I love it when a new cultivar changes the paradigm and gives new meaning to what a bougainvillea could be in my garden.
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Speaking Events
Contact me to speak about culinary herbs or edible flowers to your gardening club, library, or nursery customers, both in person or virtually. My upcoming events are:
Grow! with Katie Dubow, Facebook Live, November 4, 1:00 pm EST. This is recorded in FB with many recipe/herb comments and suggestions https://www.facebook.com/KatieGardenGirl/videos/403943387314193/
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Gardens ‘n Plants Podcast
- Celebrating Calendula, Harvesting Greens, and DIY Holiday Gifts December 8, 2020Join Peggy Riccio and Teri Speight as they discuss what is happening in their gardens. Peggy talks about calendula and Teri talks about harvesting greens from her community garden. Together they discuss the change in date and venue for the annual Philadelphia Flower Show and DIY holiday gifts. This episode marks the last episode in […]Peggy
- Decorating with Waxed Amaryllis, Cooking with Sage and Bulbing Fennel, and Creating Houseplant Gifts December 1, 2020Join Peggy Riccio and Teri Speight as they discuss what is happening in their gardens. Peggy talks about the compost she received for her new garden bed, waxed amaryllis bulbs, and the herbs and edible flowers she cut from her garden for her charcuterie board. Teri talks about cooking with bulbing fennel and using sage […]Peggy
- Celebrating Calendula, Harvesting Greens, and DIY Holiday Gifts December 8, 2020
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