Years ago at Garden Expo I heard it was the decade of the hydrangea. I was overjoyed because I love hydrangeas of every kind, both in my gardens and my clients’ gardens, as well as in the bouquets I create every week for my flower share. I couldn’t imagine I would ever meet its equal,… Continue reading Let’s talk Viburnum
February To-Do List 1. Make rosemary cookies 2. Go to Garden Expo 3. Vacuum indoor houseplants with garage vac 4. Write hits and misses from 2016 for school garden and personal garden 5. Write more blog posts to share ideas with as many peeps as possible 6. Scour gardening catalogs and magazines–favorites: Jung’s, Seed Savers,… Continue reading February 2017 To-Do
I’m looking forward to the next week of temps in the 50s and cleaning up my garden once and for all before it is covered in snow. If you are doing the same, remember: DO NOT cut hydrangeas back, as they bloom on old wood. So, to maximize blooms, leave hydrangeas alone until spring. There you go–one task you can put… Continue reading Hydrangea Tip
Hate to say good-bye to summer? Me too! Today I will be bringing summer indoors for the winter by taking cuttings of my favorite annuals. Specifically, I must get cuttings of Persian shield and fishnet-stockings coleus and King Kong coleus. Once I get those covered, I might take cuttings of all the varieties of coleus,… Continue reading Tip of the Day
Flowers make you happy! According to behavioral research conducted at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, flowers are a great mood moderator: Flowers have an immediate impact on happiness. All study participants expressed “true” or “excited” smiles upon receiving flowers, demonstrating extraordinary delight and gratitude. This reaction was universal, occurring in all age groups. Flowers have a… Continue reading Flower Share 2013
I just finished cleaning a client’s front yard by weeding, edging, mulching and adding some fabulous new plants. I am working on my own yard this week doing the same, as I prepare to host a progressive dinner party we donated to our kids’ school auction. I am realizing as I work how beneficial it is to do… Continue reading Fall-Cleaning Beats Spring-Cleaning
1. Wash vase with bleach and water, NOT dish soap. Dish soap can leave behind a residue that can shorten the flowers’ life span in your vase. 2. Cut flowers early in the morning or late in the evening, when your flowers are holding the most moisture. 3. Remove all leaves that would be in the… Continue reading 3 Tips for a Great-looking, Long-lasting Bouquet
Poring over seed catalogs and gardening books is my favorite winter pastime. A cup of coffee in one hand and my journal for notes in the other, I love planning my next season’s garden. And now I find that as I plan my own garden, creative ideas pop up for my clients’ gardens as well. One example:… Continue reading Top 10 Seed and Garden Catalogs
Daffodils make a great spring bouquet! Just make sure they STAND ALONE, as they will kill any other flowers you add to the bouquet.
Mel's Green Garden 