My Garden info

 Out of Potted Plants: 7 Smart Tips While their antics are fun, squirrels can cause a lot of damage when they start digging up potted plants. Common tree squirrels, with their big bushy tails, and striped ground squirrels (also known as chipmunks), can overwhelm a thriving container garden in no time. Driven by their instinct to bury food for later use, squirrels often see a pot as the perfect place to hide their bounty. Plus, the tender plants in the container are an attractive food source. Encourage these active rodents to play in the dirt elsewhere with these simple tricks for protecting your potted plants. 1. Create a barrier Disrupt a squirrel’s digging habits with the help of a container treat or a barrier. Barriers are rarely effective in a traditional garden setting—tree squirrels and ground squirrels can easily avoid more elaborate barriers set up in larger spaces—and they can be effective in a container garden. You can create a simple DIY barrier by placing a...

At an otherwise uninspiring time of year At this time of year, snowdrops carpet the gardens at Wallington, a National Trust property in Cambo, Northumberland. Another highlight is the explosion of 100,000 crocuses as they create a sea of ​​purple across the main lawn. On the new 32m Arts and Crafts-inspired white bank, thought to be the longest in the country, the flow-over year begins with soft-coloured daffodils and irises and ends with late-flowering cyclamens. Simon Thompson, who has been gardening at Wallington for 25 years, has made “magic happen every season” across the estate. Here he recommends ten bulbs for beautiful early colour. 1. Crocus Ruby Giant “Crocus brings a wow-factor to a spring garden,” says Simon, who likes the ‘Ruby Giant’ variety. “The sun-loving purple blooms are stunning in large numbers. They are a bonus for pollinating insects at this time of year, so mass planting is a complete success. 2. Allium ursinum “It’s not spring in Wallington without...

Varieties to hit Garden center shelves this season No matter how big or small the garden, there are few new plants that will make a gardener’s heart sing. We’ve looked at the introductions for 2025 and found a few that we think you’ll love as much as we do. From jaw-dropping blooms to stunning foliage and some delicious edibles, there’s sure to be a plant (or several) that will have your friends asking, “Where did you get that?” The challenge with new introductions is that numbers are often low the first year, so finding them at garden centers or online nurseries can be a bit of a challenge. So shop early and don’t give up; these beautiful new plants will definitely be around next year. 1. The rose is so pretty . . . you’d want to eat it? That’s right — this is a new line of roses bred specifically with the kitchen in mind. Flavorette features beautiful orange flowers with hints of honey-apricot coral. The flowers are actually edible, and they sport — you guessed it — a sl...

How Statement Plants Add Texture, Joy, and Interest in Winter Evergreen foliage in a variety of shapes, sizes, shades, and textures forms the backbone of the garden year-round, acting as a foil for the flying plants that come and go. In winter, they can be relied upon to provide that living look as the surrounding herbaceous perennials retreat below ground to wait out the bad weather until spring. Evergreen ash plants, which are present year-round, provide the perfect contrast to the many shades of green in dry areas like our gravel garden. The silvery foliage of plants like Pseudodictyum (pallotta) and Santolina are especially effective here. Throughout the months, the permanent presence of evergreens provides a home for birds and insects and protects the yard from predators. 1. Santolina chamaecyparis Forms rounded dense bushes with silver-gray closely feathered foliage. Small yellow button flowers in summer. Height and spread: 60x80cm (24x31in). 2. Pseudodictyomnus medi...

We share 7 of the group’s top picks, plus how to care for them 1. Lipstick Plant (Aeschynanthus What I love most about this plant is how it blooms almost year-round. The crimson glow between the dark-green, waxy leaves always gets me excited. It likes a bright, humid spot — a bathroom is ideal — that mimics its native environment The forests of Southeast Asia. In the rainforests, it grows as an epiphyte, clinging to tree branches and absorbing moisture from the air. 2. String of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii) I think String of Hearts was the first houseplant I ever bought. I was so proud when my first one grew tall and beautiful, then I became less proud It became increasingly cumbersome and sad! I kept it trimmed and had more luck planting cuttings that spread out around the base to make it look fuller. With the right conditions, you might even be treated to tiny pink tubular flowers. 3. Candelabra Tree (Euphorbia ingens) Is it easier said than done? These enjoy a bright spot ...

They can serve as focal points Evergreen trees and shrubs form the structural backbone of any garden design and are invaluable for many seasonal interest. They can serve as focal points or they can be a backdrop for other plants and garden features. Their utility and importance cannot be underestimated. Where I work as a landscape designer in Morris County, New Jersey, we face some of the highest deer pressure in the country. For those who garden in unfenced areas with a growing population of these creatures, few things are more destructive than a valuable or expensive plant ruined by browsing. While there are deterrents you can use with varying degrees of success, the solution ultimately lies in plant selection. With careful selection, there are many options for both broadleaf evergreens and conifers that are worthy of the garden, are suitable for your conditions, and are unattractive to hungry animals. While none are completely deer-proof, the following plants are typica...

Do you have a challenging spot in your garden?  You’re not alone. I’ve never encountered a landscape that doesn’t have at least one area that’s difficult to grow plants. Mine is a highly visible spot on the corner of my house that experiences a variety of extremes during the growing season. When it rains, water from the hardscape and gutters collects in this area, temporarily becoming incredibly soggy. This spot is where the basement sump pump outlet is located. A western sunbeam beats down on nearby walls and paths, and the resulting reflected heat keeps this area warmer than the surrounding garden, even late at night. The soil is compacted from previous construction projects, and there are inches of rocks and gravel from a former deck pad. In addition, this area has received decades of road-salt contamination. Thanks to the superpowers of native perennials, this difficult spot is teeming with plant life. By combining the growing challenges of this garden with similar...

Seeds can be started in a number of ways: directly in the ground outdoors, indoors under lights or in a greenhouse, and even in the refrigerator with a paper towel. I use all of these methods. The needs of the plant and how it germinates determine the method I do. But the reasons I grow specific plants from seed vary. For example, sometimes it’s the only way I can find a particular variety. I’ll walk you through seven plants I always start from seed and highlight why and how. 1. Petunia Petunia spp. and hybrids Why start from seed? I use petunias in mass plantings, which can be expensive to fill large beds with layers of plants from the garden center. I may not be able to find some of the fanciest colors or double cultivars, but seeds of many great landscaping petunias, such as the Shockwave series above, are available. Seed-Starting Tips Start petunias indoors about 10 weeks before the last expected frost in your zone, so they will be ready to go into the garden as soon a...

Late summer container  As summer begins to think about fall, your containers may be a little tired now. After weeks, even months of nonstop blooming, some plants will be on their last legs They’re all for your flower festival. It’s always sad when the displays are over and the containers are left sitting empty in the garden. But there’s absolutely no need. Give them a little more flower power and keep the floral extravaganza going for months to come. If only one or two plants in each pot have given up the ghost, cut their root balls off with a trowel to limit damage to the remaining plants as much as possible. Add some fresh compost and a controlled-release fertilizer like Miracle Row All-Purpose Continuous Plant Food, and you’ll have a planting hole ready to fill with new, eye-catching specimens. If your plants are too bad for the wear and tear and there’s no way they’ll make it. After the next couple of months, dig them all up  and get a compost pile and repla...