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Growing Perennials and Vegetables in one Garden Space
Squirrels in my garden last year made vegetable gardening a nightmare for me. This year, I decided to try combining perennials and vegetables in one garden bed to see how it worked out. I have long been interested in growing perennials. Adding some vegetables into the mix gave my garden beds an interesting new look. […]
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The Garden Charmers Share their Favorite Facebook Pages
Facebook has so many great pages devoted to gardening, but the way the site now shows the content of pages, it is sometimes hard for them to get seen on news feeds. Facebook is one of the most popular of the social media channels. I thought it would be fun for the Garden Charmers (a […]
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Raleigh Botanical Gardens Visit
One of my favorite things to do when I have some spare time is to visit Raleigh Botanical Gardens. I love the new perennial and annual plants that I learn about and it just de-stresses me like nothing else seems to do. Raleigh has a great Botanical Garden called JC Raulston Arboretum. The beauty of […]
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Spring Fever in my Garden Starts in Winter
Oh the weather outside is frightful, or so the saying goes. Here in Raleigh, we are not known for much cold weather in the winter, but this year has been different in that regard. We have had a couple of days of snow and several weeks of unseasonably cold weather, with temps getting down to […]
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Moth Orchids – Phalaenopsis – Great Choice for Beginners
I have often thought that orchids are only plants that you should choose if you have green house conditions. But on a recent trip to several home improvement stores, I have seen scores of beautiful moth orchids that are sitting in normal low light conditions for what seems like weeks on end without losing their […]
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How To Grow Tropical Bromeliad – Aechmea Fasciata
I have loved plants all of my life. For a large portion of it, that meant indoor plants. Now that I have a largish property, it means lots and lots of garden beds with perennials. I don’t have much time to tend indoor plants, but I still like to have a few of them around. […]
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The Best of The Gardening Cook in 2013
January is always a time of reflection for me. I look back over the previous year – see what worked and what didn’t and make plans for the new year. Often the plans have to do with my weight. Alas, I always seem to have a new year’s resolution aimed at something to do with […]
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Frost Flowers – Natural Beauty in Nature
Nature’s Beauty: Frost Flowers My husband loves National Geographic nature shows and watches them often. The other day he told me about a show that he had watched on a phenomenon called frost flowers. I had never heard of these, so I wanted to research the topic to do an article for the site. What […]
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The Garden Charmers Trick and Tips
The Garden Charmers on Facebook are a diverse group of ladies with one common theme. They love nature and gardening. I asked the ladies in the group to share their top tricks and tips. Some gave me gardening tips. Some had home and decor tips. All were great ideas to save you time and energy, […]
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Unusual Fungi – Oddity of Nature
Don’t be Tempted to Eat this Fungi On my morning walk yesterday, I noticed big clumps on a neighbor’s tree. Closer inspection of it showed me what looked very much like a white brain growing on the side of his tree. It might be some version of a Lion’s mane mushroom, which is quite a […]
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Garden Seating Areas – Favorite Places to Sit, Hide and Dream
Garden seating areas are a place to site, to hide or to dream. Which of these ideas come to mind when you think about your garden seating areas? A garden sitting area can mean something very different, depending on the person you ask and their perspective. It can be as simple as two chairs on […]
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Garden Seating Ideas for Your Garden – Get Some Inspiration
These garden seating ideas show how easy it is to have a relaxing place to enjoy your garden, up close and personal. I have several places in my garden where I love to sit and admire the garden beds, and also to relax and de-stress from my busy day. To me, what makes a great […]
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Shed Makeover – My Garden Shed Needs some TLC
It’s time for a shed makeover. My garden shed is definitely in need of some decor. I see so many garden sheds that are as sweet as can be. Some are tiny, some are huge and all seem to have character. I have one of the “huge without character” types. My husband and his friend […]
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Creative Garden Planters – Garden Bloggers Share Creative Planter Ideas
What is better than an idea for a creative planter? Why, many creative garden planters, of course! I recently asked some of my gardening friends to share their creative planter and container ideas and they did not disappoint. Their ideas are a cascade of fun and will add a great look to any garden setting. […]
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Gardening Signs – Fans of the Gardening Cook Share
I love gardening signs of all types. They add a touch of whimsy to any garden setting and give you an idea of the personality of the gardener too. Just about any saying can be made into a garden sign. All you need, really, is a piece of wood, some paint and a paint brush […]
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Squirrel Damage in a Vegetable Garden.
It didn’t take long before I changed my mind about one of my favorite critters because of the squirrel damage in my vegetable garden – all caused in a couple of days. To make matters worse they started digging up and eating all my tulips last year! I am an animal lover. I don’t like […]
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Progress on my Test Garden
Readers of my blog will know that my project for this year (and the next two) is my test garden. I have a model that I am emulating from Garden Gate and will grow shade, semi shade and full sun plants in it to write articles about for my blog. Read about the beginning here. […]
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19 Easy Vegetable Gardening Tips
The middle of summer is the peak time for vegetable gardening. This type of garden gives us loads of fresh vegetables to use in healthy recipes. But an amazing garden doesn’t just happen by planting seeds. These 19 easy vegetable gardening tips will make sure that your crop is amazing this year. If you like […]
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My Test Garden Transformation in July
Earlier this year, I wrote about a test garden that I will be having in my back yard. I am using the garden bed to grow all sorts of things as test plants for the blog posts that I write. Some grow well there and some don’t like it at all, but everything gives me […]
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Japanese Silver Grass – Graceful Perennial with Winter Appeal
Japanese Silver Grass – Miscanthus sinensis – is a perennial plant that has variegated green and white striped leaves and huge plumes in the fall that stall well above the top of the plant. The plant can be used to hide neighboring views and completely cover a chain link fence. It also has lots of winter […]
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Today’s Flower Eye Candy – Red Emperor Tulip
Today’s featured flower is the Red Emperor Tulip. I love tulips. I have a big patch of these perennial bulbs in my front garden bed and they are gorgeous. They don’t last long but the show that they put on is just incredible for a few short weeks. Emperor tulips are old hybrids, but have […]
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Re-blooming Iris Varieties and Colors
There is nothing quite like a re-bloom of your favorite flower later in the year. A re-blooming iris gives me a chance to enjoy the beauty twice in one season. If you love growing perennials, you will probably have an iris or two in your garden. Many iris plants bloom once for the season and […]
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Today’s Garden Tour – Stott Garden – Goshen, Indiana
A fan of my Gardening Cook Page on Facebook recently shared with me some photos she took on a recent Garden tour of Stott Garden in Goshen, Indiana. My husband and I spend the summer months touring garden centers around this country. We have visited several of them in Indiana, but when someone mentioned it […]
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Gardens of Kyoto Japan
Kyoto Japan is jam packed with stunning Japanese gardens, and it is a must visit in any Japan itinerary. If you love beautiful gardens and large temples, this place needs to be on your travel bucket list. The gardens, often part of temples or old imperial retreats, are spread around the city. They are particularly […]
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Growing Dianthus Barbatus (Sweet William) and Other Garden Pinks
Sweet Williams have pretty fringed flowers that grow in a cluster on top of a long stalk. Dianthus Barbatus is a lovely variety of the dianthus species. Dianthus Barbatus – is a tender perennial. It is often treated as a Biennial with leaves the first year and flowers the second before dying off. My Dianthus Barbatus […]
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Test Garden – Experimenting with a Variety of Plants and Flowers
I have long dreamed of having a test garden. I’ve always enjoyed experimenting with various types of plants. Some turn out well and others don’t last the season, but I enjoy it all. Since I write about how to grow plants for my blog posts, I wanted a dedicated place where I can test growing […]