This authentic German potato salad recipe has a rustic homemade taste and texture that makes it a great side dish for any summer BBQ or special occasion. I make potato salad all the time. My grandmother had a great recipe that she served on Thanksgiving and it is scrumptious. But sometimes I am not in the…
I love all flowers – big or small, ornate or simple. But when I see unusual flowers that are amazing and beautiful, they almost take my breath away. Nature is amazing in the type of flowers that it gives us to enjoy. Most of these specimens are tender perennials that grow outdoors only in zones…
Air plants have specialized leaves that draw in nutrients. I see them all the time at garden centers lately. I love their simple structure and ease of care. Tillandsia is also known as an air plant. Air plants are a member of the epiphyte family. This plant needs no soil to grow and gets its…
One of the best things about a camping trip is the time and tastes that come from campfire cooking. Nothing seems to taste as good as those recipes cooked on a big campfire. Even though the summer is ending, there is still time to get out there and enjoy the good old outdoors with some…
If you like hardy perennials that have an extended bloom time, try growing gaillardia, also known as blanket flower perennial. The plant is very showy and super easy to grow. Gaillardia is a pretty perennial plant that has an extended bloom time to give you loads of color all season long. If you like daisies,…
If you are fond of growing perennials, you really should try daylilies. They are one of my favorite plants that come back each year. There is such a variety of bloom style, color and temperament. and they are very easy to grow. Beginning and seasoned gardeners love them, and other than a bit of deadheading,…
Surround yourself in nature in the 25,000 square foot gardens of Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory. This enclosed conservatory is an oasis nestled in the downtown area of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The gardens feature tropical displays, waterfalls, and a Sonoran Desert display with over 72 types of cacti. In all, the gardens boast over 1200 plants (over…
Hydrangea care involves control of sunlight, adequate moisture and proper pruning. These tips for growing hydrangea bushes will help you get the most out of your plants. The size of the flower heads, alone, make hydrangeas a favorite perennial among gardeners. Cutting fresh hydrangea blooms gives you terrific cut flowers that last a long time. They…
Bicycle planters make great garden accents for both annuals and perennial plants. I love to find ideas about recycling or re-purposing household items in garden projects. Someone else’s trash can always be a garden treasure. Many bicycles have baskets or back carriers which are the ideal spot to tuck away some flowers and vines. The…
Do you like Bluegrass music with a side of daylilies? If you do, you’ll enjoy this virtual tour of the daylilies at Wildwood Farms in Floyd, Virginia. Located just 42 miles from Roanoke, VA and very close to the Blue Ridge Parkway, you will find Wildwood Farms. This general store features live Bluegrass music from…
These pruning tips will help you make sure that your shrubs and garden plants will look their best, season after season. If you study the habits of any gardener who has wonderful looking plants and shrubs, you will know that proper pruning is a key to their success. Done correctly, pruning will add to…
If you like the look of cottage gardens, you’ll love purple coneflowers (echinacea purpurea). These tips for growing echinacea will have butterflies, birds and bees flocking to your garden in droves! This easy care perennial draws insects and birds to it, making sure that neighboring plants will have plenty of pollinators all season long. This coarse…
It’s easy to resort to slice and bake cookies but it is also super easy to make your own basic sugar cookie dough. It keeps well and can be used to make all sorts of delicious holiday treats. July 9 is Sugar Cookie Day. Are you a cookie baker? Why Buy Slice and Bake? Make…
Autumn Frost Hosta is one of my favorite hostas. The leaves have blue green centers and wide yellow margins around the edge. By summer time, the margins will turn a creamy white. It’s a slug resistant hardy perennial that comes back year after year. Variegated hostas really pop in any shade garden. This variety has…
Determinate tomato plants are also known as “bush tomatoes”. They are smaller than normal tomato plants and generally need no staking but still produce well. Nothing tastes quite like a home grown tomato. They are sweet and juicy and so easy to grow. But they also take a lot of room, so are not so…
The Wellfield Botanic Gardens in Elkhart, Indiana are like a living museum with art, nature, and structure all coordinating beautifully. The waters of Christiana Creek stream through the gardens, which are a combination of nature, art and hardscaping that is sure to delight. The Botanic Gardens feature 36 acres of lush gardens against a backdrop…
This Swiss chard breakfast skillet is crammed full of fresh grown veggies and the salty taste of bacon, all topped with soft cooked eggs and fresh parsley. Breakfast at my house is either a grab and go on the way out the door moment, or an occasion to experiment with flavors and tastes that will…
If you want to attract both butterflies and bees to your garden this year, try growing liatris. This perennial corm flowers in mid summer with a blast of flowers that are a magnet for them. I have 10 garden beds around my home and I’m always interested in growing perennials of all types since they come…
If you enjoy vegetable gardening, you may have heard about heirloom vegetable seeds. These are vegetables grown from heirloom seeds which are an open pollinated variety of seeds developed prior to 1940. There are many advantages for growing this type of vegetable. Experts vary in their definition of heirloom vegetables, but typically they will agree…
These peanut butter and chocolate bars have a crunchy base and topping and are just oozing with the flavor of rich, dark chocolate combined with decadent sweetened condensed milk. The gooey bars are my new favorite way to indulge when I get a yen for a Reese’s peanut butter taste combo. Anyone who reads this…
Growing melons such as cantaloupe and honeydew require a few things: plenty of sunshine and lots of room to grow. We tend to think of edible gardens as those that grow vegetables but there are also many fruits that can be grown just as easily at home. There are several types of melons that are right…
I am always looking for ways to make my favorite recipes healthier without sacrificing their flavor. Heart healthy food substitutes are one of the first steps in managing heart disease and improving overall general health. January is the time of the year for resolutions and many make a plan to eat in a more healthy…
Shallots are starting to be seen in grocery stores more and often lately. What are shallots? Like onions and garlic, shallots are a member of the allium family. They are a cold hardy vegetable and, like onions, are easy to grow. Their flavor is richer and sweeter and they are very versatile in recipes. This…
This gorgeous succulent arrangement started out life as a wooden drawer meant for tools of some sort. The upcycled junk gardening planter got a new coat of paint, some TLC and a few succulent plants and offsets and now looks as though it had been intentionally designed for the job. If you love succulents as…
Forsythia bushes have a wonderful arching habit will makes them a great focal point when planted in a large garden bed. All shrubs need pruning, but what do you do when you have totally overgrown forsythia shrub? It’s either time for hard pruning or renovation pruning for them. Rejuvenating forsythia gives them a new lease…
These strawberry oatmeal bars have a luscious fresh strawberry center that sits on a whole wheat pastry flour base and is topped with a buttery streusel crumble. They are the perfect way to make use of fresh strawberries that are so plentiful right now. Every year, about this time, I come back from the Farmer’s…