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Hosta Companion Plants – Growing Hostas with Shade Loving Plants
This list of hosta companion plants will help you fill in your shade borders with other plants that like refuge from the sun. Hostas are well known for their delightful foliage that looks wonderful as border plants or in mass plantings. But what do you grow with them? The answer is easy if you know […]
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Growing Sunflower Plants – Sunflower Care Tips for Big Beautiful Blooms
Growing Sunflower plants is one of the really fun parts of summer time gardening. These cheery sun-facing flowers are a delight to gardeners who wish to attract birds. These big annuals are very easy to grow, which makes them a very popular plant to get children interested in gardening. Kids will love seeing just how […]
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Foxglove Biennial – Digitalis – Caring for Foxglove Plants
Caring for foxglove is easy – just give it part sun/part shade and evenly moist soil and you’ll be rewarded with these gorgeous flowers. Foxglove biennial plants are spectacular to view. The term biennial means that the plant will grow for two years and then mainly die off. Foxgloves will re-seed themselves easily, so once […]
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Pruning Hellebores – Tips for Lenten Rose Maintenance
Pruning hellebores will keep your Lenten rose looking its best all year long. Hellebores are a long blooming perennial plant that needs very little in the way of maintenance but it does get a bit ragged looking at times of the year. The flowers are so pretty and resemble wild roses that have opened up. […]
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Hosta Cat and Mouse – Miniature Dwarf Hosta – Perfect for Rock Gardens
This miniature hosta is called Hosta Cat and Mouse. Its small size makes it the perfect choice for those who don’t have a lot of room to garden. A recent trip around the JR Raulston Arboretum provided me with a magnificent look at their collection of hostas. I have a large collection of hostas in […]
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Shallots vs Onions – What is the Difference? and How to Use Them
This guide to shallots vs onions will answer not only this question but will also show how shallots are different from other onion types. There are many onion varieties so it’s easy to get confused about them. A common question that I get asked is “are shallots and onions the same?” Shallots are somewhat of a trendy vegetable […]
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Sage Plant Care – How to Plant, Grow and Harvest Garden Sage
These tips for sage plant care will help you get the most out of this popular garden herb plant. Garden sage is a culinary herb that is often used around the holidays to flavor your stuffing, but I use it all year round as a flavor component for chicken dishes. Sage is not just for […]
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Osiria Rose Care – How to Take Care of Osiria Rose Bushes
Find out why you might have trouble with this pretty rose that took the internet by storm a few years ago with these Osiria Rose care tips. The two toned color of the rose is highly desirable, but the rose is finicky at best. Photos of this hybrid tea rose with a lovely white center […]
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Vegetable Steaming Times – 4 Ways to Steam Veggies
A steamer basket is a great way to cook a single vegetable or several of them at once by cooking them over boiling water. But to do this correctly, you need to have a good idea of vegetable steaming times. One of the joys of summer is cooking fresh vegetables from my vegetable garden. The […]
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Hosta Yellow Splash Rim – Plant this Rapid Grower in Shade Gardens
This quick growing hosta plant is called Hosta ‘Yellow Splash Rim’. It is easy to see where the common name comes from by looking at the colorful leaf margins of the plant. I recently toured the JR Raulston Arboretum and had a great time looking at their shade garden which included many hosta plants. I […]
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Bear’s Paw Succulent – Cotyledon Tomentosa
Cotyledon tomentosa is tender succulent that is a lot of fun to grow. It is easy to see where the common name of bear’s paw succulent came from. Those chubby leaves look just like tiny bear’s paws! Each of the leaves are soft and fuzzy with a puffy look and have tiny “teeth” at the edges. […]
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Forsythia Shrub – Tips for Planting, Growing and Pruning Forsythia Plants
A forsythia shrub is one of the first harbingers of spring. Who can resist those cherry yellow blooms that appear about the time that the daffodils poke their heads up? These shrubs can be used as a stand alone plant in the middle of your lawn and can also be used as a forsythia hedge to […]
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How to Get Rid of Ticks in The Yard – Steps to a Tick Free Garden
These tips show how to get rid of ticks in the yard as well as a few natural treatment options. Summer is a time for being in the outdoors. But ticks also love the warm temperatures and can be bothersome in your yard and garden. Ticks are a nuisance and can be dangerous as well, […]
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Hosta Kiyosumiensis – The Mountain Hosta from Japan
Hosta Kiyosumiensis is a dappled leaf hosta also known as the Mountain Hosta. It is native to Japan. About Hosta Kiyosumiensis The name of this hosta comes from our version of the name of Mount Kiyosumi-yama, a small mountain in Japan with views of Tokyo Bay. The plant grows on this Mountain. In the northern […]
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How to Grow Sedum Morganianum – Growing the Donkey Tail Succulent (with Photos!)
Get some tips for how to grow sedum morganianum to make sure that you keep your succulent super healthy. The donkey tail succulent is a lovely plump trailing plant that is great in containers. Succulents like sedum are drought smart plants that are super easy to grow and make fantastic houseplants. Be sure to check […]
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Transplanting Forsythia – Tips for Moving Forsythia Bushes or Shrubs
Transplanting forsythia is a good idea if the perennial has overgrown the original planting area. This task needs some care. These tips for moving forsythia bushes will help with the project. Forsythia shrubs are hardy bushes that are easy to grow and a real show stopper in early spring when their yellow flowers tell us […]
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Growing Aeonium Haworthii – Kiwi Verde Succulent
Aeonium haworthii – Kiwi Verde is a showy succulent that has spoon shaped leaves with showy tips and color. It has a rosette shape that is very delicate and popular. This pretty succulent is also known by several names – Kiwi Verde, or simply Aeonium Kiwi. Succulents like aeonium are drought smart plants that are super easy to […]
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Tips for Buying Succulents – Where to Find Succulents for Sale
Confused about what to look for when buying succulents? This guide will walk you through the process and give tips on what to look for and what to avoid. Succulents are drought smart plants that are super easy to grow and make fantastic houseplants. Be sure to check out my tips for how to care […]
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Growing Pansies – How to Grow and Care For Pansy Flowers
Winter is coming to an end for many of us and the first signs of spring are everywhere. Growing pansies is a good way to bridge the change of seasons with one plant. They love the cool weather and are readily available at garden centers right now. The botanical name for the garden pansy plant […]
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Shoe Planters – Recycled Footwear makes a Great Garden Planter
Some of the most interesting planters and those that recycle items used for other purposes. These unique boot and shoe planters make great use of old shoes and boots. Some have seen their better day and some look like new but all showcase indoor plants in new and unusual ways. Do you have some old shoes […]
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Onion Varieties – Types of Onions and How to Use Them
There are dozens of onion varieties and as many uses for the different types of onions. How many types of onions are you familiar with? Most of us are familiar with the common yellow onion that is so prevalent in grocery stores. You may also have eaten red onions or white onions, but there are […]
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DIY Hose Guides – Easy Recycled Garden Project – Decorative Yard Art
These DIY hose guides are made out of short pieces of rebar with small plastic orange golf balls. They keep my hose out of the nearby vegetable garden and act as a decorative look to the garden as well. Do you have something special that you use for hose guides? I do now, thanks to […]
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Sunflower Quotes – 20 Best Sunflower Sayings with Images
Join me in saying goodbye to my daughter, as she moves away, with these sunflower quotes and sayings as well as gorgeous photos of sunflowers that will bring a smile to your face. My daughter Jess loves sunflowers. The first year I started my garden island beds, I made sure to plant them in all […]
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The Gardening Cook on Social Media – [Facebook – Pinterest – Twitter]
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Join The Gardening Cook on social media. I have profiles on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter to share my content and that of others on my social media pages. The Gardening Cook on Social Media Social media is a large part of marketing for most websites now. Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram are all a good way to spread the word about […]
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Get Your Garden Ready for Spring – 25 Early Spring Garden Tips & Checklist
April 14 is National Gardening Day. That means it is time to start thinking about ways to get your garden ready with these spring garden tips. Winter is hard on a garden and spring brings with it a host of tasks that need taking care of. With spring right around the corner and daylight savings soon […]
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These Easy Quiche Recipes Will Delight Your Brunch Guests
Breakfast and brunch don’t have to be a boring affair! These easy quiche recipes will wow your guests and you won’t need to spend hours putting them together. What is a quiche? A quiche is a baked flan or tart that has a savory filling and is thickened with eggs. Think breakfast pie and you […]