Some Native Plants to Minnesota

For fun, as I look forward to this coming growing season, I looked up what plants were native to my state of Minnesota. We have very cold winters, while our summers can be hot and humid. One thing you can say about our swings in the weather, however, is that we have four clearly defined […]

A Bit About … Bachelor Button Pink

I describe the Bachelor Button Pink as a scruffy looking flower with the softest of pink colors. What a combination! They have thick stems that grow to about 3 feet tall. These beauties need full sunlight to flourish and watering is needed if you’re in an area with minimal rainfall. In fact, when watering, wet the soil […]

A Bit About … Bachelor Button Blue

I think the thing that stands out about this particular beauty is its bright, periwinkle color.  It grows early in the spring, making for a colorful start to your garden. They can grow to about 3 feet tall, so they are a favorite in garden backgrounds. This Bachelor Button Blue is drought tolerant and has sturdy stems, […]

A Bit About … Baby’s Breath

Baby’s Breath is best known for its use as an accent in your cut flower arrangements. It also, however, can add density to your garden when you use its snowy white clusters as a unique border. This flower will often be the first to bloom and lasts well into the fall. It can hide the […]

How Do I Check the Viability of My Flower Seeds?

I’ve had many questions about how to check for whether the older flower seeds you have are still viable to plant this spring. I’ve also had comments that some big scientific explanation or process is not what most of us are looking for. So here are two quicker methods to check viability. It’s only January […]

When to Start Seeds Indoors (Part 2)

Let’s delve more closely into planting seeds successfully indoors. Once you’ve chosen the proper container for your seeds, and determined a space indoors that has the required light and heat, you will move on to the actual planting. Most seeds can be started in regular potting soil. Other very small seeds may do better in […]

When to Start Seeds Indoors (Part 1)

Over the next few days, let’s take a look at what we need to do to get our flowers started indoors for the coming season.  It’s that time of year again, for most of us, to start planting some of our seeds inside to be transplanted outside come early spring. I know the expense of purchasing all […]

A Bit About … Baby Blue Eyes

Baby Blue Eyes is a delicate annual that has a lovely sky-blue color with cup shaped blooms that fade to white centers. This flower blooms from March through June so isn’t one you can enjoy all summer. It will add a splash of color to your garden, though, just when it’s needed as your other […]

A Bit About … the African Marigold Crackerjack

One of the most interesting aspects of the African Marigold Crackerjack is that it emits a pleasant scent that naturally repels the pests in our flower beds and gardens. The flash of bright yellowish-orange color also draws us to this beautiful plant! It grows up to 3 feet tall and the blooms are about 4 […]

A Bit About … the African Daisy

Also known as Cape Marigold, the African Daisy starts blooming in May. If you continue to deadhead the spent blooms, this plant will continue with it’s yellow, orange and white petals into fall. What a long bloom season! Plant where it can enjoy the full sun and well drained soil, but beware … it doesn’t […]