Asparagus Fern

Asparagus Ferns are not like your typical Fern. They grow from seed instead of spores. They have spiky pointed leaves and are extremely toxic to dogs and cats. They can be invasive if not tended properly. They produce white flowers that eventually turn to red berries.

Video Courtesy of Central Texas Gardner: Succulents

I love the idea of an outdoor succulent garden. I have a few succulents but in no particular design, so for my next project I will try to arrange them in some kind of order.

Google Photos 

Photo courtesy of Pexels

Photo courtesy of Pexels

While I was browsing ideas for a cacti/succulent garden I found this awesome video.

2017 Garden Photos

Winter is always the time I go through my garden photos to see which plants and veggies did the best, and which need improvements. I have switched out some plants for ones, that will do better in the space, or ones that I need to research to help them produce better next season.

I love to look at the pictures of how well some of our plants did this year. I have always loved to garden and it is such a great feeling to battle bugs, fur babies, and the hot Texas sun, to produce such lovely plants. 

From My Garden: JFK Rose

I love roses, but I am still trying to find the perfect growing conditions. I purchased a JFK rose last year and it immediately began losing leaves, so I waited for another opportunity to purchase one and lo and behold Walmart had Promo Roses at $5.97. I said this is my time to try again. If I don't get it right this time I may try purchasing from a nursery.

I think this is such a beautiful Rose.

The Most Beautiful Flower

The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read

Beneath the long, straggly branches of an old willow tree.

Disillusioned by life with good reason to frown,

For the world was intent on dragging me down.

And if that weren't enough to ruin my day,

A young boy out of breath approached me, all tired from play.

Organic Gardening Basics

Have you ever thought about using organic gardening to enhance the beauty and yield of your garden?

No matter if you are a beginning gardener or an experienced one, your primary goal is to have the absolute best looking and highest yield garden that you can produce. It really doesn’t make any difference if the garden is going to be for flowers and bushes or a vegetable garden for your own table. One of the best ways to do this is to have an organic garden. The basic information in this article will provide the knowledge you need to get a head start on organic gardening.

 Assuming you know little to nothing about organic gardening lets make certain you understand what it is. Quite simply it means you are going to plant your garden without using synthetic fertilizers, for making the plants grow and chemical pesticides to control the bugs.

Picking the Ideal Location for your Garden

Once you have picked what garden you want, there are many other factors you need to decide before you actually get to work with your gardening tools. Mainly you need to choose its location. This is usually decided by several factors: How you will water it, how much shade it needs, etc. Some of these questions can be very important in deciding whether your garden lives or dies, so don't take them lightly. You need to take each one into special consideration.

Choosing the garden's location within your yard is one of the more important things to decide. You want to choose a location that will provide an ideal climate for the plants in your garden. I don't know what type of garden you're dealing with so I can't give you specific advice, but if you do a Google search for the plant you're dealing with then you'll find a plethora of sites informing you about the perfect conditions for its growing. After this, it's just a matter of finding the most shaded or most sunny spot in your yard.

Butterfly Gardening

Butterfly gardening is the art of growing flowers and plants that will attract butterflies.

Butterflies are attracted to flowers that have nectar instead of pollen, like Honeysuckle, Milk Weed, Summer Lilac, Valerian, Daisies, Purple cone-flower, Yellow Sage, Pentas, and of course  Butterfly Bush and Butterfly Weed.

 If you own cats rethink your plans, because it would be a shame to attract these lovely insects to their death.

The design your butterfly garden is a matter of personal preference. Typical points to consider are the size of your garden and the types of flowers and plants you want to grow.

 A birdbath will look attractive and keep the butterflies up off the ground, away from stray cats or mischievous puppies. A shallow dish on a post or hung in a tree will do just as well.

Acheiving Your Dream Yard

Do you ever dream about what your yard could look like some day? As you look through garden catalogs filled with beautiful trees, shrubs, flowers and pictures of beautifully landscaped yards--complete with ponds and garden sculptures--the choices seem endless. Before ordering hundreds of plants or giving up because you cannot decide what you really want, here are a few things to consider.

Pick a style, while you decide the main purpose for your yard, such as lots of cookouts, children or just a retreat area. Then pick a focal point, such as a fountain, outdoor fireplace, or an interesting statue. Then begin to work on the overall theme of your yard.

What Does That Have to Do With Gardening?

Mary Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells, and pretty maids all in a row.

This well known nursery rhyme leaves the reader with an image of beautifully flourishing garden full of lilies, ivy, roses, and of course an abundant supply of spring butterflies, but sorry to say this image of loveliness is far from the truth behind the meaning of this gruesome poem.