MONTHLY THEME: Twinkle, twinkle little blue star won’t you tell me what you are?

Blue star (Amsonia tabernaemontana) is a versatile herbaceous perennial named after the brilliant clusters of periwinkle blue star-like flowers.  They produce 50-70 star-shaped flowers on each cluster.  In Ohio, they bloom from late spring to early summer – best in June, but the plant is lovely throughout the growing season bringing interest to any garden landscape.  In the fall, the leaves turn a golden yellow shade.  These plants are native to North America and can be found in almost every state in the union.

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MONTHLY THEME: Bring back the charm of an old cottage garden with Rose Campion!

Let’s be honest, sometimes you just need an easy, old faithful, workhorse perennial like the month’s featured plant Silene Coronaria - Rose Campion (Lychnis coronaria).  Rose Campion is in the Caryophyllaceae family.  It has been grown in Victorian Cottage Gardens for generations, but lost popularity until recent years.

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MONTHLY THEME: Embrace the traditional Easter lily!

With springtime comes Easter and with Easter comes the traditional Easter lily, Lilium longiflorum.  During the holiday season, you will see every grocery store, box store, garden center, and even the local gas station selling Easter lilies.  They produce a beautiful and fragrant flower, but they have gotten a bad rap over the years because often people associate them with death since they are commonly found at funeral parlors or wakes.  Don’t let fear or superstitions hold you back – embrace the Easter lily!   Bring one into your home to decorate for spring and later plant the bulb in the yard to enjoy for years to come.  Select a plant with thick foliage and unopened buds.  Always check store-bought plants for any pests, mite webbing, insect eggs or holes in the leaves.  You don’t want to introduce new bugs into your home or garden.

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Monthly Theme: Weeds, weeds, and more weeds!

Just when you thought you knew enough about weeds, here we go again with more information about some of the most troublesome offenders in our yards.  Last month we reviewed Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea L,), and Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense).  In this issue, we will dig into (pun intended) three more common weeds.

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Monthly Theme: Weeds, weeds, and more weeds!

How often have you looked at a plant sprouting in your flowerbed and said to yourself, “Is that a weed?”  I’ve even taken it a step further and tried the ‘wait and see’ technique where you let it grow only to determine later that it is indeed a weed, which has now taken over your flowerbed.  In this issue, we are going to identify three ordinary weeds found in Ohio (specifically in MY yard!) and methods to attempt to control them.  Next month, we will continue are discussion about common garden weeds.  Get your trusty weeder, knee pad, and let’s dig into it!.

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Monthly Theme: Fabulous Florida Flora!

I spent the month of February with my daughter in St. Petersburg, FL.  During my lunch breaks, I would walk my grand-dog, Sir Boddington.  The “Sir” is a handsome Hungarian Vizsla named after the amber-colored British beer Boddington.  Boddington is such a little gentleman that he patiently waited as I stopped to obverse and photograph the various flowering plants, vines, and trees while on our daily walks.

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MONTHLY THEME: OH, Ohio!!

As a native Ohioan, born in C-Town (Cleveland) many moons ago, I thought it would be fun to talk about everything Ohio.  Since 1904, the Ohio State Flower has been the Scarlet Carnation (dianthus caryophyllus). Legislature selected the red carnation to honor Ohio-born President William McKinley, who was assassinated in 1901.  For luck, McKinley wore a red carnation in the buttonhole of his jacket.  So much for the lucky theory!

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Monthly Theme: The Art of Flowers!

For this month, I wanted to combine two of my favorite things (not sugar and spice and everything nice – though those are also high on my list of desires) - flowers and artwork.

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MONTHLY THEME: Zinnias are natures easy-to-grow workhorses!

Zinnia is actually a genus (part of the Heliantheae tribe) of the Asteraceae family.  As you dream and ponder about next summer’s garden, consider planting the quick-growing, vibrate, and dependable zinnia.  Like people, they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.  So, read the seed package for plants that will work well in your garden space.  Zinnias are annuals, but worth the effort to sow some seeds in the spring.  The majority of my gardens are perennials, but there is always some extra room for those favorite annuals wherever a pop of color is needed.

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Monthly Theme: Edible Flowers – they are not just another pretty face!

You might be pleasantly surprised to learn how many edible flowers you have growing in your own yard right now.  In fact, while researching this topic, I discovered there are so many more edible flowers then I previously realized.  Since the list is too long to go into detail about each edible plant, I’ve selected ten to discuss and provided you a list of additional edible plants to explore on your own.  I’m sure this list doesn’t include all of the edible flowers, but it’s a good start.  I didn’t include edible herbs (almost every herb is edible), veggies (like squash or broad bean flowers), trees (like eating cherry or citrus tree blossoms) or weeds (such as dandelion or clover) - that’s a whole other blog!  Plus, I’m focusing on edible flowers that grow in Northeastern Ohio..

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Monthly Theme: Mulch, mulch, and MORE mulch!

Last week I finally finished moving 5 yards of mulch around my half acre lot.  Shovel by shovel, it took me 3-weeks and every spare minute of my time.  I even used my hour lunch break to move mulch.  As soon as the workday was over, I’d work outside until sundown.  On weekends, I worked from sunup to sundown.   Of course, being a Virgo, I go above and beyond.   Weeding meticulously on my hands and knees (like my mom used to do), fertilizing the plants, covering the soil with old newspaper, and finally applying the clean mulch (often spreading evenly by hand).

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MONTHLY THEME: Flora of New Zealand

In the New Zealand Māori language, I greet you with “Kia ora tatou,” which means “Hello everyone!”  Last month, my daughter and I were fortunate enough to visit the far away land of New Zealand.  The country is breathtakingly beautiful and a nature-lovers paradise.  Of course, I was intrigued by the flora and thought it would be fun to share some of my photos and new-found knowledge about the plant life we encountered.

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MONTHLY THEME: Great Big Home + Flower Show Review

To change things up, I thought it would be fun to review the 2023 Great Big Home + Flower Show presented by Carter at the I-X Center in Cleveland, OH.  Due to Coronavirus, the show was not hosted last year.  Personally, I haven’t been to the show for the past two-years.  So, I was really excited to return and see some flowers in bloom and hopefully spark my excitement for the upcoming gardening season.

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MONTHLY THEME: These are a few of my favorite things -- Christmas Plants

As we prepare and embrace (or brace ourselves) for another holiday season, I thought it would be interesting to briefly highlight four favorite Christmas plants. The four traditional plants I choose are the Christmas Cactus (genus Schlumbergera), Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima), Norfolk pine (Araucaria heterophylla), and Christmas Holly (Ilex).

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MONTHLY THEME: Winterize Your Garden

Another growing season is quickly coming to an end. Sadly, it’s time to say goodbye to the brightly colored flowers growing in our yards and warm summer breezes drifting through the green leaves on our trees. Ready or not, it’s time to winterize your yard and put away your outdoor furniture and goofy yard art that won’t fare well over the harsh winter.

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MONTHLY THEME: An oldie, but a goodie!

This month’s featured flower is an oldie, but a goodie. Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) can be found in old and new gardens across the country. This hardy little plant is a crowd pleaser and has established its presence in gardens near and far.

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