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Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – October 2016

The Front Garden at Hayefield - October 2016

Yes, FINALLY, we did get some rain: a few blessed inches at the end of September. We’re still about 8 inches behind for the year, and it doesn’t look like there will be more soaking rain for a while, but it was better than nothing. It was enough, at least, to freshen things up a bit over the past few weeks. Continue reading Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – October 2016

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Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – March 2016

Galanthus nivalis 2 Ondra

There’s a lot to smile about right now, that’s for sure. It’s not often that I have enough flowers in mid-March for a Bloom Day post. Our weather has been so freakishly warm–more like May or June than March–that new things are coming into bloom daily, and some of the earliest bulbs are almost finished now.

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Celebrating Containers

'Profusion Double Cherry' zinnia with Carita Purple angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia 'Car Purr09') and 'Golden Edge' golden dewdrop (Duranta erecta); Nancy J. Ondra at Hayefield
All-summer interest: ‘Profusion Double Cherry’ zinnia with Carita Purple angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia ‘Car Purr09’) and ‘Golden Edge’ golden dewdrop (Duranta erecta)

I have to admit to being something of a late arrival to the container-gardening fan club. When I look back at pictures of my previous garden, I’m surprised at how few pots I had–well, except for the hundreds of potted seedlings I raised in my little backyard nursery. I mean the usual sort of container plantings: one or more decorative pots meant to add a touch of color where in-ground planting isn’t practical, such as next to a door or on a patio. I guess it’s because I was still fresh my studies of soil science and thought of pots and potting soil only as a propagation tool–a poor second to the experience of digging and planting in “real” soil. Continue reading Celebrating Containers