Autumn Container Garden Planning

Because my summer container garden did not become active with seedlings until mid-summer, I’m now having to plan on planting my autumn garden at the same time that my summer crops will begin to fruit – not a bad situation to be in, but I’ll have to gather up my remaining empty 5-gallon containers.
I’ll be [...]

Garden Design: Installing In-Ground Outline

Literally, from remnant lumber boards! As mentioned in previous posts, I like to think of my garden as rectangular sections that I create by installing lumber boards directly into the ground to create a can’t-miss outline. As shown in the photo, I dug a shallow trench measuring the approximate width of the board.
You don’t have to [...]

Tomato Container Garden

This weekend, I’m heading to a home improvement store to get a few bags of potting soil. From previous experience, each 2-cubic foot bag provides enough soil to fill six 5-gallon containers, a few more if I filled the containers less abundantly. I saved up several of these containers over the years, but may need [...]

Backyard Cleanup and Design

Today was a beautiful afternoon for continuing with my backyard cleanup. Stubborn weeds were further treated with Roundup Super Concentrate. Overhanging tree branches from the neighbors behind me were trimmed. Leaves and other debris were raked and placed into the green waste bin.
With much of the garden maintenance stuff behind me, I now have a [...]

Succulent: Fan Aloe!

Also known as Aloe plicatilis, this stunning succulent native of South Africa was gifted to me a few years ago, purchased at a yard sale! Apparently, I’ve got to go on the yard sale circuit myself if beauties like this can be found! Click on the image to see the absolutely gorgeous details! I am [...]

Cymbidium Orchid: Lengthening Flower Spike!

About one month since this cymbidium orchid’s spike first emerged, quite a bit of growth has occurred. When the first buds appeared, the buds appeared tightly bound to the spike and in close proximity to each other. Now, the length of the spike has increased quite a bit, allowing each flower bud sufficient physical space [...]

Alstromeria Re-Emerging

I have several alstromeria or Peruvian lily plants in my backyard garden. When their flowering season concludes, the plant’s many “branches” dry up, as shown in the photo. In autumn, the plant re-emerges, and because it is a tuber, many “plantlets” emerge in a wide swath around the original plant, as shown. It will eventually be very lush (see [...]

Four New Roses and Fuchsia Plant!

I just returned from a very successful trip from Lowe’s! I went to their gardening clearance rack and found four new rose plants, pictured from left to right: (1) an unknown dark pink, very fragrant hybrid tea, (2) Spartan floribunda – orange red rose, (3) Just Joey hybrid tea – orange rose, and (4) Proud [...]

Japanese Boxwood and Mexican Orange Shrubs

Also known as Buxus microphylla or littleleaf boxwood, the Japanese boxwood is a favorite in formal gardens and topiaries, but they look nice in my somewhat less formal garden! They’re the two squarish shrubs up front. This native of Japan enjoys the shade!
Mexican orange, also known as Choisya ternata, produces sweet-smelling flowers and also produces a more formal look. A [...]

Japanese Aucuba Propagation

For the empty space by my shaded front door area, I think it might be nice to plant more Japanese aucuba. Also known as Aucuba japonica, Japanese laurel, spotted laurel, and gold dust tree, this beautiful, shade-loving shrub is already under my kitchen window. For balance, and to provide a lovely match to my home’s new yellow stucco, the [...]