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Search Results for: pollinator

Calamintha nepeta: A Pollinator’s Smorgasbord

March 13, 2019 By Heather Blackmore 2 Comments

Calamintha nepeta with emerald green bee

Calamintha nepeta wasn't a plant I chose. It chose me. Several years ago, I attended a writer's conference and received a plug pack that contained a mixture of Summer Beauty allium and Calamintha nepeta. Neither looked very impressive. But being the plant junkie that I am, I found a sunny sight for them and waited. And man was I impressed! I wasn't struck the way one would be by the enormity of a hardy hibiscus bloom. The fascination came from the way this little plant with the delicate white flowers hosted a United Nations of insects all summer long with no effort from me beyond the first year in my garden. It's a very soft spoken plant. Sometimes those are the ones most worthy of our attention. The frenzy of pollinators darting through it created all the buzz it needed. I love ...

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Filed Under: Gardening, My Garden, Top Posts Tagged With: calamintha, Calamintha nepeta, pollinator garden, pollinator plants

Why Rugosa Rose Is A Lazy Gardener’s Dream

January 21, 2023 By Heather Blackmore 4 Comments

Rugosa rose with pink flowers

I was doing a live chat on Instagram a few months ago with my friend Erin, you know her as The Impatient Gardener, and we briefly touched on roses. Our conversation turned to them when I asked her about a plant she was over. She thought for a moment and replied "roses." Too much work, too needy, too demanding. I get it. All valid points. Erin lives in Wisconsin, a stones throw from lake Michigan. Winters are harsh, the season short. We didn't really dig into her response but immediately after she said it, I resisted the urge to argue the case for the rugosa rose. My rugosas are the Rosie the Riveters of the rose world, full of beauty, brawn and multi-season interest. After all, rugose means rugged or rough, which relates to the overall appearance of their thick toothy leaves, but ...

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Filed Under: Gardening, My Garden, Uncategorized Tagged With: beach rose, cold climate rose, cold climate shrubs, easy care rose, garden rose, hardy roses, low maintenance roses, multiseason interest, Roses, rugosa rose, rugosa roses

January Is A Great Month To Plan A New Garden

January 14, 2023 By Heather Blackmore 8 Comments

Junipers by patio

The Christmas decorations are packed away and I finally have space in my brain to think about something not holiday related. Why Heather, whatever could that be? No surprise here. Gardening is always front and center. In addition to the veg garden that got a glow-up at the end of 2022, I'm also focusing on the garden around our patio. My husband built it for me over a decade ago and I've filled it randomly over the years, without ever making a real plan. How hard could it be to plant a narrow border? Well, as you can see from the photo above, I have my work cut out for me. I've been a let's-throw-it-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks sort of gardener. Which isn't always a good thing. There's something to be said for a plan, no matter how big or small and I feel like this small space ...

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Filed Under: Gardening, My Garden Tagged With: cedar apple rust, drops of jupiter oregano, french vanilla hibiscus, garden design, new garden, perennial garden, plants for clay soil, plants for sull sun, pollinator gardening, small space border, small space garden, waterwise garden, xeric garden, zone 5b

Choosing the Right Sunflowers for Your Garden

January 6, 2023 By Heather Blackmore 2 Comments

Sunflowers

Happy New Year, garden tribe! It's early January which means I'm buried in seed catalogs and slightly overwhelmed. I want so much! Not because I need it but because I have this thing for plants. Animal shelters have the same effect. If I had the land, and the money, I'd bring everyone home with me. All kidding aside, winter is a time of reflection as well as one of hope for all that's possible in the garden. And as I thought about my garden and how very mediocre it was in 2022, one thing struck me. I really love sunflowers. Perhaps the saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" really is true. There wasn't a single sunflower in my garden last year, the first time in over a decade, and I certainly don't want to repeat that in 2023. Of course there were rudbeckia, coneflowers and ...

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Filed Under: Gardening, My Garden, Uncategorized Tagged With: annuals, branched sunflowers, direct sow, pollinaor flowers, single sunflowers, sunflowers

Start Your 2023 Wish List with These New Plants

November 10, 2022 By Heather Blackmore Leave a Comment

August series Rudbeckia

There's a certain amount of anticipation that goes along with an invitation to a garden event showcasing new plants. You know you're not coming away from it unscathed, but in the best sort of way. For me, such invitations result in some serious plant lust, the kind that fills my garden brain with intrusive thoughts throughout the day about how I can use all those new plants. Remember, I have a relatively small garden so space is limited. But the upside is that I have all winter to figure it out. Waiting is the hardest part and what I'm about to show you won't be available until 2023. I thought it best to save this post until you'd buttoned up Garden 2022. It seems to resonate better when one isn't consumed by all the plants currently in their keep. This summer, I toured the display ...

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Filed Under: Gardening, Uncategorized Tagged With: AngelDance Angelonia, Ball Horticulture, Canna, Canna Cannova Bronze Peach, Delphinium Red Lark, Jurassic Begonias, new plants, pollinator plants, Rex Begonia, rudbeckia, Rudbeckia August Forest, Rudbeckia August Sun, Sedum Little Shine, Tomato Sun Dipper, tomatoes, Verbena Purple and White

Some Much Needed Inspiration from Walters Gardens

September 1, 2022 By Heather Blackmore 2 Comments

ornamental grass

My garden has been begging me to get out of it. I think it was the best thing I could do for it this summer. The oldest part of my garden is on the west side of my house, just inside the gate. It's about 15 years old and it's looking it's age. Plants have an expiration date. Either they age out of beauty in the eyes of the gardener or they simply lose their vibrance. I think there's a little of both going on here. I've been staring at the same space with the same plants for years and finding it difficult to reimagine it any other way. I needed a new perspective so I ditched my garden for the day and made a two-hour drive to Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan. I spent the entire morning considering, imagining and snapping pictures of scenes and combos that appealed to me. The colors ...

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Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: agapanthus, allium, black plants, elderberry, hibiscus, kniphofia, pennisetum, plant combos, sedum, Walters Gardens

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Hi there!

I'm Heather and I love to grow stuff. LOTS of stuff. Most importantly, a healthy family. I'm a stay-at-home mom with a passion for playing in the dirt. Read More…

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Let’s eat! Nothing’s better than homegrown! So Let’s eat! Nothing’s better than homegrown! So grow what you love and make the kind of food you’ll never find at the grocery store! #homegrownfood #backyardgardener #organicgardener #raisedbedgardening #growyourown #vegetablegardening #letseat #gardenlife #sustainabilityyourway #potager #happygardener #raisedbeds #homecookingisthebest #canningandpreserving #gyo #zone5b #urbangardens #smallspacegardening #bountifulharvest #chicagogarden #hereshegrows
It’s 1 degree today! And my @vego_garden raised It’s 1 degree today! And my @vego_garden raised beds won’t see seeds or plants for a few more months. Having built and filled them last fall, it’s nice knowing they’re ready to go just as soon as Old Man Winter decides to loosen his grip. Check out my bio for the link to the beds! They’re on sale! 😉#vegogarden #sustainabilityyourway #raisedbeds #raisedbedgardening #backyardgardener #backyardgarden #foodgarden #growyourown #growwhatyoulove #zone5b #chicagogarden #hereshegrows
It’s a great time to butter your branches! Unswe It’s a great time to butter your branches! Unsweetened natural peanut butter spread on your tree branches is a great source of calories and fats for birds at a time when food sources aren’t as plentiful. I do this for them and me as I’ve been an avid bird watcher since I was little. It’s something I inherited from my dad who used to walk around England’s @ntkingstonlacy estate with a jackdaw, a small grey crow, perched on his shoulder. His grandfather was a gardener living on the grounds. I can’t imagine a garden without birds. #forthebirds #birdfood #birdfeeding #backyardbirder #birdwatching #ilovebirds #birdfeedingtips #forthebirds #birdloversofinstagram #winterbirds #birdfeeding #peanutbuttertime #urbanbirding #chicagobirding #feedthebirds #highcalories #birdlover #chicagogarden #hereshegrows
It’s going to be many weeks before I can plant m It’s going to be many weeks before I can plant my @vego_garden raised beds. The soil is frozen solid! But it’s not too soon to think about crops that will germinate in cool soil and extend my growing season into the chilly first weeks of spring. As soon as soil is workable and around 50 degrees F or 10 degrees C, direct sow peas, spinach, arugula, salad greens and radish. With the exception of the peas which take about 70 days to mature, all are quick-turn crops producing delicious, harvestable veg in 35 days or less. It’s a great way to get the most bang for my garden buck! #vegogarden #sustainabilityyourway #coolseasoncrops #earlyspringgarden #raisedbedgarden #vegetablegardening #potager #growwhatyoulove #foodgardening #eatyourveg #urbangarden #directsow #plantseeds #backyardgardening #hereshegrows
Another reason to leave those hydrangea blooms up Another reason to leave those hydrangea blooms up for winter interest! Your snow woman will have the best hairdo. Add to that long arborvitae lashes and a rose hip mouth and she’s one lovely lady. I miss my girls, especially on days when the snow packs so well. Today’s one of those days. If they were home, we’d have the best time making our snow girl. But I built one by myself and was joined by my dear friend and neighbor. #missingyou❤️ #snowman #snowwoman #snowday #momlife #emptynestmom #wintergarden #lovemydaughters #gardenlife #chicagogardener #hereshegrows
Do you grow asiatic lilies? I have a few varieties Do you grow asiatic lilies? I have a few varieties in my garden and they thrive despite my heavy clay soil. The secret is full sun and fast draining soil all year long. Wet soil leads to rot and these beauties are on the west side of my garden, the hottest part next to the house. Things dry out quickly here which is the key to their success. In order of appearance: Forever Susan, Black Beauty and Conca D’Or. #asiaticlily #orienpetlily #lillies #trumpetlily #fragrantflowers #summerbulbs #flowerbulbs #perennialgarden #fullsun #sunnygarden #chicagogarden #zone5bgardening #urbangarden #backyardgarden #hereshegrows #gardenideas #gardendesignideas #bigflowers #turkscap #summergarden
Have you decided what you’ll be growing this yea Have you decided what you’ll be growing this year in your veg garden? I can’t wait to get out here and get growing! My goal last year was to make this small space as productive as possible for 2023. The addition of two 6-in-1 @vego_garden raised beds along the fence means I can take advantage of the narrow space and also use the fence to grow up. Configured in this way, the beds are just two feet wide, allowing me ample room to get a cart in here while still growing plenty of veg. You’d be surprised just how much you can grow in a 6.5’x2’ bed! Follow me and we’ll grow together! #vegogarden #sustainabilitymyway #vegetablegarden #foodgarden #smallspacegardening #smallspacegarden #raisedbeds #backyardgarden #growfood #organicgarden #growwhatyoulove #growyourown #eattherainbow #potager #youarewhatyoueat #gyo #mygardenlife #chicagogarden #urbangardeningideas #urbangarden #zone5b #hereshegrows
It’s workbench Wednesday! Before anything else c It’s workbench Wednesday! Before anything else can happen in the garden this year, I have to get my work bench sorted. How’s yours looking? #mygardenlife #workbenchwednesday #gardenchores #ihatecleaning #justthrowthatanywhere #hereshegrows
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