Flower gardens with shrubs and trees offer varying degrees of height, thereby increasing visual interest. I discuss weigela, Kwanzan cherry and more in these articles on flower gardens. The articles here were published in December, 2008. Return to the index to access resources from prior years.
12/03/08 - Garden Writing: Anthology of Modern Authors
The Gardener's Bedside Reader makes for a fine companion piece to Merilyn Simonds' anthology of classic garden writing (see below). Consult my reviews to determine if these are books you (or a friend who enjoys flower gardens) would wish to read.
12/10/08 - Classic Garden Writing
Merilyn Simonds' anthology of classic garden writing will be of interest to those who wish to learn what some of the greatest garden writers have penned on subject of flower gardens, garden design and more.
12/11/08 - Garden Books With Literary Themes
A comparison of the two books above, plus a third garden book that, while not an anthology, is also a collection of stories.
12/12/08 - Scary Pumpkin Stencils
Need some new ideas for jack o'lantern faces? Use these templates to make your carving go more smoothly.
12/13/08 - Cordless Mower Review
This Remington mower can be plugged in or operated on battery power. But once you've gone the battery route, you won't want to bother plugging in any more. Electric and cordless: hopefully, future improvements in technology will make buying this type of mower a no-brainer.
12/16/08 - Weigela Shrubs
Learn about weigela, long a favorite in flower gardens. The new weigelas have features that have led to resurgence of interest in this old-time shrub.
12/17/08 - Winter Landscapes
Need ideas to inject interest into your yard in winter? Winter is the Scrooge of the seasons in the North, what with flower gardens an impossibility and fall foliage a thing of the past. So keeping the landscape interesting during these months can be difficult. Use my photos of winter landscapes as inspiration.
12/18/08 - Pictures of Christmas Scenes
It's not quite so challenging to keep your yard colorful during the holiday season as it is during the rest of the winter. In fact, the challenge may be in choosing between all the different types of decorations available. My pictures of Christmas scenes attempt to provide something of an overview.
12/19/08 - The Wildlife Gardener's Guide
Wildlife can make the winter landscape more interesting. But do you know how to attract animals to your yard? The book I review here tells you how.
12/20/08 - Tansy
You wouldn't want to grow tansy in your flower gardens. Tansy is an invasive plant. Unfortunately, that's not the only strike against it.
12/21/08 - Sweet Alyssum
Sweet alyssum flowers are one of the hardier "annuals" northerners can use in their flower gardens. White sweet alyssum flowers are often used with salvia and ageratum in the US for "patriotic" landscaping.
12/22/08 - Blue Holly
The blue hollies are so called because the green of their leaves is so dark it's almost bluish-green. But their berries are their outstanding feature: they'll help you dispel the winter blues.
12/23/08 - Kwanzan Cherry
Learn about Kwanzan cherry, a fine addition to any spring flower garden.
12/29/08 - Yellowtwig Dogwood Shrubs
Yellowtwig (or "yellow twig") dogwoods are a nice companion for their red counterparts: a patch of red and yellow dogwoods against a backdrop of pristine white snow makes for a striking winter scene.
12/30/08 - Top New Year's Resolutions
Don't let bad experiences with New Year's resolutions (e.g., weight-loss pledges) cast a pall over the entire concept of making resolutions. Sometimes, setting goals can be fun, rather than an exercise in futility. When it comes to landscaping, resolutions can simply take the form of planning -- looking ahead to plants you'll be experimenting with in your spring flower gardens.
12/31/08 - Pictures of Yellow Flowers
Yellow flowers bring sunshine to your flower gardens, even on a cloudy day. Let these pictures of yellow flowers provide you ideas for your own planting beds.
