Gardening and Gardens

I came across this beautiful fall container at the local garden center the other day. I love the mixture of colors and textures! The Purple Majesty Millet grass is surrounded by the warm colored leaves of croton, pink lantana, silver dusty miller and pansies (among others). Not the usual fall container combination one would usually see but I think they all compliment one another!

Today is Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! Here's a look at what's growing and blooming in my Long Island garden this month. The variegated Liriope is now in full bloom. The lovely purple spikes of flowers are a welcome splash of color in the garden.  I love the contrast of the pink flowers against the lush green leaves of this begonia and the entire plant form in front of the garden wall. Beyond the Liriope, the pink carpet roses continue to bloom and are truly maintenance free. What a joy to have in the garden. The hot colors of the Lantana remind me that summer is not over yet, as they continue to bloom in the warm September sun. My latest addition to the border - Callicarpa acuminata 'Woodlanders'. Similar in form to the more common beautyberry shrub, but these have larger, deeper purple colored berries. The berries just started turning color so I'm anxious to see how it looks when it's full of them! Dragon Wing Begonias...every time I pas...

On a recent visit to the garden center the other day, I saw this huge bird bath filled to the brim with succulents.  Sadly, I don't have the space for such a feature but even a smaller bird bath or even a circular try would do the trick.  Succulents hold water in their leaves or stems and as such, can withstand more arid climates or dry soil conditions. Botanically, cacti are succulents but not all succulents are cacti.  This one is loaded with Sedums and Sempervivums.  They are great in any garden and hardy once established. They are easy to care for, come in a variety of striking colors and textures but do like full sun.  Happy gardening!