Gardening and Gardens

Every year, Hicks Nurseries in Westbury, NY transforms their showroom to a gorgeous display of landscape plants and flowers right as old man winter is starting to release his grip. The annual Spring Flower and Garden show is the largest and most popular flower show on Long Island. For many local gardeners, this flower show is the official beginning of spring.  Each year has a different theme and to be honest, I think some have been better than others. This year's theme is "Garden for Life: Discover Health and Wellness through the Joy of Gardening"  - how gardening can enhance your life, your neighborhood and the planet. I thought it was fantastic.  There were four different garden displays: the Relaxation Garden, the Easy Garden, the Earth Friendly Garden and the Learning Garden. The Relaxation Garden was like a tropical oasis in your own backyard: Filled with Palms, Bromeliads, Croton, Gardenias, Orchids and other tropical plants, it was sooth...

It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! Here's what's growing and blooming in my garden this month. All my containers are starting to bloom and fill in. The house faces east and therefore, the front gets the most sun in the morning and midday. Here is a look at what the front porch area looks like: A close up on the flower boxes and containers: The main box is planted with impatiens and geraniums (both from cuttings), morning glories, white bacopa, purple saliva, black eyed susan, yellow zinnia and sweet william. Below the box are two pots containing flat leaf parsley and columbine seedlings. To the right of the box are perennial daisies just starting to bloom and beneath that is the geranium plant I overwintered and took cuttings from this spring. It has just started to bloom and produce new growth. The left box is filled with pansies (still holding on!), impatiens and geraniums, pink pentas, purple saliva, lobelia, morning glory vines, lychnis and white salvia. ...

New York City is nicknamed the "Concrete Jungle" and with good reason! It's a fascinating place bustling with activity. People, buses, cars, buildings, street vendors, sidewalk dining, eclectic shops. All part of what makes NYC great.  In June, I happened to be in the city for the day and wandered past this beautiful planting "box" along the sidewalk at the base of the tree. I was so impressed by the variety of plants in such a small space that made it unique. So often, you see street plantings will the basic Imatiens, Begonias or Liriope. And while these are great and serve its purpose, its always a welcome surprise to find something different.  This "box" had a wrought iron cage around it to act as protection and was filled with various types of Coleus, Strobilanthes dyerianus (Persian Sheild) , Imperata Cylindrica (Blood Grass), Nicotiana, Lantana, Pentas lanceolata (Star Cluster). Whoever put this together, I say "Nice Job!"