Fantastic ferns

by Debra Anchors

Ferns are nothing short of gorgeous. Best of all, they are so easy to care for that most gardeners meet with success. Even those who lust only for colorful flower gardens find ferns invaluable as lush background plantings intermixed with perennials to bring form and texture to their showy beds throughout the growing season. Although the fern family is truly enormous, the gardener’s choices for deliberate cultivation are somewhat limited.

Ferns need light open shade to grow well. While it’s true they’re often found along forest edges, nature rarely grows them in deep shade. And, since ferns root on the soil surface, they need some kind of mulch like bark or wood chips to keep roots cool and prevent weeds from taking over. If you can manage these few requirements, your ferns will be off and running!

Speaking of running, ferns that propagate themselves by runners are aggressive, so plant them where they won’t crowd out other treasures. 

Northern maidenhair fern

The northern maidenhair fern           
(Adiantum pedatum), a common favorite, has black leafy stalks and knee-high, lyre-shaped fronds of soft blue-green.

Ostrich fern

Another beauty is the imposing ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris). In the garden, ostrich ferns contribute an architectural grace of handsome, nearly three-feet-tall plume-like fronds all summer.

Japanese painted fern

The Japanese painted fern (Athyrium nipponicum), with its many-hued fronds of a silvery sheen and contrasting maroon stalks, is becoming increasingly popular. Of medium size, this painted lady lends itself to interplantings as a foil for flowering plants.

Christmas fern - photo by Ben Kimball

One stalwart evergreen fern (Polystichum  acrostichoides), the Christmas fern, stays lush even through early winter snows.










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Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever! 
-Debra

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Succulents and Cacti – it’s easier than you think!

by Debra Anchors

A succulent rock garden

Cacti and succulents often seem intimidating, but they are actually forgiving plants that respond to a gardener’s attentions by multiplying freely (succulents) or bursting into bloom (cacti).  Because they require little water, succulents are a great choice for rooftop gardens.





Soil:  Despite their association with the desert, these plants survive in soil, not pure sand. An ideal medium for both cactus and succulents consists of one-third each sterile potting mix, pea gravel, and compost.

Drainage:  Root rot is the most dangerous enemy to cacti and succulents.  Use pea gravel or coarse sand to ensure good drainage.

Light:  Outdoors in the north, plant cold-hardy succulents in full sun; in the south, give them filtered light.  Indoors, set plants in a south-facing window.

Water:  Easy does it.  Cacti and succulents have a great ability to store water, and need only a little additional moisture from us.  Let soil dry out almost completely before watering.

Humidity:  The dryer, the better.

Food:  As a rule, cacti and succulents require very little supplemental feeding, if any.

If you enjoy this website, you might like my magazine, Gardening Life.

Thank you for stopping by to spend time in my garden.  If you liked the article, please take a moment to let me know. I will be delighted if you would suggest Gardens Inspired to your friends, follow me or subscribe to my Blog.

Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever! 
-Debra

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Image credit - Mark Turner

Use rainwater in your garden

by Debra Anchors

Illustration by Don Bousquet

It’s no joke:  Roof runoff can be captured in a rain barrel and used later for irrigation, which not only reduces the amount of polluted water flowing down storm drains, but also helps conserve water.








Consider the benefits of harvesting rain water for your garden:

• Rainwater is free
• Rainwater is a clean, chemical-free source of water for plants
• Rainwater seeps into the soil, pushing salts from tap water down and away from the plant’s root zone
• Rainwater allows for better root growth and water absorption, increasing the drought tolerance of plants
• Rainwater harvesting reduces off-site flooding and erosion by holding rainwater on the site
• Harvesting rainwater reduces dependence on ground water and the amount of money spent on water
• Rainwater harvesting is an efficient water conservation tool

Please note that, from a public health standpoint, any standing water in rain barrels should be screened to keep mosquitoes from breeding. 

If you enjoy this website, you might like my magazine, Gardening Life. 

Thank you for stopping by to spend time in my garden.  If you liked the article, please take a moment to let me know. I will be delighted if you would suggest Gardens Inspired to your friends, follow me or subscribe to my Blog. 

Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever! 

-Debra

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Make fragrance a focal point with these classic flowers

by Debra Anchors

Fragrant flowers lure us into the garden, and keep us there.  The spicy scent of lily-of-the-valley may remind us of a favorite neighbor, while a whiff of honeysuckle transports us back to childhood summers in the country.  We accept the beautiful aromas of the garden as gifts meant for us personally, even though they are intended strictly for the birds and the bees.  Nearsighted pollinators rely on fragrance to guide them to nectar-filled blossoms;  like us, they may become intoxicated and find themselves unable to leave a favorite flower.  Just as some insects are attracted to specific plants, we humans have our individual preferences. What are yours?

Gardenia - Image by Harley Seaway

These heavy fragrances can dominate a room when they are cut and brought indoors or planted beneath a window:

- Oriental lilies (Lilium)
- Tuberoses (Polianthes)
- Mock orange (Philadelphus)
- Gardenia
- Flowering tobacco (Nicotiana   alata)

Peonies

Subtle fragrances announce their presence without shouting:

- Lily-of-the-valley

- Roses

- Peonies

- Violets (Viola)

- Bearded iris (Iris x germanica)

- Four-o’clocks (Mirabilis jalapa)

- Sweet peas (especially heirloom varieties)

Magnolia - Image by Kevin Frates

Spicy scents have lent their heady, intriguing aromas to gardens for centuries:

- Magnolias

- Salvias

- Garden pinks (Dianthus)

- Heliotrope (Heliotropium)

- Freesias

- Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum)

If you enjoy this website, you might like my magazine, Gardening Life. 

Thank you for stopping by to spend time in my garden.  If you liked the article, please take a moment to let me know. I will be delighted if you would suggest Gardens Inspired to your friends, follow me or subscribe to my Blog. 

Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever! 

-Debra

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About moles in your garden and landscape

by Debra Anchors

The Common Mole - Image from National Geographic

Contrary to popular belief, moles are not rodents; they are insectivores. Averaging 7-inches long, these tiny eating machines consume nearly their body weight in insects, slugs, and grubs every day. Those of us who have come across slugs or grubs while gardening know that they are not very big. Imagine how many grubs a mole would need to eat before reaching its body weight!

The reality is, if you have a population of moles in your landscape, you need them.  A mole requires welcoming, moist soil, which provide it with shelter as well as a steady diet of invertebrates to fuel its racing metabolism.  No invertebrates in your soil? No moles.

As a mole breaststrokes through its dark and moist world, it pushes the soil out of its way and down the sides of its body, forming both runways and tunnels from which to feed. Nearly blind, a common mole cruises just below the surface of the soil, at the root level of many plants, and uses its highly developed senses of smell, touch, and hearing, as well as sensitivity to vibrations, to locate food.  As a mole burrows, it leaves behind the telltale signs of his presence – a mounding wake of loose, crumbling, soil.  A mole may only travel his mounded runway once before moving on to a better feeding ground of insects.

The permanent tunnels of moles are used year-round and are located about a foot under ground. Those tunnels often lead to burrows, lined with grass, which in the spring can be home to three to six young.  A mound of soil at the surface, or molehill, is characteristic of a mole’s burrow.

If you enjoy this website, you might like my magazine, Gardening Life. Thank you for stopping by to spend time in my garden.  If you liked the article, please take a moment to let me know. I will be delighted if you would suggest Gardens Inspired to your friends, follow me or subscribe to my Blog.

Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever! 

-Debra

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The many benefits of green tea

by Debra Anchors

The many benefits of green tea (you are free to use this image)

Green tea is derived from unfermented leaves that contain the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols. Antioxidants fight free radicals, the damaging amalgam in the body that modifies cells, wounds DNA, and even causes cells to die.

Researchers at Harvard Health site the following promising benefits to drinking green tea -

Improves memory	High in antioxidants and fights free radicals
Benefits the heart	Blocks the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol
Reduces cancer risk	Increases HDL (good) cholesterol
Facilitates weight loss	Improves artery function
Boosts immunity	Hydrates the body
Reduces the risk of hypertension	Regulates glucose levels

Consume a few cups of green tea each day to absorb antioxidants, or catechins, and other healthful plant benefits. In Japan and China, the usual amount of green tea consumed is three cups per day. Allowing the tea to steep for three to five minutes will bring out its beneficial properties. The optimum way to get the catechins and other flavonoids in tea is to drink it freshly brewed.  Loose, freshly brewed, green tea is less processed and therefore the antioxidants are more concentrated.

Are you interested in boosting the benefits of green tea even further? A study conducted by Purdue University researchers found that lemon juice caused a significant boost to the beneficial level of antioxidants in green tea. Since tea can interfere with the absorption of, adding lemon or drinking tea between meals will negate this problem.


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Thank you for stopping by to spend time in my garden.  If you liked the article, please take a moment to let me know. I will be delighted if you would suggest Gardens Inspired to your friends, follow me or subscribe to my Blog.

Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever! 
-Debra

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Plant a windowsill garden

by Debra Anchors

Image courtesy of
University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension

With containers of herbs on your windowsill, you can enjoy gardening even on the wintriest days.  A pot of green onions and companion pots of garlic and chives will yield tasty stalks for snipping into salads and onto baked potatoes.  You will need a dozen onion sets, one or two heads of garlic, a packet of chive seeds, a couple of 8-inch pots with drainage holes, and some potting soil.

Plant and place your pots on a sunny sill.  Begin snipping when the plants are three to four inches tall.

Note:  Supermarket onions and garlic may have been treated to retard sprouting, so try your local nursery or garden center for the items you would like to grow.

If you enjoy this website, you might like my magazine, Gardening Life.

Thank you for stopping by to spend time in my garden.  If you liked the article, please take a moment to let me know. I will be delighted if you would suggest Gardens Inspired to your friends, follow me or subscribe to my Blog.

Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever! 
-Debra

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Make gardening barrier-free

by Debra Anchors

The Enabling Garden at The Garden Club of America

When we garden, time stands still; cares and woes simply fall by the wayside.  This is why, as we age or confront physical challenges, it’s good to garden more, not less.  An aspiring gardener can learn how a flower bed can be adapted to a gardener’s needs rather than the other way around.  Make use of raised beds, hanging baskets and containers of all sizes to make this cherished pastime accessible to all.

Construct raised beds to elevate the soil level to a comfortable working height.  Tall containers also reduce the need to bend and stoop.

Attach pulleys to all of your hanging baskets so plants can be raised and lowered for easy maintenance.

Use soaker hoses (buried just below the soil level) to take the work out of watering.

Stop picking up after yourself.  Leave frequently used tools in designated spots right in the garden to save steps to the shed or garage.

Choose low-maintenance plants. Plant dwarf and slow-growing trees and shrubs, and noninvasive perennials such as cranesbill, bleeding heart and daylilies.


If you enjoy this website, you might like my magazine, Gardening Life.

Thank you for stopping by to spend time in my garden.  If you liked the article, please take a moment to let me know. I will be delighted if you would suggest Gardens Inspired to your friends, follow me or subscribe to my Blog.

Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever! 
-Debra

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Plant and grow garlic

by Debra Anchors

Few cooks can imagine life without the bulb fondly known as garlic.  While still snubbed by a few cultures, most of the world enjoys garlic – for flavor, for excitement, and, in some cases, to improve well-being.

Garlic plants are started from bulbs, or heads (composed of a cluster of cloves), purchased from a garden center or nursery.  Although easy to grow and very hardy, garlic performs best in milder, dry climates.  Garlic is planted in the fall (in cold regions) or early spring for best development before the summer harvest season.  Ample and consistent water is needed for the first five months of growth, as well as full sun.  There are many varieties, in two major groups:  the so-called soft necks, often found in the grocery store, and hard necks, also known as rocambole.

Divide the garlic heads into individual cloves and plant about one to three inches deep and four to eight inches apart in rich soil.  In cold climates, apply a winter mulch of straw for protection, but remove it early as the weather warms.  Garlic is virtually free from pests and diseases.  The greens may be lightly clipped in late spring, and used as you would scallions.  Garlic is ready for harvest when the plant tops turn brown.  Dig the heads carefully, brush off excess soil, and allow them to dry on a screen in the shade.  To prevent the bulbs from rotting, retain several inches of dried stalk.  Store garlic in a cool, dry area (do not refrigerate).

If you enjoy this website, you might like my magazine, Gardening Life. 

Thank you for stopping by to spend time in my garden.  If you liked the article, please take a moment to let me know. I will be delighted if you would suggest Gardens Inspired to your friends, follow me or subscribe to my Blog. 

Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever! 

-Debra

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Plant bulbs to add rich color to your garden

by Debra Anchors

Keukenhof Flower Garden by Vera Kratochvil

Bulbs are a variety of plants that have one thing in common - they store food in a plump structure regularly referred to as a "bulb."

Planting a bulb garden is an easy way to coax your winter-tired garden back to work with cheerful flower shows long before most perennials push their way out of the soil (and before it's warm enough to sustain annuals). Summer-blooming bulbs paint the landscape with vital color, adding beautiful flowers and glamorous foliage at a time of year when Midwest gardens can use a boost. Revive your garden early in the season with spring blooming bulbs and give your garden a little spark in the mid-to-late season with summer bloomers.

When?  Spring blooming bulbs (hyacinths, daffodils, snowdrops, tulips and crocus) are planted in the fall - any time before the ground completely freezes. They flower from January through June, depending on the variety of bulb and your growing Zone.

Summer blooming bulbs (dahlias, gladioli, lilies and cannas), are planted in spring, after the last frost. They flower from June through October, depending on the variety of bulb and your growing Zone.

Note: the majority of summer and fall blooming bulbs are not winter hardy and must be lifted and stored for the winter. Always be certain to check for your USDA Zone hardiness rating before you purchase or plant bulbs.

How?  Provide separate holes for each bulb, or a furrow for many bulbs, and place them in the ground without tamping-down hard. Invest in good hand tools; they are worth their weight in gold in the garden.

Bulbs need ample water and decent drainage. If water has an inclination to puddle in the planting area, you will need to break up the first 12-inches or so of soil and supply some drainage material such as coarse stones below the surface soil. Standing water will eventually rot your bulbs.

Use the size of your bulb as a guide and plant it two or three times the bulb depth. Space your bulbs about 2 to 3 bulb-widths apart.

Make sure the roots are placed downward. Cover your bulbs with dirt and pat them in firmly, being careful not to compress the soil.

Lift and Store:  Most summer bulbs are not hardy, so need to be lifted (removed from your garden beds) before the first frost. Bulbs generally prefer to be stored dry.

Remove any loose soil and gently pull or cut-off leaves. Leave the bulbs to dry overnight. Apply a fungicide (bulb dust) to help the bulbs stay healthy during storage.

Store the bulbs in dry paper bags or trays of dry sand in a cool place inside your house.

Be sure to read care instructions before storing your bulbs for the winter. A few bulbs need moist conditions and can be kept in slightly damp bark chippings.

The video offered and linked just below will be helpful as you prepare to dig and store your bulbs.

Storing Tender Bulbs for the Winter

A few more tips:  Mix bulbs in with your summer-blooming perennials. They will hide the faded foliage of spent spring blossoms.

Look for bulbs that bloom early, middle and late spring (or summer) to create a season-long succession of color.

Don’t plant your bulbs if the ground is really wet or frozen, they will just rot away to nothing. Wait for the ground to dry out a bit or for frosts to have finished.

Be generous! More bulbs always look better than a few.

Based on your personal preferences, experiment with curves and shapes for your beds instead of planting in rows.

Plant your bulbs at the right time of the year or they may rot in the ground.

Make sure you are planting in a sunny location – at least half a day’s exposure. The best way to confirm there is enough sun is to choose a site after nearby trees are in full leaf. Dig out a planting area slightly deeper than needed.  Always follow the specific instructions that come with your bulbs.

Be sure you purchase only good quality bulbs. If they are damaged in any way don’t buy them, the chances are very good that they will not grow, or not grow well.

Make a rough sketch of your bed design on paper using crayons, markers or colored pencils to create a pleasing color scheme.

A color wheel can be helpful if you aren't comfortable working with color. It’s easy to use and makes choosing colors a breeze.

Does this post leave you hungry for more information?  Read another of my articles about caring for bulbs.

If you enjoy this website, you might like my magazine, Gardening Life. And, if you enjoy the world of fantasy that a fairy brings, or love beautiful images and inspirational quotes, be sure to take some time to relax in one or two of my garden rooms found under the navigation tabs.  

If you enjoy this website, you might like my magazine, Gardening Life.

Thank you for stopping by to spend time in my garden.  If you liked the article, please take a moment to let me know. I will be delighted if you would suggest Gardens Inspired to your friends, follow me or subscribe to my Blog.

Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever! 
-Debra

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Patiently awaiting spring

- by Debra Anchors

Tulips in spring

During the past few weeks, I have been busy creating new garden areas to visit here. Please sit back, relax and tour the new garden rooms by using the doors above.

The Muse:  I have applied some favorite garden quotes to images captured by various photographers and have, with permission, redistributed them here.


Garden Fairy Portraits:  This gallery contains beautiful portraits of fairies created by artists around the globe.  When known, I have included the name of the original artist.

Cover Photos:  Sized specifically to the dimensions specified by Facebook, these garden and nature cover photographs were created by me and placed in the public domain for use in social media (free of charge).  Enjoy!

As I continue to build the galleries, I thought you would enjoy viewing a time-lapse video of flowers blooming. At this writing, there are only 58 days remaining until the first day of spring. We can make it!

From the BBC Motion Gallery -

 


If you enjoy this website, you might like my magazines, Upcycled Garden Style and Gardening Life.

Thank you for stopping by to spend time in my garden.  If you liked the article, please take a moment to let me know. I will be delighted if you would suggest Gardens Inspired to your friends, follow me or subscribe to my Blog.

Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever! 
-Debra

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