Butterflies welcome! How to make a butterfly garden

-by Debra Anchors


The butterfly counts not months, but moments, and has time enough – Rabindranath Tagore

Do you want flowers with wings? You may not allow yourself to sit down and enjoy the garden in the middle of the day as often as you could. It’s easy to get caught up in planting, weeding and deadheading. But if you only sit down in the evening, you’re missing something – butterflies! They’re most active when the sun is out and the weather is warm. Can you think of a better excuse to take a break than butterfly watching?


Butterfly garden design tips:

Give them shelter
If your garden is windy, provide a windbreak. A hedge of lilacs is good because it provides nectar in spring and shelter the rest of the season. Walls and fences slow down the wind and also make a nice backdrop for plants.


Create a drinking pool
Butterflies “puddle” to take in needed nutrients and salts. You can make an artificial mud puddle with a shallow dish or saucer. Fill your shallow vessel half with sand and half with composted manure. Add water to your mud puddle and top it off with a piece of decaying fruit and watch how many butterflies stop by!


A start in the sun
Although butterflies may rest and hibernate in wooded areas, they only fly well when their wings are warm and dry. A rock in a sunny place is a good spot where they can prepare for a day of flying.


A family-friendly location
Butterflies choose specific plants on which to lay their eggs so the caterpillars will have lots of food as soon as they hatch. If you want to see the caterpillars form chrysalises and emerge as butterflies, grow the plants the caterpillars love. Some foods caterpillars love are milkweed for monarchs, parsley for black swallowtails and snapdragons for buckeyes.


Go easy on sprays
Handpicking and spot treating with insecticidal soap are the safest ways to get rid of unwanted insects without harming butterflies.  

Read more about butterflies


Offered below, for your viewing pleasure, is  a PBS documentary on the amazing Monarch migration - condensed into 5 minutes.





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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Garden in the shade

- by Debra Anchors

Shade is a good thing. If you don’t believe it, take a look at the shade gardens reviewed by The Houston Chronicle. Nobody could complain about having to pull weeds or deadhead on a hot August afternoon in any of those peaceful spots.


There’s no mystery to gardening in shade. It’s a matter of understanding what kind of shade you have and choosing the right plants to go with it. In my shade guide, you’ll find out exactly what type of shade your garden has. But before you do that, how about a little inspiration?


Here is a list of 12 beautiful and easy-to-grow shade plants.

Astilbe

Bergenia

Snakeroot   

Coral Bells

Goatsbeard

Hosta

Lady's Slipper

Ligularia

Martagon Lily

Monkshood

Pulmonaria

Foamflower

Offered below is a video containing more information about which plants to grow in the shade.

Thank you for stopping by and spending a little time with me. If you enjoyed this article, please post a comment so I will 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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Defining shade – What does shade mean?

- by Debra Anchors

Not all shade is the same. When you read plant tags you will see many terms for the different types. Before you garden in the shade, let’s break it down.

Light Shade – A light-shade area is completely shaded for only 2 to 4 of the hours between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Filtered shade – The spot may seem completely shaded all day but shafts of the sun squeeze through tree branches or an arbor, for example.  How much sun gets through depends on the type of structure casting the shade. Trees with lacy, thin canopies like honeylocusts provide less shade; trees with larger leaves or a denser canopy offer more.

Part shade – A part-shade garden receives 4 to 5 hours of shade. This may be where trees are planted close together so the sun moves farther before it gets around them, or where a tall wall or fence blocks the sun for a longer time.

Full shade – This lasts all day. It’s the dark shade you find under a group of trees with a multistory canopy or under a building overhang. It may occur between the east and west sides of two houses, on the north side of the house or where a wall is so tall the sun never peeks over it. Fully shaded areas are lit by a kind of ‘sky shine’ or reflected light.

Dense shade – No light reaches this area. You find dense shade under a low-branched tree, such as a Norway maple, in a grove of trees or under your deck.


Thank you for stopping by and spending a little time with me. If you enjoyed this article, please post a comment so I will 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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An American Bittersweet Tale

- by Debra Anchors


The beauty of the day was not to be wasted. There was not a cloud in our beautiful blue sky and the sun was positively blinding. The weather was unusual for November 21st in Michigan and the 43°F temperature, under all of that sunshine, didn’t feel cold at all.
  

I’m not sure what I will do with this bounty, but I have an entire trunk filled with Celastrus scandens, or ‘American bittersweet’ – that wonderful climbing plant that bears clusters of bright orange pods this time of year. Nature has been working to perfect its color all summer and the bittersweet has reached perfection for our use at Thanksgiving.

My parents still own the property of my childhood – forty acres of pines, hardwoods and rolling hills –  only 2-miles away from where we raised our family. My father planted the foot-high pine trees we proudly carried home each year from school during the week of Arbor Day.  The pines in that small grove of trees are now well over 60 feet tall – and have now become fully enveloped in American bittersweet vines 


Our native birds are so helpful. I suspect the Eastern bluebird is the main distributor of this native plant – Bittersweet attracts them and is an emergency food source for most birds in the winter. 

I love bittersweet, but it is no friend to its neighboring plant life. The vines the bittersweet will use to reach for the sun will soon overcome anything near it, blocking the sunlight from their host. Such is the fate, I fear, of this plot of mature and beautiful pine trees; the vines have a firm grip on one of them already. Since this is the only place we have ever found bittersweet growing, and because the American Bittersweet plant is becoming so rare that it is now a protected species, we are content to let it remain. 


Perhaps it was destiny that the Arbor Day pine trees I so proudly carried home years ago were to provide support for this beautiful accident of nature  – but it is a bittersweet story.


The video here demonstrates how to make a wreath using Oriental Bittersweet and grape vines. The Oriental variety is prolific, easier to locate and will work as well as the rare American Bittersweet vine in a wreath. I hope you enjoy it!





Thank you for stopping by and spending a little time with me. If you enjoyed this article, please post a comment so I will 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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Time to Hibernate

- by Debra Anchors

Garden cottage, shed and doll house, too

Mission accomplished. The garden jewelry is stored safely away, awaiting the intoxicating kiss of spring – I will try to be patient. 

I commissioned the construction of this garden cottage in early 2002. A pre-fabricated metal structure in the garden would simply not do. Convinced that a storage shed wasn't required to be ugly, I had been salvaging windows and doors for years, waiting for the opportunity to someday bring the vision dancing in my head to reality. There was no blueprint, only very specific instructions to our contractor. These instructions were, “Do you see these 5 windows and 2 doors? I would like an 8’ x 8’ storybook cottage constructed atop a 10’ x 10’ cement slab. Oh, and please dye that cement slab a dark green.” I believe the adjective “storybook” threw my builder a little. I drew a rough sketch for him and was comforted by his nod to the affirmative.

I was fortunate to salvage a door from a 1930’s physician’s office to use as the back entrance to this little garden house. A back door was necessary, because a friend of mine lived in that charming house behind me. Both of us worked full-time, but Laura and I were plant enthusiasts and practiced our love of gardening together during the weekend - not so any longer. Sadly, Laura could no longer be tempted by our perfect gardening season here and moved to the warmer Florida climate. I do miss her and our weekends together.


The choice of color for our garden cottage is a personal statement of defiance. You see, we make our home just inside the city limits of a small Midwest city. Houses on every side of our back yard border our home. I despise winter.  I absolutely will have color playing a dominant role in my garden during the 6-month deep-freeze. I find the absence of color during winter’s long season much too boring. Hence, the purple, pink and yellow colors provide our neighborhood with a promise of spring – accompanied by an exclamation point. A colorful focal point is especially needed when only deep drifts of white and leafless trees are seen in every direction.


To be completely honest, I must admit to being a bit weary and am looking forward to the winter respite being forced upon me. Now – where did I put all of those seed catalogs?

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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Prevent winter damage to evergreens - The winter season in your garden

- by Debra Anchors

Snow covered evergreens

In winter, when plants are dormant and snow covers the ground, we appreciate the evergreen foliage of conifers such as a juniper and the twigs and bark of deciduous trees and shrubs. Clumps of rustling grass or shrubs and trees with bright berries are welcome in winter, too. Take advantage of garden ‘down-time’ in the winter to make a list of what you would like to shop for at your garden center in the spring.


Spray broad-leaved evergreens with antidesiccant before the weather gets too cold and build burlap shelters around any young or exposed evergreens that need extra protection. Once the ground freezes, spread some pine boughs or coarse mulch over newly planted perennials to keep them from frost-heaving. During the winter, if a heavy snow or an ice storm snaps or crushes some shrubs, you can trim away the broken parts as soon as convenient but if plants get frozen during a severe cold spell, wait until spring to assess the damage before deciding how far to cut them back.


Of course, the very best thing you can do is to protect your landscape against a heavy snow or ice storm in the first place. The video below will teach you how to prevent snow from damaging your evergreens.



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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Safety first in the garden

- by Debra Anchors

When working in your garden and landscape, it is important to create and maintain the safest working environment possible. Gardening accidents rate high in emergency rooms during the spring and summer.  What follows are reminders of how to keep yourself, as well as your children and pets, safe in the garden.



DO – always know where your children and pets are and keep them out of the landscape while you work. Lawn mowers and chain saws are killers.


DO – determine locations of underground utility lines before you dig. Buried lines may be for gas, electricity, communications or water. Start research by contacting your local officials. Also, contact local utility companies; they will often send a representative free of charge to help you map their lines. In addition, there are private utility locator firms that may be listed online or in your yellow pages. Note: Keep in mind that previous owners may have installed underground drainage, sprinkler and lighting lines without mapping them.

DO – read and adhere to manufacturer’s instructions for using a tool, especially the warnings.

DO – ensure that the electrical setup is safe; be sure that no circuit is overloaded and that all power tools and electrical outlets are properly grounded and protected by a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). Do not use power tools in wet locations.

DO – wear eye protection when using chemicals, sawing wood, pruning trees and shrubs, using power tools and striking metal onto metal or concrete.

DO – read the label on chemicals, solvents and other products; provide ventilation and heed all warnings.

DO – wear heavy rubber gloves rated for chemicals (not just household rubber gloves) when handling toxins.

DO – wear appropriate gloves in situations in which rough surfaces, sharp edges, thorns or poisonous plants could injure your hands.

DO – wear a disposable face mask or a special filtering respirator when creating sawdust or working with toxic gardening substances.

DO – keep your hands and other body parts away from the business ends of blades, cutters and drill bits.

DON’T – wear loose clothing when working around ladders, chain saws, lawn mowers and live fire pits.

DON’T – work with power tools when you are tired or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

DON’T – carry sharp or pointed tools, such as knives or saws, in your pockets. When you carry such tools, use a pail or a tool scabbard. Keep sharp tools out of the reach of children and away from pets.

Offered below for your viewing is a video entitled, Garden safety for children. 

Thank you for stopping by and spending a little time with me. If you enjoyed this article, please post a comment so I will 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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Plants Toxic to Pets – Poisons in the garden

- by Debra Anchors


This alphabetical list of toxic plants to dogs and cats has been assembled from many different sources and is offered as a courtesy to my readers. It may or may not be complete; always consult a veterinarian if you believe your pet has consumed a potentially toxic plant listed here. Symptoms range from nausea to death.   If you are aware of another toxic plant not listed here, kindly leave me a comment so I can research it and update this listing.

Angel's Trumpet

Acocanthera (flower and fruit), Aconite (flowers, leaves and roots), Acorns (every part), Alfalfa (foliage), Almond (seeds), Aloe Vera (sap), Alsike Clover (foliage), Amaryllis (bulbs), American Yew (bark, needles and seeds), Amsinckia (everything above the ground, especially seeds), Andromeda Japonica (every part), Angel's Trumpet (every part, especially seeds), Angel's Wings (leaves, roots and stems), Antherium (leaves, roots and stems), Apple (seeds), Apple of Peru (every part, especially seeds), Apricot (inner seed), Arrowgrass (foliage), Arrowhead Vine (leaves, roots and stems), Asian Lily (every part), Asparagus Fern (berries and shoots), Australian Nut (every part), Autumn Crocus (every part), Avocado (fruit, leaves and pit), Azalea (every part)

Bittersweet

Baneberry (berries, foliage and roots), Bayonet Plant (flowers and foliage), Belladonna (every part, especially black berries), Bird of Paradise (fruit and seeds), Bitter Cherry (seeds), Bitter Nightshade (every part, especially berries), Bittersweet (every part, especially berries), Black Locust (leaves, pods, seeds, shoots and inner bark), Black Nightshade (the unripe berries), Bleeding Heart (foliage and roots), Bloodroot (every part), Blue Flag (the bulbs), Blue-green Algae (every part), Bluebonnet (every part), Boston Ivy (berries and leaves), Bouncing Bet (every part), Boxwood (every part) Brackenfern, Braken Fern (every part), Brake Fern (every part), Branching Ivy (berries and leaves), Buckeye (bark, buds, honey, leaves, nuts, seedlings), Buckthorn (every part), Buddhist Pine (every part), Bulbs (every species in the genus Amarylliaceae, Iridaceae and Liliaceae), Bull Nettle (every part), Burn Plant (sap), Buttercups (new leaves and stems)

Chinese Lantern

Caladium (every part), Caley Pea (every part), Calfkill (every part), Calla Lily (every part), Candelabra Cactus (leaves, milky sap and stems), Carolina Horsenettle (every part), Carolina Jessamine (every part), Castor Oil Plant (every part, especially seeds), Castor Bean (every part, especially seeds), Ceriman (leaves, roots and stems), Chalice Vine (every part), Charming Dieffenbachia (every part), Cherry (every part), Cherry Laurel (flowers and foliage), Chicks (every part), Chinaberry Tree (berries), Chinese Evergreen (leaves, roots and stems), Chinese Inkberry (fruit and sap), Chinese Lantern (leaf and unripe fruit), Choke Cherry (bark and seeds), Christmas Flower (leaves, milky sap and stem), Christmas Plant (leaves, milky sap and stem), Christmas Rose (flowers and foliage), Chrysanthemum (every part), Cineria (every part), Clematis (every part), Climbing Nightshade (every part), Clover (foliage), Cocklebur (burs, seeds, and seedlings), Common Burdock (burs), Common Nightshade (unripe berries), Common Privet (berries and foliage), Common Tansy (flowers and foliage), Coral Plant (every part), Cordatum (every part), Corn Lily (every part), Corn Plant (every part), Cornflower (every part), Cornstalk Plant (every part), Corydalis (leaves, roots, and stems), Cowslip (new leaves and stems), Crab's Eye (beans), Creeping Charlie (every part), Crocus (every part), Croton (foliage and shoots), Crowfoot (new leaves and stems), Crown of Thorns (every part), Cuban Laurel (every part), Cuckoo Pint (every part), Cycads (every part), Cyclamen (flowers, foliage and stems), Cypress Spurge (flowers, foliage and sap)

Doll's Eyes

Daffodil (every part), Daphne (bark, berries and leaves), Datura (every part), Day Lily (every part), Deadly Nightshade (foliage, sprouts and unripe fruit), Death Camas (every part), Death Cap Mushroom (every part), Delphinium (every part), Destroying Angel Mushroom (every part), Devil's Backbone (leaves and stems), Devil's Ivy (every part), Devil's Trumpet (every part), Dieffenbachia (every part), Dogbane (leaves, roots and stems), Doll's Eyes (berries – red and green, foliage and roots), Dracaena Palm (foliage), Dragon Tree (foliage), Dumbcane (leaves, roots and stems), Dutchman's Breeches (leaves, roots and stems), Dwarf Larkspur (every part)

Eggplant

Easter Flower (leaves, milky sap and stems), Easter Lily (bulbs, flowers, leaves and stems), Eggplant (every part except the fruit), Elaine (every part), Elderberry (every part), Elephant Ear (leaves, roots and stems), Emerald Duke (every part), Emerald Feather (every part), Emerald Fern (every part), English Ivy (berries and leaves), English Yew (bark, needles and seeds), Eucalyptus (every part), Euphorbia (flowers, foliage and sap), European Bittersweet (every part), Everlasting Pea (every part)

Four O'Clock

False Cactus (leaves, milky sap and stems), False Hellbore (every part), Feverfew (leaves and stalks), Ficus (peel and sap), Fiddle-leaf Fig (every part), Fiddleneck (every part above ground), Flag (bulbs), Flamingo Plant (every part), Flax (foliage), Fleur-de-lis (bulbs), Florida Beauty (every part), Fly Agaric (every part), Four O'Clock (every part), Foxglove (leaves, flowers, seeds and stems), Foxtail Barley (seedheads), Fruit Salad Plant (berries, flowers, foliage, and sap)

Glacier Ivy

Geranium (every part), German Ivy (every part above ground), Ghost Weed (leaves, milky sap and stems), Giant Dumbcane (every part), Gill-Over-The-Ground (every part), Glacier Ivy (berries and leaves), Gladiola (bulbs), Glory Lily (every part), Gold Dieffenbachia (every part), Gold Dust Dracaena (foliage), Golden Chain (flowers and seeds), Golden Pothos (every part), Grapes (every part), Green Dragon (leaves, roots and stems), Green False Hellebore (every part), Green Gold Nephthysis (every part), Ground Ivy (every part), Groundsel (every part above ground)

Hellebore

Hahn's Self-branching English Ivy (berries and leaves), Heartleaf (every part), Heavenly Bamboo (every part), Hellebore (flowers and foliage), Hemlock (every part), Henbane (seeds), Hens-and-Chicks (every part), Holly (berries), Horse Nettle (every part), Horse Chestnut (bark, buds, honey, leaves, nuts and seedlings), Horsebrush (foliage), Horsetail (every part), Hurricane Plant (bulbs), Hyacinth (bulbs, flowers and leaves), Hydrangea (every part)

Impatients

Impatients (every part), Indian Poke (every part), Indian Rubber Plant (every part), Indian Turnip (leaves, roots and stems), Inkberry (every part), Iris (bulbs), Ivies (every species – berries and leaves)

Jatropha

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (leaves, roots and stems), Jamestown Weed (every part), Janet Craig Dracaena (foliage), Japanese Show Lily (every part), Japanese Yew (bark, needles and seeds), Jasmine (flowers, foliage and sap), Jatropha (sap and seeds), Java Bean (uncooked beans), Jequirity Bean (beans), Jerusalem Cherry (every part), Jessamine (fruit and sap), Jimson Weed (every part), Johnson Grass (leaves and stems), Jonquil (every part), Juniper (berries, needles and stems)


Kalanchoe (leaves and stems), Klamath Weed (every part)

Lords and Ladies

Laburnum (flowers and seeds), Lace Fern (every part), Lacy Tree Philodendron (every part), Lambkill (every part), Lantana (berries, flowers and foliage), Larkspur (every part), Laurel (every part), Lilies (all species – every part), Lily-of-the-Valley (every part), Lima Bean (uncooked beans), Locoweed (every part), Lords and Ladies (every part), Lucerne (foliage), Lupine (every part)

Mexican Poppy

Macadamia Nut (every part), Madagascar Dragon Tree (foliage), Majesty (every part), Mandrake (every part except ripe fruit), Marble Queen (every part), Marigold (new leaves and stems), Mauna Loa Peace Lily (every part), Mayapple (every part except ripe fruit), Mescal Bean (every part), Mexican Breadfruit (leaves, roots and stems), Mexican Poppy (every part), Milk Bush (every part), Milkweed (leaves, roots and stems), Milo (foliage), Miniature Croton (foliage and shoots), Mistletoe (every part), Mock Orange (fruit), Monkshood (flowers, leaves and roots), Moonseed (berries), Morning Glory (every part), Mother-in-Law Tongue (foliage), Mountain Laurel (every part), Mushrooms (varieties: Amanita, Death Cap, Destroying Angel, Fly Agaric, Panther Cap, Spring Amanita – every part)


Nap-at-Noon (every part), Narcissus (every part), Needlepoint Ivy (berries and leaves), Nephthytis (leaves, roots and stems), Nightshade (berries), Nutmeg (nut)


Oaks (acorns, buds, sprouts and young shoots), Oleander (every part), Onion (every part), Orange Day Lily (every part)

Panther Cap Mushroom

Panda (every part), Panther Cap Mushroom (every part), Parlor Ivy (every part), Peace Lily (every part), Peach (pits and wilting leaves), Pennyroyal (flowers and foliage), Peony (flowers and foliage), Periwinkle (every part), Peyote (buttons), Philodendron (leaves, roots and stems), Pie Plant (leaves and uncooked stems), Pimpernel (flowers, foliage and fruit), Pin Cherry (seeds), Pinks (every part), Plumosa Fern (every part), Poinsettia (leaves, milky sap and stem), Poison Hemlock (every part), Poison Ivy (every part), Poison Oak (every part), Poison Weed (every part), Pokeweed (every part), Poppy (every part), Potato (sprouts, unripe tubers and vines), Pothos (every part), Precatory Bean (beans), Prickly Poppy (every part), Primrose (every part), Privet (berries and foliage)


Quaker Bonnets (every part), Queensland Nut (every part)

Rosary Pea

Ragwort (every part above ground), Red Clover (foliage), Red Emerald (every part), Red Lily (every part), Red Margined Dracaena (every part), Red Maple (leaves), Red Princess (every part), Red Sage (berries, flowers and foliage), Red-margined Dracaena (foliage), Rhododendron (every part), Rhubarb (leaves and uncooked stems), Ribbon Plant (foliage), Richweed (flowers, leaves, roots and stems), Rosary Pea (beans), Rosemary (foliage), Rubrum Lily (every part)

Soapwort

Saddle Leaf (every part), Sago Palm (every part), Satin Pothos (every part), Schefflera (every part), Scotch Broom (every part), Scouringrush (every part), Senecio (every part above ground), Sensitive Fern (every part), Sheep Laurel (every part), Silver Queen (leaves, roots and stems), Singletary Pea (every part), Skunk Cabbage (leaves, roots and stems), Snake Plant (every part), Snapdragon (flowers and foliage), Snow-on-the-Mountain (leaves, milky sap and stems), Snowdrop (every part), Soapwort (every part), Sorghum (foliage), Spathiphyllum (bulbs, flowers, leaves, and stems), Spotted Cowbane (every part), Spotted Dumb Cane (every part), Spotted Water Hemlock (every part), Spring Amanita (every part), Spurges (every part), Squirrelcorn (leaves, roots and stems), Squirreltail Barley (seedheads), St. Johns Wort (every part), Staggerweed (leaves, roots and stem), Star Jasmine (flowers and foliage), Star-of-Bethlehem (every part), Stargazer Lily (every part), Stinging Nettle (leaves and stems), String-of-Pearls (every part above ground), Straight Margined Dracaena (every part), Striped Dracaena (foliage), Sudan Grass (every part), Sweet Cherry (seeds), Sweet Pea (every part), Sweetheart Ivy (berries and leaves), Swiss Cheese Plant (leaves, roots and stem), Syngonium (every part)

Tobacco

Tangier Pea (every part), Tansy Ragwort (every part above ground), Taro Vine (leaves, roots and stems), Tarweed (every part above ground), Texas Mountain Laurel (every part), Thornapple (every part), Tiger Lily (bulbs, flowers, leaves and stems), Tinsel Tree (every part), Tobacco (leaves), Tolguacha (flowering - every part), Tomato (foliage, green fruit and vines), Touch-me-not (every part), Tri-Leaf Wonder (leaves, roots and stems), Trillium (foliage), Tropic Snow Dieffenbachia (every part), Trumpet Lily (every part), Trumpet Vine (every part), Tulip (bulb), Tung Oil Tree (every part)


Umbrella Plant (every part)


Velvet Lupine (every part), Venus Flytrap (every part), Verbena (flowers and foliage), Vinca Vine (every part), Virginia Creeper (sap)

Wandering Jew

Walnuts (hulls), Wandering Jew (leaves), Warneckei Dracaena (every part), Water Hemlock (every part), West Indian Lantana (berries, flowers and foliage), White Clover (foliage), White Hellebore (every part), White Sanicle (flowers, leaves, roots and stems), White Snakeroot (flowers, leaves, roots and stems), Wild Barley (seedheads), Wild Black Cherry (seeds), Wild Bleeding Heart (leaves, roots and stems), Wisteria (pods and seeds), Wolfsbane (flowers, leaves and roots), Wood Lily (every part), Wood Nettle (leaves and stems)

Yellow Jasmine

Yellow Jasmine (every part), Yellow Oleander (every part), Yellow Sage (berries, flowers and foliage), Yellow Star Thistle (flowers and foliage), Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow (every part), Yews (bark, needles and seeds), Yucca (every part)






If you believe your pet may have been poisoned, contact the ASPCA for advice and assistance. This video contains more information about potted plants which are dangerous to pets.





Thank you for stopping by and spending a little time with me. If you enjoyed this article, please post a comment so I will know. I will be delighted if you would suggest Gardens Inspired to your friends, follow me or subscribe to my Blog.


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Prepare your garden for winter

- by Debra Anchors


As the temperature drops and the days grow short, it's time to think about your landscape and how to best ready your garden for the frigid months ahead.









Protect immature trees - Place plastic or wire mesh tree guards around the trunks of your young shrubs and trees to shelter them from gnawing mice and rabbits.  Be certain the tree guards are at a height taller than potential snowfall; the staff employed at your favorite garden center or hardware store will be happy to suggest options.


Continue watering trees - Trees, especially evergreens, need to be well hydrated until the ground is frozen. Since evergreens don't lose their leaves, they continue to transpire (give off water vapor) throughout the winter months. It’s important that evergreens have enough water stored to last until the ground thaws.


Rake and clear leaves - Don't let fallen leaves pile up. Clear fallen leaves from your turf weekly instead of waiting until all the leaves have fallen. Your lawn continues to need sunlight – it’s producing sugars for storage in the root system to sustain growth next spring. You can smother lawn grass and weaken it if you don’t clear leaves from your grass in the fall.


Utilize all of your fallen leaves - Shred the fallen leaves and use them as mulch in your flowerbeds. You can also add shredded leaves to the compost pile. Decomposed leaves are an inexpensive and nutritious treat for your garden.


Plant spring bulbs - There is still time to plant your spring-flowering bulbs. Bulbs can be planted any time in the fall until the ground freezes hard.


Note that snowfall can both shield and jeopardize your garden.  Snow on the ground insulates the soil but snow that piles up, or icing on branches and evergreen foliage, can cause breakage. Do all you can to remove the snow before it puts your ornamental trees and shrubs at risk.


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

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

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