I used to have a flowering crabapple in my backyard, and it was gorgeous in bloom – its lovely dark pink blooms created a big colorful canopy. Those few weeks when it was in bloom it was simply fabulous. But the rest of the summer months it was absolutely unsightly, just a tattered […]
I was very excited to discover this evergreen perennial. And surprising to me, it is a fern! The Christmas fern keeps its leaves all winter, even if it’s under the snow. Perhaps, it’s serendipity that the Christmas fern takes center stage for the ‘A Perennial a Week’ series, this time of year. I just […]
It’s hard to imagine a summer without peonies blooming in the yard. They’re just so exquisite, and its an added bonus that there are so many types of peonies from which to choose. A recent peony discovery for this ‘A Perennial a Week’ series is the ‘Bowl of Beauty’. The flower of this peony is […]
One group of flowering shrubs that make the summer season so beautiful are hydrangeas. Recently, I couldn’t help but notice how striking they are when positioned next to the architectural features of a house or yard, like white fences, porches, railings and steps, arbors, and front doors. I started noticing how hydrangeas and the […]
We’re starting the ‘A Perennial a Week’ series (a series featuring types and varieties of garden perennials) off with a perennial that I saw in a few yards last summer, and I don’t recall ever seeing it before, so it was new for me. It is tall, about 3 feet (but there are shorter varieties), […]
Flowering shrubs and the season of spring go hand-in-hand. It seems springtime is just brimming with so many different flowering shrubs – like lilacs, spirea, azalea, viburnum. Even though that time of year can be so beautiful, it seems it’s over too quickly, wouldn’t you agree? The spring blooming season doesn’t last as long […]
After the long winter, it is so wonderful to see the spring flowers in bloom. Spring bulbs, flowering trees and shrubs, and early spring perennials paint a picture that one never grows tired of seeing each year. It’s a sight to behold! Large and small flowering vignettes pop up here and there in most every […]
If you’ve ever wondered what a border row of flowering ornamental trees would look like in your yard, this yard’s beautiful row of pears may give you some inspiration. When we drove past this beautiful house in a nearby neighborhood the other day, with its lovely, tidy, and uniform row of pear trees all in […]
If you love traditional style, you will no doubt be delightfully intrigued by the intricate fretwork designs, and the elegance, of the classic Chinese Chippendale design style. The style encompasses some of the most beautiful designs. The latticework pattern is just one of the fretwork patterns of this style, and I’m guessing it is probably […]
Have we forgotten about those reliable lumber yards where our grandfathers, dad, and uncles would head to on a Saturday morning to get lumber for the projects on their to-do lists? Whether the project was building a go-cart for the family, or a porch and steps off the kitchen, a visit to the lumber yard […]
