Do You Love To Garden?
Do you get spring fever as soon as the seed catalogs arrive in early January? I do. Gardening is a very therapeutic and relaxing hobby. What a great feeling when you are connected to the earth. It is so calming to watch all the beautiful plants emerge, and blossom (unless they are weeds, but more on that later). My favorite spot is a bench in the center of my perennial garden, in the middle of summer. It is a great place to sit quietly, meditate, and reflect on life (until someone finds me).
This lens is a place to share gardening tips, products, and ideas with you. If you like what you see check out more gardening posts, and tips at: Mother Earth's Garden.
The Mother Earth's Garden Blog
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Fetching RSS feed... please stand byBlue Wild Indigo A Beautiful Native Plant
The other names for this plant are Blue False Indigo, and Blue Wild Indigo. The scientific name is Baptisia australis. It grows to between 3 and 4 feet tall, and flowers in late May or June, depending on location. The plant can spread up to 4 feet, so give it plenty of leg room.
The flowers are striking in bouquets. The flowers give way to a seed pod, which produces a blue dye. The seed pods can make a great addition to dried floral arrangements.
You can find Blue Wild Indigo in most of the Eastern half of the United States, from Vermont, to Texas. They make a great addition to any native plant garden, or cottage garden in this part of the US. It is a perennial in zones 3-9, which means it will return year after year. New plants can be started from seed, but I have heard it can be a difficult process.
Blue Indigo is supposed to repel flies, but is a natural butterfly attraction, so a great addition to the butterfly garden.
These plants are also found in Native American medicine. They are supposed to remedy vomiting, toothaches, and coughing, as just a partial list of the many things this plant is listed as a help for.
This beautiful plant is definitely on my favorites list.
Ed's Heating and Cooling Dayton area
Black-Eyed-Susans a Beautiful US Native Plant
They're a beautiful yellow flower, with a chocolate to black center. Depending on your area of the country the blooms will appear sometime between June and September. Mature plants are about two to three feet tall. Black-Eyed Susans are a short lived perennial (or bi-annual), that will also germinate from seed. They love full sunlight, and grow very well in sunny meadows, ditches, and hillsides.
Purple Coneflowers Are A Great Addition to the Natural Garden
Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea Purpurea) are drought tolerant natives to the midwestern and southeastern United States. Coneflowers are great for naturalizing in borders, wildflower gardens, roadside prairies, and meadows. They self seed, or plants can be divided at the roots.The large showy blooms are great for flower arrangements. Purple Coneflowers also have many herbal uses. Including immune booster, good for your skin, and toothaches, just to name a few. Because Purple Coneflowers are harvested so extensively for their medicinal and herbal uses they are at risk of being over-dug in the wild. The roots are harvested on three to four year plants, and it takes several years for a new seedling to catch up.
Purple Coneflowers will help attract birds, bees, and butterflies to your woodland garden. They are spectacular when paired with Black-Eyed-Susans. Both plants have beautiful showy blooms, and the color contrast between the Purple Coneflowers, and the yellow Black-Eyed-Susans is stunning.
Coneflowers suffer from very few pests, but Japanese beetles are a serious threat, and during damp, humid summers plants can develop leaf spots. Mature plants are 2-3 feet tall, and bloom during June to October, depending on the area.
Chicory: Great For Naturalizing Meadows, and Ditches
Chicory is an excellent plant for naturalizing, it is not overly invasive. It spreads by seed, making it an easy specimen to plant and maintain in a wildflower garden. Chicory is easily maintained, just plant in well drained soil, in full sunlight.
Bee Balm a Common Native Wildflower
Bee Balm, also known as Monarda Didyma, Bergamot, and Oswego Tea, is a common native wildflower in North America, and one of my favorite perennials. Monarda is easy to care for, just plant young plants in sandy well-drained soil, in full sun or partial shade.Bee Balm spreads easily by sending out rhyzomes, and can spread up to a foot a season. This makes them an excellent candidate for naturalizing in wildflower gardens, and meadows. Since the roots are not deep, Monarda is easy to contain, any plants popping up where they do not belong can be removed, and given to friends, or (gasp!) added to the compost pile.
Bee Balm is excellent for attracting wildlife to your meadow or garden. Hummingbirds and butterflies love Bee Balm, and it gets its name because it reportedly soothes bees. The flowers are fragrant, and come in a variety of colors, including red, white, pink, purple, and lavender. Monarda Didyma blooms from late June to August depending on location.
These flowers are also called Oswego Tea, because they make an excellent, fragrant herbal tea. The main disease Bee Balm is susceptible to is powdery mildew, which will occur in some varieties if the summer is hot and humid or damp.
Going Native? Here are Some Great Native Plant Resources To Get You Started Naturalizing Your Space
Armitage's Native Plants for North American Gardens
This beautifully illustrated book contains over 600 species of native plants for the North American gardener. With excellent color photos, this book is a great reference for gardeners who want to learn more about native plants.
Easy Care Native Plants: A Guide to Selecting and Using Beautiful American Flowers, Shrubs, and Trees in Gardens and Landscapes
This book makes a strong argument for using native plants in the garden. It lists over 100 species of native plants with descriptions, and care instructions.
Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (Brooklyn Botanic Garden All-Region Guide)
The biggest enemy of any garden is not a pest, disease, or poison-it's any plant with tougher survival skills than the plants it competes with. The best way to weed out the invaders is with this fiendishly clever guide to native plants that can seek and destroy the top 100 most unwelcome perennials, grasses, vines, shrubs, and trees. While replacing the invaders, the beautiful, hardy native plants described here also attract native birds and butterflies, while turning away their own enemy invaders. Word-and-picture guides provide tips on care and maintenance, while helpful "at a glance" boxes depict shapes, sizes, best locations, and most attractive features of each native alternative.
The Wild Gardener: On Flowers and Foliage for the Natural Border
In this modern classic of gardening, noted author and artist Peter Loewer explores native American plants for the wild garden, whether it's a green sanctuary in the midst of a concrete landscape or a natural area on the edge of virgin forest. The book includes reliable information on cultivating and propagating the best wildflowers and shrubs and offers curious folklore and historical footnotes on wild flora and fauna.
What Are The Best Edible Blooms?
Here is a list of some great flowers to toss into you next salad:
1. Nasturtiums
2. Violas
3. Violets
4. Dandelion
5. Chives (Alliums)
6. Angelica
7. Anise Hyssop
8. Scented Geraniums
9. Squash flowers
10. Marigolds
11. Rose Petals
12. Calendula
For the best texture and flavor, pick your flowers first thing in the morning, when they are still full of moisture from the dew, or after a gentle summer rain.
Delicate edible blooms will not last long once they are picked. You can keep them fresh for a little a few hours by placing them in damp towels in a cool place.
Edible flowers can add a touch of color, and interesting flavor to your next salad. In addition to edible flowers, you can try some unusual edible greens to spice up your salad.
The next time you toss romaine, or head lettuce toss in some of these leaves to add interesting color, flavor, and texture to your salad (and also a ton of vitamins and antioxidents)
Cilantro
Dandelion
Scented Geranium Leaves (Mint, and Citrus are great)
Beet Leaves
Mint
Chickory
Yum, nothing is better than salad fresh from the garden!
Butterflies from a bike path near our home.
There are usually hundreds of them flying around.
It's truly a beautiful sight.
How To Garden Guides
- How To Attract Birds To Your Garden
- Useful information for you to make your garden bird friendly year round. How to provide food, and shelter for your feathered friends.
- How To Grow A Kitchen Herb Garden
- A list of what to include in a kitchen garden. Step out your door for fresh herbs and bouquets all summer long.
- How To Grow Grapes
- From selecting to picking, useful information on growing grapes.
- Great Plants for a Hummingbird Habitat
- Would you like to establish a natural hummingbird habitat? Here are some great plants to include in your meadow, or garden.
- Nature Journaling
- It's easy to get caught up in all the things you need to get done. I challenge you to slow down, at least for a few moments, and enjoy the world around you.
- Control Invasive Herbs and Flowers
- Some herbs can be invasive, such as bee balm, costmary, mint, and wormwood. These herbs spread by aggressive underground runners. These herbs can still be enjoyed and controlled if you plant them in a container, or barrier the roots can't penetrate.

- Caring For Hibiscus Indoors
- How to transition your Hibiscus from the great outdoors, to its indoor winter home.
Please Let Us Know Your Gardening Savvy!
My Favorite Garden Gadgets and Tools
Fiskars 9424 Garden Bucket Caddy
The Fiskars garden bucket caddy features clever, durable design to make gardening easier. In addition to its deep, large pockets for hand tool and glove storage, the caddy has a space for seed storage to keep seeds dry and protected, as well as a beverage holder and even a cell-phone pocket. The durable cloth caddy fits snugly around a 5-gallon bucket. Tools and bucket are not included.
OXO Good Grips Indoor Pour & Store Watering Can 3.17-quart, Green
The OXO Good Grips Indoor Pour & Store Watering Can features a spout that conveniently rotates back toward the body allowing for easier filling and space-efficient storing. Water levels in the translucent spout line up with the measurement markings on the body for easy measuring. The continuous soft, non-slip handle allows for a comfortable, secure grip when carrying and pouring at all heights. The Can's 3 quart capacity is ideal for watering houseplants, windowboxes and container gardens. The Can comes with a removable rose attachment that provides a finer, more delicate spray and stores conveniently in the back of the fill hole of the Can.
Have You Ever Thought Of Adding A Water Feature To Your Garden?
Have you ever thought of adding a water feature or pond to your backyard? There are several ways you can go with this, from a small waterfall or basin water feature, to a larger dug pond, or anything in between. Ponds add a focal point, and they can be a very interesting part of your overall garden.From different sizes, and types of water features, to pond plants and fish. I will try to cover the basics of setting up your pond, and what to do when something goes wrong. I will not be able to share all of the information necessary to build a pond here, since there are whole books written on the subject. I will start with several of my favorite books on pond building and maintenance.
The Ponder's Bible
How to Build Ponds and Waterfalls: The Complete Guide
Outdoor Water Features: 16 Easy-to-Build Projects For Your Yard and Garden
You can build your own pond, or go with one already built for you. It all depends on the size and style you are looking for. You can use a shaped liner, or a large black flexible PVC lining, again depending on the size and shape of pond you want to create.Dig your pond to your desired size and shape, or buy a small pond, or fountain that is pre-fabricated to set above ground, such as this Waterfall
There are several questions you should ask yourself before you start digging. Where is the best place to locate your pond? Do you want to be able to see it from the house? Do you have small children you don't want to wander too near? What are you looking to create with your pond? A backyard habitat for animals, a garden showpiece, or a quiet place to get away from the world. You also need to consider what you have space, and time for.
Lay out an outline where you want your pond. Once you are happy with the size and shape, start digging. Before you set your liner, you may want to put a layer of sand down, to prevent any sharp rocks or jagged edges from puncturing your liner.
If you are digging a large pond, you may want to have shallower steps, or ledges around the edges to place plants on. Place gravel or rocks around the edge of the pond to hold down and cover the edges of your liner. This also makes an attractive edging for your pond.
More Great Pond How to Books
Encyclopedia of Water Garden Plants
An excellent resource for pond owners. With information on common, and not so common plants.
Amazon Price: $32.97 (as of 07/09/2009) ![]()
List Price: $49.95
Used Price: $26.96
The Hobbyist's Guide to Pond Fish
Amazon Price: (as of 07/09/2009) ![]()
List Price: $21.98
Used Price: $49.98
Better Homes and Gardens Water Gardens: Pools, Streams and Fountains (Better Homes & Gardens Gardening)
Amazon Price: $17.95 (as of 07/09/2009) ![]()
List Price: $19.95
Used Price: $5.93
Your Garden Pond: Practical Tips on Planning, Design, Installation and Maintenance
Amazon Price: (as of 07/09/2009) ![]()
List Price: $16.95
Used Price: $0.03
Ponds From Around The World
Maybe one of these photos will be the inspiration for the newest water feature in your garden.
My Favorite Specialty Gardening Books
The Pleasure of Herbs: A Month-by-Month Guide to Growing, Using, and Enjoying Herbs
Another favorite of mine is The Flower Farmer: An Organic Grower's Guide to Raising and Selling Cut Flowers (Gardener's Supply Books)
Gardening with Heirloom Seeds: Tried-and-True Flowers, Fruits, and Vegetables for a New GenerationFrom Vines to Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Your Own Wine
Lasagna Gardening: A New Layering System for Bountiful Gardens: No Digging, No Tilling, No Weeding, No Kidding!
These are my picks. Most of them are the specialized books I have found. There are millions of books out there on gardening. I wanted to share my special treasures with you. Books you may not find listed somewhere else. Let me know what your favorites are, I would love to hear about them.
Beautiful Flowers From Around the World
Courtesy of Flickr
There is nothing more soothing, and peaceful than a beautiful flower.
Gardening Tips and Tricks
Gardening Tip # 1 Make Your Own Seed Tape
Instead of buying expensive prepared seed tapes you can make your own. Cut newspaper into 1" wide strips. Create a paste from flour and water about the consistency of thick gravy. Dot the paste on the newspaper strip at evenly spaced intervals and apply the seeds. Cover the seeds with more paste, then lay the seeds aside to dry. You can store the seed tapes in a plastic container or bag until you are ready to plant.
When you are ready to plant, simply roll out the seed tape, cover with soil and water them in with water mixed with your favorite organic fertilizer. The newspaper will rot away as the seeds grow.
Gardening Tip # 2 Need a way to spread those tiny seeds?
Grab a used empty spice container. Put the seeds in the empty spice container, and twist the lid so the shaker holes are open. Shake out the seeds to spread them in the garden. The shaker helps spread the seeds evenly. This also works very well with old parmesan cheese bottles, or any bottle with a shaker top.
Gardening Tip # 3 Instant Natural Fertilizer Courtesy of Your Local Pet Shop
Alfalfa pellets (found in pet stores, in the small animal section), can be crumbled up around the base of plants, or soaked in water to create an alfalfa tea for your nutrient thirsty plants.
The Cameras I Use To Take My Gardening Photos
Nikon D70SSeveral people have asked me what camera I use to take the photos I post here at Squidoo, and at The Virtual Garden Blog, I have two cameras. When I am feeling serious about my pictures, and I need to get some special shots I use this camera:
Nikon D70S 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
This is a great camera if you are trying to achieve special effects, or you need to use special lenses to get that perfect shot. I am not a technical camera person, with all the techno jargon. I just know I love this camera, and I can use it to get some great shots.
Canon PowerShot A540My other favorite toy, which I just got for Christmas last year is the Canon PowerShot A540 6MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom
Make Your Own Compost
You can set up 5x6 bins to make your compost in, or use a barrel composter like the one shown below.
Making your own compost just got easier with this barrel composter. Add your favorite compost materials, and tumble it each day to make some black gold for your garden.
The tumbler also comes with compost activator to help turbo charge the composting process, and a composting guide so you can have perfect compost every time.
What can you add to the compost pile:
eggshells
grass clippings
horse or cow manure
rabbit droppings
vegetable peels
straw
leaves
rotting fruits of vegetables
shredded newspaper
weeds(but watch for seeds)
used coffee grounds
seaweed
What not to put in compost:
dog or cat droppings
any type of meat
While composting is not an exact science you should add approximately one part green material (vegetable peels, rotting fruit, grass clippings) to 25 parts brown material (leaves, newspaper, straw).
If your compost pile is out of balance it will not break down as quickly, or it may get a foul odor. If either one of these occur, just adjust your balance of brown to green material. If you have a foul odor, add more brown material. Compost not breaking down quickly? Add more green. Experiment until you get the right combination to heat your compost into nutrient rich soil.
Double Action Barrel Composter
MANTIS® ComposT-Twin - for a continuous supply of compost! Free Activator and Guide to Composting. One-year money-back guarantee.
Composting Books
- Teaming with Microbes: A Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web
- Let it Rot!: The Gardener's Guide to Composting (Third Edition) (Storey's Down-to-Earth Guides)
- Basic Composting: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started (Basic How-to Guides)
- Easy Composters You Can Build
- The compost tea brewing manual

Great Gardening Stuff on eBay
These items automatically change on a regular basis. If you see something you like feel free to place a bid.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byGardens Alive! My favorite Organic Gardening Spot
Do You Have Gardening Tips To Share?
or a gardening question?
Post your gardening tips and questions below.
windowbox wrote...
Great lens with the attractive display of beautiful flowers i likes all of them i do gardening too but i do not have good space to do that so i do it through the containers like Flower Window Box, Window Box Planter ..and It comes with the beauty for the house.....
Life-Coaching wrote...
I find that gardening is about the best way of relaxing - there's so much stress relief in getting your hands good and dirty!! There's much pleasure too in seeing the finished results of your toil!
Thanks, Dan
Confidence Tips Blog
rms wrote...
This fabulous lens is today's feature at the Giant Squid Community Showcase!
heipet wrote...
Hi Barkely, I have nominated this lens for:
Squid's Choice Awards Lens Nominations for the Month of June - This Month's Theme: Flowers
Everyone who admires this lens please go there and vote for it!
heipet - SUMMER Groupmaster
Steve_Meritt wrote...
Gardening makes me feel relaxed. I personally like as natural and as wild gardens as possible. And as beautiful of course...
annhenson12 wrote...
This is one true great lens. Five stars to you for your unselfish work of putting altogether valuable facts and informations. Everything is in order and your lens is very much interesting. I would like to share one great lens too Garage Buildings They provide large array of informations and facts about portable buildings. You can check it out!
beeobrien wrote...
You didn't include my category in your poll: love to garden, despite the brown thumb.
Beaddoodler wrote...
Thanks for this informative lens. I love to "play in the dirt", but my gardening success has been limited to herbs that don't require much care and aren't particular about the soil they grow in. My soil and water is so alkaline most plants don't grow without a LOT of soil amendments, but, being an herbalist, what I do grow is greatly appreciated, both in food and for home remedies.
gemjane wrote...
Nice lens--I enjoy native wildflowers.
I'd like you to visit my lens, Gemjane's Dollhouse Miniatures.
caseysellers02 wrote...
Wow! I love this lens! What agreat job to put many information about wild flowers and so much more. I am giving you a five-star rate for that. I love flowers very much and I love collecting more. I am searching for a lens about portable home when I came accross yours and I can't resist on stopping by. Here's the lens I have found which I would like to share steel building a lens which gives so much information and links on portable homes and buildings. Got to check out that one.
totalhealth wrote...
Wonderful lens, very informative and helpful.
I love gardening and seeing it teem with nice flowers.
jacquelinestone wrote...
Wonderful lens! I love the wildflowers. We have purple ones and big, bushy, yellows that bloom along the road on a nearby mountain pass from March to June. I love them!
Thanks for a great lens, Linette.
StephenC wrote...
I am a gardening fanatic. Nice lens.
Gas and Auto Expense Money Saving Tips
StephenC
ArrowSheds wrote...
Is it better to start seeds in the ground or in small peat pots inside?
Winter52 wrote...
I'm just waiting for the day when I can even see my garden. There's still about 2 feet of snow in places. But spring is coming ;)
AdriennePetersen wrote...
Great lens! Thanks for visiting me. 5 stars for you!
beachbum_gabby wrote...
yes, of course! I love designing and putting different flowers and plants together. I like the idea.
TheresaMarkham wrote...
I definitely have spring fever - and was revisiting her to get "a fix." I'm glad you included a compost section - which I only learned about at the end of my first garden season - I now have a list of over 200 items you can add to your compost pile - on my Squidoo lens - http://www.squidoo.com/compost-garden. All the Best, Theresa
Inspirational_Mimi wrote...
I am so grateful to have stumbled onto this informative and very exciting lens!! It is a frozen tundra where I am in upstate NY and seeing these gorgeous flowers, reading about composting and seeing so many happy smiling faces truly cheered my soul!
I am now a fan and will come back often. I all ready referred some friends to this lens.
Happy gardening.
Mimi
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