Is this ghost orchid creepy?
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Can plants be creepy? Okay, there’s the horror film version of giant, man-eating flowers, like in Little Shop of Horrors. But what about in real life?
I got a newsletter from Garden Design magazine the other day, inviting me to view a slideshow of “creepy, Halloween-ready plants” on their website, so of course I had to click through and see what was there.
The verdict? Not so creepy. Continue reading
Today’s Halloween decorating idea comes from the YouTube channel of talented garden photojournalist Debra Lee Baldwin, who is an expert on succulent plants.
Take a look for yourself, and then go out and create an amazingly beautiful Halloween pumpkin for your own front porch!
There’s also a beautifully photographed, step-by-step tutorial on creating such arrangements on the Gossip in the Garden blog, written by garden designer and author Rebecca Sweet — please click through to visit this page!
Photo: gilintx, via Flickr
Since Halloween is just around the corner, I thought I’d write about ghost plant today.
I can’t remember exactly when, or from where, I acquired ghost plant, but I’ve had it for many years. And I can never be sure I’m spelling its proper name correctly, so I’m always double-checking myself on it – Graptopetalum paraguayense.
At one point during an impromptu search I performed to check the Latin name, I also turned up the information that ghost plant is only winter hardy in zones 9 and 10 (meaning it survives temperatures no lower than 20 to 25 degrees). Really? Hmmm…I’ve been growing it in containers in Atlanta (zone 7) for over ten years now. And I know we’ve had plenty of clear, cold nights when the mercury has plunged into the low teens during that time, so I think the conventional wisdom about this plant is wrong. Continue reading
When it comes to planting bulbs, the standard advice has always been to choose a location with well-drained soil. Bulbs like tulips and daffodils tend to rot and die out when they’re planted in a soggy spot.
But if you have a water garden or a generally soggy yard, there are a few options for damp places. The Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center suggests planting certain varieties of fritillarias and camassias near ponds or in places that don’t drain well. Continue reading
At this point in October, bulb planting is probably well underway in many parts of country — some areas are probably expecting their first frost soon. But because I live in the South, and because this has been a very warm fall so far, I’ve barely thought about bulbs yet. We can’t start planting here till it cools off a bit anyway, and it’s often hard to know when exactly is the right time to get bulbs in the ground.
I recently got a packet of information from the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center that gives some general rules about bulb planting, and I thought it was useful enough to share here: Continue reading
