In the wild, K. tomentosa thrives in full sun to part shade. The soil is rocky, comprised primarily of granite, with a slightly acidic pH of 5.5 to 6.0.
Indoors, this species thrives in bright indirect sunlight with a room temperature of between 65 and 75°F.
Avoid drafts and wide temperature fluctuations that may cause stress to the plant and stunt its growth.
Replicate the well-draining, gritty soil of its natural habitat with a quality cactus and succulent potting medium.
I use Tank’s-Pro Cactus and Succulent Mix. With coconut husk chips, horticultural pumice, and organic compost, it has the exceptional drainage required for successful succulent cultivation.
For best results, choose a porous pot made of a material like clay. It should be one inch wider than the foliage to allow room for a watering can spout.
There should be one or more drainage holes in the bottom and you will need a drip-catching dish or saucer to place underneath.
To transplant offsets, rooted cuttings, or nursery starts, set them at the same depth as in the original container and backfill with potting medium for a firm hold.
Water using the “dry and soak” method, waiting until the pot is completely dry before giving the soil a thorough soaking.
Allow excess water to drain out before returning the pot to its dish to avoid standing water that may lead to fungal infection and rotting.
Use a moisture meteras your guide and reduce watering during winter dormancy.
Over time, potted flora depletes the soil of its nutrients. Restore them by fertilizing once in the spring and once in the summer with a liquid cactus and succulent food diluted to half strength.
Cultivars to Select
The speciesK. tomentosa bears the same traits as its wild ancestors. Blue-green elliptical foliage with reddish-brown margins are its signature features.
‘Chocolate Soldier’ is available via Amazon in two- and four-inch starter pots and two- and four-inch clay pots.
Golden Girl
K. tomentosa ‘Golden Girl’ warms up the foliage, taking it from a cool blue-green to a warm yellow-green, while preserving the classic reddish-brown margins and elliptical leaves.
I CAN’T IMAGINE LIFE life without my admittedly oddball collection of houseplants, many of which have been with me for several decades already. So I was delighted recently to meet Rob Moffitt, whose Los Angeles-based botanical design studio (above) specializes in matching their clients with houseplants that are just the way I like them:
Not just pretty, but possessing loads of personality.
Often sculptural in stature, like living artworks.
Capable of forging a connection to the person caring for them … and with the potential to endure, maybe even for a lifetime of companionship.
In a recent conversation, Rob shared some favorites that you may wish to consider welcoming into your life, too, and where he finds them (hint: probably not at the big box store or supermarket). He’ll also shared some of the tricks for how he shows them off to their best advantage.
Rob is a former nurse turned plantsman. He founded his business called The Haus Plant five years ago, at first as a plant truck that he’d take to farmers’ markets. The last two and a half years, The Haus Plant has resided in a permanent home on West 3rd Street in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles. He and his staff of 13 create designs to incorporate distinctive plants into clients’ homes and businesses, and provide plant-care services, too, for some of those customers.
Read along as you listen to the Dec. 1, 2025 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts here).
Margaret Roach: It was so fun to talk to you to do the “New York Times” column that we did together recently, because our conversations around that—and almost like what is a houseplant and what does it all mean?—it really got me thinking about how important they are to me in my life. I mean, I’ve always known it, but it made me conscious, I guess. And so I kind of wanted to talk a little bit at the start here about what roles they play in our lives. Mine, yours, the customers’.
The most obvious one is beauty. And I guess that’s why people call you up and say, “Oh, I’d like to have you come and help me make my office or my home more beautiful.” But that’s not where it stops, is it?
Rob Moffitt: No, not at all. And that’s not where it really started for me. Plants for me started as a form of therapy. I started collecting plants as a hobby, and I was like you said, a nurse at UCLA, and on my days off—because as a nurse you’re working three days a week— I used to travel, and then I started gardening a little bit on my patio and then it turned into collecting plants and I killed a lot along the way. But that was part of the learning process, but it was really a form of therapy and sort of the ritual of caring for plants. And then it just sort of evolved, and I started working at a friend’s plant store and then after a while during the beginning of the pandemic, he was like, “You’re good at this. You should really consider doing your own thing.” So that’s what drove me to start The Haus Plant.
Margaret: Yes, and I think one of the things we talked about when we did the Times story is also that once you have houseplant in your residence, there’s also that connection to nature. And I’m in a cold-winter area where we don’t engage as much with the garden in certain of the winter months as we do the rest of the year, and so the houseplant is like that everyday connection, right?
Rob: Yeah, absolutely. We’re very lucky here in Southern California. I actually grew up in Wisconsin, which had some pretty cold winter. So when I moved out here as a travel nurse, initially I’d just be walking on the streets in Venice or West Hollywood and would see some of the incredible plant life. And that’s what kind of first piqued my interest is just the year-round opportunity to grow some really interesting things.
Margaret: And you do grow some really interesting things [laughter]. I think you used the quote in the Times story that some of them “are Dr. Seuss plants.”
Rob: Yes. I like my weird Dr. Seuss plants.
Margaret: Me, too; me, too. So how did that happen? And maybe we should say to people, what is a Dr. Seuss plant? I mean, I think the caudiciform plants, I don’t know if everyone will know what those are, but maybe you can tell us a little bit. Those are sort of the Dr. Seuss-iest of all, I think.
Rob: Yeah, I like a variety of different Dr. Seuss plants, but one of them, like you mentioned, is the caudiciform plants that have that water-storage fat trunk of a base. And I just find them so interesting. And over time as part of the caudex will form under the soil, so a lot of times when these plants have been in a grow pot for years, you can actually uplift their roots and expose more of that. And then over time you can shape them around rocks and different things like that. So you get some really interesting ones that are sort of found in the forgotten-about nurseries and different collectors. And I have fun playing around with all the different forms and shapes of them.
Margaret: So some of these ones, these fat plants, these caudiciform plants with this swollen caudex, this swollen base of the stem, let’s name a couple of those. I mean, I’ve had for 30-something years a shaving brush tree, which is I think from the Caribbean and Central America, Southern Mexico. Pseudobombax ellipticum is its name.
Rob: That’s one of my current favorites. I kind of go through cycles with which plants I like to use the most. And Pseudobombax are probably one of my favorites right now.
Margaret: So it’s not your average houseplant; it doesn’t look like a Pothos, right, you know what I mean? It’s not a little bunch of beautiful little colorful leaves spilling out of a pot or something. It has this crazy swollen thing, this storage organ that serves a purpose. But how would you describe it [laughter] to the customer? And do they all freak out when you first show them these things?
Rob: Yeah, I think one of the things I love about the showroom is just the interesting things that we have in there. Sometimes people just come to walk through the showroom to see kind of the things that we have, because we’re getting plants from collectors that have been collecting these for decades, and then they come into our collection and we’re pairing them with different vessels.
But back to your question about the Pseudobombax, a lot of them have this sort of really interesting green veining. I know you sent me a photo of yours. The base of it has this… It almost looks like a volleyball or like a tortoise shell kind of like Willy’s shell, our tortoise. [Below, Pseudobombax; photo by Gigi Aly.]
Margaret: And we should say, just to give him credit, Willy is—how old is he now? He’s 7?
Rob: Willy just turned 8. He’s an African Sulcata tortoise that we rescued from a rescue down in San Diego, and he lives at our showroom [laughter] and he’s become our little mascot.
Margaret: Or a big mascot as the case may be…
Rob: Our mascot, and about to be much bigger. So he’ll reach to be about 200 pounds someday.
Margaret: Oh boy. But these plants, the base of a Pseudobombax, for instance, it’s not smooth necessarily. It’s kind of craggy and mine has some green on it almost as if it photosynthesizes from the bark, so to speak; there are plants that have that characteristic. So people come in and they’re thinking maybe they want to work with you or whatever. I mean at first, do you think people are startled? Because I don’t even know what drew me to these kinds of plants in the first place, but they’re definitely unusual.
Rob: Yeah. I think the one thing that, one of my favorite things to do with these more interesting, strange plants, if you will, is kind of view them as their own piece. So a lot of times in a house or an interior, you’ll have a plant kind of shoved in the corner. I really like to make the plant front and center. So you can have this big beautiful room, and we do a lot of photo shoots and work with interior designers, and it’s one thing I love to do is these little tabletop pieces that can really take front-center stage in this photo of this gorgeous interior.
So kind of viewing plants as their own piece of art or object is kind of how I view it. You do anything from a small tabletop that’s in a small 12-inch low dish to 15-foot trees. So we do kind of everything in between. But one of my personal favorites is really working with some of these more small interesting plants to showcase their beauty.
Margaret: And you just said low dish, and that’s the other thing that is interesting. Looking at pictures on your website and the pictures that we did for the Times and so forth, you are daring in your juxtapositions of plant and pot. You don’t have a lot of things that look like a “flower pot,” you know what I mean—the traditional dimensions or whatever proportions.
Rob: Yeah. That’s one thing I really like to do is kind of show off more of the plant. And I think when you have this low dish, it sort of allows the plant to shine. You can’t really do that with every plant, but some of the caudiciform plants that we talked about, or these Pseudobombax, or Fockea edulis, it allows you to plant these in more of a shallow container. And that kind of gives a little bit more of breathing room for the plant to kind of shine, versus taking up a big typical flower pot on top of a tabletop, because proportion-wise it might be too tall. So kind of making the pot a part of the piece.
And we work with different local artists and ceramicists, and then we source a lot of vintage containers as well from different flea markets or antique shows and lots of estate sales as well. So always on the hunt for different interesting vessels to pair these plants with.
Margaret: And there are other sort of swollen-based plants, I think you use some baobab trees, Adansonia, and the Queensland bottle tree, I think that’s Australian, right, Brachychiton?
Rob:Brachychiton rupestris[above] is the one I like to use a lot. They always have a really interesting twisted trunk and a root system below the soil. And over time you’re able to expose more of the root, and especially I love when they’re potbound. So when one of these trees has been grown in a nursery pot for years, they’ll sort of start to twist on themselves. And then when you expose that, there’s all sorts of interesting things happening and you don’t really know—and that’s the beauty of it, too, is you don’t really know until you uproot some of these things and play around with it.
So I think one of my methods is play. [Laughter.] Having a small nursery—the back of our showroom is like a back-of-house nursery stock area where we just have a lot of plants that we just got in from collectors or growers. And a lot of it is just experimenting and playing and seeing what sorts of roots you find underneath the soil.
But the Queensland bottle tree is a really interesting one that you can play around with the root structure and twist it around a rock, or place multiples together to make a bigger arrangement. So I have a lot of fun with those ones for sure.
Margaret: And it’s not like what you’re talking about is you’re not taking a big plant out of its pot and trying to shove its roots around a rock and it’s done that day. This is a process, yes? This training is a process?
Rob: It’s a mix. Sometimes with the bottle trees, you are able to get a composition that looks really beautiful and finished as if it’s been trained for years and years. So sometimes I will do that. But again, it all kind of depends on what you’re finding underneath the soil with that specific plant.
But yeah, there’s others that I will do… I experiment a lot, too. So I’ll do something where I’ll pull up a bottle tree, wrap it around a rock, bury it back underneath the soil, and allow that root structure to attach itself around the rock. That takes more time. And then you also don’t really know what you’re getting a year or two later when you pull it back up, if it attached or if it grew around. Oftentimes with those I find really, really interesting things happen. And as you know, nature is going to do what it’s going to do, and we can be the artist or the guide to it, but it’s still going to have its own way of doing things.
Margaret: I would think the first time doing that, taking a plant out of the soil, looking at its roots and then saying, “Oh, I think I’m going to train it around a rock” and put it back in a pot, obviously, but trained over a rock, so it’s partly exposed, part of its root system is exposed and adding to the artfulness, the sculptural quality of it… It must be a little nervous-making though. I think you said you do that with, what are they, some of the rock figs [Ficus petiolaris, below, or Ficus palmeri] as well?
Rob: Yeah, some of the rock figs as well, when you manipulate their roots and expose them and then there’s different methods. You can put sphagnum moss around it and keep that damp and the roots will thicken. Or you can put it back in the soil and it’ll start to thicken a little bit slower.
Almost all the plants that we do this with will go into some type of initial shock, which can be alarming for customers, or for us. Sometimes we’ll have something planted out, and it looks beautiful in the moment, but I know because I just manipulated the roots and pruned back, it will go into some type of shock. So just being careful with how soon you’re letting something go out the door, just to make sure that it recovers quickly. When you’re manipulating that much root structure on a plant, sometimes they even die. I’ve killed a lot of plants, unfortunately, but they typically will go into some sort of initial shock period.
Margaret: And particularly because you’re in business and you want to minimize the mortality [laughter], but also for those of us who have something we love, the timing is important of when we’re going to uproot something and try, whether it’s just for reporting because we think it needs a larger space or whatever, freshening of the soil. And by the way, with the kinds of plants we’ve been talking about, I’m assuming we’re meaning almost like a cactus mix or something when we talk about soil. We’re talking about something fast-draining.
Rob: Yeah, very well-draining soil. And we’ll typically add a fair amount of perlite or pumice or a coconut coir just to help with the aeration of the soil. A lot of the containers that we use, we end up sealing, because they’re going on a very expensive table and we don’t want that to get ruined. So we really live by our moisture meter and finger checks with the soil to make sure that plants aren’t getting overwatered. But with that, you’re wanting to make sure that you have a really well-aerated soil.
Margaret: Right. So you’re testing with a moisture meter; when it doesn’t have drainage, you’re testing with a moisture meter regularly to give you a hint—it’s not the ultimate.
Rob: You can’t really trust them perfectly. But another thing we’ll do is put a wooden stake in there, and when you pull it out, you can kind of see a little bit further down if the soil is still damp, or finger checks and that sort of thing as well.
Margaret: If you were saying to people which plant to start with, so to speak, if they wanted to delve into, say, these plants with these swollen bases, these very naturally sculptural ones… And by the way, a lot of these are trees in their homelands, and they come from places that have a severe dry season usually, which is why they have that big swollen storage place, for what they need to get through the tough times. But you’re almost like bonsai-ing them.
Rob: Yeah. If you ever see the Australian bottleneck tree out in the wild, I mean, some of these trunks turn into these fat five-, six-foot round diameter trunks, and they can be short fat little trees. Like at The Huntington gardens, where I first got really interested in some of these plants, you can see some of them there that are just wild, just how big they get. And what we do is take them at a younger age, or some of them are much older, but they’ve been contained to this nursery pot, so it’s almost like self-bonsai a little bit. So it keeps them contained. It’ll start to fatten the trunk or the base. So yeah, I guess what we’re doing is a form of bonsai, definitely not your traditional bonsai, but I guess, I don’t know if I would call it bonsai or not, but we’re manipulating plants, so I think it’s some form of it.
Margaret: Yeah, no, I just meant it in terms of, it’s almost like the process if with a very different plant palette. And even though I’ve had, as I mentioned, the shaving brush tree for so many decades, I’m embarrassed to admit I never even realized I could prune it. I’m the only person I knew who had this plant. I bought it at the Philadelphia Flower Show in the vendor area a million years ago, and I brought it home and I didn’t know anything. And it’s not like there’s a handbook that has all this in it, especially not 30-something years ago. And so you also, besides playing with maybe exposing some roots of some of these plants, you also do some adjustments to the tops of them?
Rob: We heavily prune plants, and I think that allows it to open different canopies. And also depending on what space you’re putting it in, you may have it on a coffee table where you want to be able to see through it, so we’ll open up the canopy a little bit. But yeah, we will prune back plants quite a bit. Best to do that and late spring, early summer, and that way it allows the tree to kind of, as it’s entering its growth phase, to pop back pretty quick.
Margaret: We’re not going to do this when they’re dormant because a lot of these plants do go dormant; again, a lot of these caudiciform plants do go dormant. They come from places where they’re accustomed to having a dry season. And so similarly with the repotting, you don’t just do it any old time, right? You time that carefully, too, don’t you?
Rob: Some of them are more forgiving than others, but it will just kind of affect the timeframe in which they’ll come back. So a lot of the rock figs, at least here in Southern California, they’ll hang onto their foliage most of the year. They definitely thin out in the fall and winter, but especially if we have one indoors with next to a window with really good light, I think a lot of it has to do with the temperature changes. So a lot of those, even the Pseudobombax—I have a couple clients that have a really beautiful Pseudobombax, and it’s in a southern-facing window and typically outside all of mine will lose all their foliage, which I imagine yours probably does, too.
Margaret: Mine does. It hasn’t gone to sleep this year, and I don’t know why yet, but it typically would by around now, and it stays asleep for many months. And I don’t even water it at all during those months because I’m a terrible person. But it seems to have been fine with that.
Rob: You’ve had it for, what, 30 years you said?
Margaret: Thirty, 35 years, yeah.
Rob: Amazing.
Margaret: And I haven’t repotted it in at least 25 of those years.
Rob: Oh, incredible. Yeah. A lot of the plants I like to work with thankfully are pretty forgiving. I think some of the tropicals that are a little bit heavier fertilizer feeders, you do like rule of thumb for houseplants, which is potting every two to three years. But some of the Fockea, the Pseudobombax that we’ve been talking about, those are quite forgiving in many different ways as long as they’re not getting waterlogged.
I think that’s the main thing that people do is love their plants a little too much. They see maybe some leaves start to yellow—especially on some of these more deciduous plants that have a rest period—they see yellowing leaves or drooping leaves, and they just go, “Water more,” because that’s what we know to do with them. And that’s usually what ends up killing the plants, in my experience.
Margaret: I agree. I wanted to ask you about—I sort of hinted in the introduction—it’s easy to find houseplants, they’re everywhere. They’re even in the supermarket [laughter]. But some of these not so much. So like I said, I bought mine years ago at the vendor area of a flower show; specialty places. Is there trade in these—legal and conscientious trade, I mean—how do you find them? I mean, where do you look for unusual houseplants like you like to adopt?
Rob: Yeah, it started with going to a lot of the nurseries that I knew, and then just kind of plant people. And usually even these people that have nurseries that are selling more commercially to office buildings and just your typical houseplants, a lot of these people also have areas in the back that have things that they’ve come across or collected over years that they’re willing to give up. Sometimes that’s also where you find the plants that are not for sale, which I’m always after [laughter].
Margaret: So the ones that have almost been forgotten about, that have been put in the back and they don’t want to throw them away, but they’re not really… They don’t feel that they show well out in the front on the shelf with the other stuff.
Rob: And that’s the thing: I find that some of those are the most beautiful. They have interesting shapes, and they don’t necessarily have to be a “rare plant.” They can sometimes just be overgrown and have interesting form for them to be. And I think sometimes they just need that pruning, or to be paired with the right container, to show off what they really can be. But yeah, we’re always on the hunt for interesting plants, especially here in Southern California and we’re next to Arizona where there’s some interesting growers, where I’m at some of those trade shows, like the one that you were at, and meeting the vendors and then talking to them about what I’m looking for, what I like to do. And they’re like, “Oh, I have this collection, or I know this person.” So it’s all about relationships, too, it’s just getting to know some of these different collectors and growers who are showing plants at some of the inner-city shows and things like that. [Above, a Dioscorea elephantipes vining caudiciform plant.]
Margaret: Probably estate sales, even sometimes yard sales sometimes. And Facebook Marketplace, have you done that? Do you do that?
Rob: We are on Facebook Marketplace every day. We’re at estate sales. I’ve developed relationships with estate-sale managers, so some of them will let me know first because plants aren’t probably the main thing that they’re trying to sell at these estate sales. They’re sort of an afterthought.
So I have developed relationships where I get to run into these estate sales before they open. Sometimes I’m finding great containers, but a lot of the times what I’m looking for is the plants.
There’s interesting estates up in Beverly Hills. I was at one last year where I just found a bunch of incredible plants that were just in these terracotta pots and just offered to take all of them. So I’m always finding stuff like that.
Actually today, one of my designers, he’s down with our truck in San Diego, and he has about 15 different nurseries that he’s going to. And he’s been sending me photos yesterday and today of things that he’s finding. So between myself and my three designers, we’re always on the hunt: different markets and estate sales and Facebook Marketplace. So we’re always on there. And it’s funny, a lot of times he’ll send me a listing on Facebook Marketplace and I’m like, “Yep, I already saw it. I already put an offer in.” It’s like a little bit of a treasure hunt. We have a lot of fun with it.
Margaret: Yeah. Well, I’m so glad to talk to you, Rob Moffitt from The Haus Plant in Los Angeles. You remind me, the way you’re talking just then, reminds me of a friend of mine who has an antique store and he goes “junking,” as he calls it, you know what I mean? And he’s like just scouring places, scouting, and he has all his special sources. So it’s kind of fun to think about that. And next time I go to my favorite nursery, I’m definitely going to ask the owner if they’ve got some stuff stashed in the back that’s a little overlooked, and maybe I can adopt somebody with personality [laughter].
Rob: You’ll have to let me know when you find some interesting things.
MY WEEKLY public-radio show, rated a “top-5 garden podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper in the UK, began its 16th year in March 2025. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station in the nation. Listen locally in the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Eastern, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the Dec. 1, 2025 show using the player near the top of this transcript. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts here).
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These vegetables get sweeter after being kissed by frost, making them a delectable wintertime treat. So don’t despair when that first frost hits; instead, get excited because you’re about to get some delicious gifts from the garden.
That first frost can be a sad time for gardeners because it is often thought of as the end of the time of year when we can harvest garden produce to eat. However, there are actually lots of vegetables that not only withstand the frost, but actually taste better after the temperatures drop!
When the frost hits, the naturally occurring water inside a plant freezes, causing distress to the plant. In order to combat this, some plants produce more sugar, which allows them to tolerate a lower temperature without freezing. It also means that the plants become sweeter and tastier.
These are the vegetables that get sweeter after a frost to harvest late this season.
Root Veggies
Beets, carrots, turnips, rutabaga, radishes, and parsnips are delicious after the first frost but before the ground freezes. They are also such a hearty, comforting food that they are exactly what many of us are craving during the cold winter months.
Even if you don’t get to them before the ground is frozen, leave them in the soil over winter and harvest them as soon as the ground around them thaws. They will still taste great as long as you get to them before they start re-growing their leaves for spring.
Brassicas, or members of the cabbage family, all taste great after the frost. These include collard greens, kale, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, cauliflower, and, of course, cabbage.
The best way to grow members of the cabbage family is to plant them in the spring to harvest a crop in the summer, and then plant them again in the summer to harvest a second crop in the winter (or even the following spring).
Brassicas grow best in cooler environments and, while they do produce well in the summer, it is the winter crops that really take the cake. When the first frost hits, the roots work hard to prevent the plants from freezing by sending sugars up to the cells in the leaves, making the leaves sweet and tender. Harvest these post-frost and enjoy getting your greens on throughout the winter!
Leeks
Leeks also get sweeter and more flavourful after a frost. Harvest them as long as they are not frozen into the ground (in some areas, this means you can be eating your own leeks all winter long). There’s nothing more comforting on a cold winter’s night than a hot, steaming bowl of leek and potato soup!
Leeks and rhubarb.
Lettuce and Spinach
Most types of lettuce and spinach prefer the cooler temperatures, often bolting during the heat of summer. You can easily sow an additional round of greens at the end of summer to enjoy in the fall. They can reach maturity and harvest in a month (cut-and-come-again varieties).
Spinach can survive to about -7°C (30°F). But you don’t want to harvest the leaves when frozen, as they will turn mushy once thawed.
Most lettuces can only tolerate a light frost, but can easily be protected with a season extender.
Other greens, such as arugula, tatsoi, and radicchio, can also handle the cold well.
Speckled lettuce
More Fall Gardening Tips
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
It happens to the best of us. One year, you put up a wreath, maybe surround the front door with twinkly lights. But then, year by year, as more of your neighbors spend thousands of dollars to do up their house Griswold-style for the holidays, you find yourself feeling the pressure to up your game. Maybe you should add lights to the tree in your front yard? Or, gasp, an inflatable Santa? Or maybe you should just surrender to the go-for-broke trend and outsource the decorating to professionals?
Resist. There is priceless beauty in humble DIY holiday decorations. Let this story be a visual palate cleanser—and a reminder that it’s hard to beat the simple and natural. Here, 10 brilliant ideas for easy holiday curb appeal. No risking of life (or going into debt) necessary.
Go evergreen.
Above: Granted, Todd Carr and Carter Harrington, of Hort & Pott in Freehold, NY, are professional makers and designers, but we think anyone can add charm to the front door with a collection of evergreens—the more, the merrier. Photograph courtesy of Hort & Pott, from Shopper’s Diary: A Botanical ‘Speakeasy’ in Freehold, New York.
Above: Crabapple tree branches surround the festive front door of furniture designer Maria Le Mesurier’s home. “I particularly like them in the winter time as the branches are covered with lichen,” she says. Photography by Maria Le Mesurier, from The Foraged Holiday: Found Decor in Designer Maria le Mesurier’s Home.
Craft some spruce ornaments.
Above: Instead of the traditional wreath, consider hanging these cherry all-natural DIY ornaments on the front door instead. Photograph courtesy of Sayuki Ueno and Kentaro Manabe, from DIY Holiday Decor: Snowflakes of Spruce, from Japan.
We’ve been following her garden progress and evolution through much of the growing season, and today Carla Zambelli Mudry in Malvern, Pennsylvania is back to share a fantastic fall update. If you’ve missed them, catch up with her previous 2025 submissions: Carla’s Early Spring Flowers, Carla’s Mid-Spring Flowers and Mid-Spring Foliage, Roses and Clematis Bloom in Carla’s Garden, Carla’s Garden in June, Carla’s Late June Flowers and Foliage, and August in Carla’s Pennsylvania Garden. From the earliest days of spring we’ve seen how her garden evolves through the seasons and the endless flow of rich foliage and abundant blooms that prevents any lull in interest. Despite turbulent weather and dry conditions, the garden beauty keeps on going into the late season, and, depending on your perspective and preferences, gets even more exciting with the changing of the leaves.
All of a sudden it’s November. Enjoy photos from October and the beginning of November throughout my garden.
It’s kind of the end of the growing season. Except we’ll have cooler days and then we’ll have warmer days and the plants are very confused. You will even see some azaleas bloomed again. But in spite of the drought like conditions, because everything is still very dry, even though we’ve had a little bit of rain here and there the colors of fall are beautiful.
Today was the last day of bulb planting. I think I easily did over 500 bulbs all in all. Today was planting bulbs for my ongoing stinzenplanten project. Miniature daffodils (naturalizing) and species tulips all in the lawn. I am somewhat obsessed with the old European bulb lawn of it all. So I planted a little over 350 more bulbs today. It’s super easy to do you just kind of wedge up sections of the lawn like you’re cutting turf or sod or even peat. I plant in like oblong shapes and circles and then I just popped the bulbs in, tucked the lawn back into place and bulbs are done.
There is still more to do! Enjoy the fall colors!
Carla Zambelli Mudry
Carla’s woodland landscape is a lush oasis for most of the year, but the color that erupts in fall is show stopping. Here, a carved wooden owl presides over a collage of red, yellow and deep green leaves.
While foliage takes center stage in the late season, there are still plenty of plants that add flowers to Carla’s landscape right up until frost. A bright white camellia is the perfect contrast to all of the fiery foliage colors that surround.
A bright red laceleaf Japanese maple (Acer palmatum var. dissectum, Zone 5–9) is one of many foliage highlights in Carla’s garden, where I can imagine it is living up to the famous line of poetry displayed in front of it.
Here is one of those reblooming azaleas that Carla mentioned in her intro. For bright white blooms this late in the season I would assume it’s an Encore® variety, potentially Autumn Angel® (Rhododendron ‘Robleg’, Zone 7–9), which traditionally have a very long bloom period. However, it’s still a surprise to see another wave of flowers this late into the year!
Carla has made strategic plant selections so her garden is never lacking interest. When some plants are slowing down for the season, others are just preparing for the next performance. This paperbush (Edgeworthia chrysantha, Zone 7–10) is just starting to lose its leaves, but buds have already begun forming that hold the promise of late winter blooms.
Another fantastic shot that captures the abundant layers of color in Carla’s landscape. The foliage is fabulous, but I also love the tortoise sculpture that is lurking amongst the leaves.
A look at the spring bulb planting that Carla has done this fall. If you’ve seen Carla’s submissions from early spring (Early Spring Flowers in Carla’s Garden, Part 1 and Part 2), you’ll recognize how amazingly abundant her bulb displays are. I’m already looking forward to seeing photos these naturalized clumps at their peak bloom!
Even though Carla’s garden is still full of planted beauty, a handful of cool and colorful pumpkins and squash add another pop of color and festivity to her landscape.
Another bloomer that keeps persisting into autumn is Carla’s Princess Diana clematis (Clematis texensis ‘Princess Diana’, Zone 4–9). Carla has showcased her incredible collection of clematis before (Roses and Clematis Bloom in Carla’s Garden), and her diverse assortment allows for a gorgeous succession of blooms throughout the growing season.
Carla sent such a generous batch of gorgeous fall photos that we’ll be returning to Pennsylvania to see more of her fall highlights on Monday. I hope everyone enjoys their weekends and joins us again next week.
And if you find yourself scrolling through your fall garden photos over the next few days (maybe while tucking into some Thanksgiving leftovers), consider selecting a batch to share with Garden Photo of the Day! We’d all love to hear and see how your landscape has looked so far in the late season. Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
We want to see YOUR garden!
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
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Fine Gardening Recommended Products
Black and Decker 22-inch Cordless Hedge Trimmer
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Quick and easy to put into operation and is less noisy and lighter in weight than gas-powered hedge trimmers.
– 38 x 7 x 7 inches
– 6.9 pounds
– 1 Lithium Ion battery required (included)
DeWalt Variable-Speed Cordless Reciprocating Saw with 6-Piece Saw Blade Set
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
You can fit a variety of blades to this saw to cut fallen branches or prune larger limbs from trees in a pinch. It’s fast, tough, easy to use, and extremely versatile.
– 18.31 x 6.13 x 4 inches
– 1-1/8-inch stroke length
– Variable speed trigger with 0-3000 spm
– DW4856 Metal/Woodcutting Reciprocating Saw Blade Set, 6-Piece
Ho-Mi Digger – Korean Triangle Blade
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Versatile Tool: The Easy Digger Korean Triangle Blade Ho Mi Ho-mi is a versatile gardening tool designed for leveling and digging in home and garden settings. Efficient Design: Its unique triangular blade shape allows for easy soil penetration and efficient leveling of garden beds or landscaping areas. Durable Construction: Crafted with sturdy materials, this tool ensures long-lasting performance and reliability.
Ergonomic Handle: The comfortable handle provides a secure grip, reducing hand fatigue during extended use. Compact Size: Its compact design makes it easy to maneuver in tight spaces and store when not in use.
For light infestations, dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and touch it directly to each mealybug. The alcohol kills them on contact.
In the case of larger infestations, neem oil or insecticidal soap work well.
You may need to repeat treatments every five to seven days for several weeks to completely eliminate the pests, as eggs can hatch after initial treatment.
Scale insects appear as small, brown, oval bumps on stems and leaves. Like mealybugs, they suck sap from the tissue and can weaken it over time.
These pests are less common than mealybugs but can be more stubborn to eliminate.
Remove scale manually by scraping them off with your fingernail or a dull knife, then follow up with rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab to kill any you missed.
Spider mites occasionally appear, particularly when conditions are warm and dry with poor air circulation.
These tiny arachnids are difficult to see with the naked eye, but you’ll notice their webbing between leaves and stems.
Infested specimens may have stippled, yellowing leaves or a dusty appearance. Increase humidity around the plant by misting or spraying it off with water.
For persistent problems, neem oil or insecticidal soap can help.
Root rot is the most serious problem you’re likely to encounter. This happens when plants sit in waterlogged soil, creating conditions that starve the roots of oxygen and encourage pathogens.
Symptoms include yellowing or blackening leaves, soft or mushy stems, and a generally declining appearance.
If you suspect root rot, unpot immediately and examine the roots. Healthy roots are firm and white or tan, while rotted roots are brown, black, and mushy with an unpleasant smell.
If you catch it early, you can sometimes save the plant. Remove all affected roots with clean scissors, let them dry completely for several days, and repot into fresh, dry soil.
Don’t water for at least a week. Unfortunately, severely affected specimens may not recover.
Prevention is key: always use well-draining soil, pots with drainage holes, and allow soil to dry completely between waterings.
While not a disease, leaf drop can result from overwatering, underwatering, sudden temperature changes, or insufficient light.
Assess your growing conditions and adjust as needed.
E.T. Phone Home
Whether you’re adding to an established succulent collection or looking for a forgiving first houseplant with personality, ‘Gollum’ aka Shrek ears or E.T. fingers fits the bill.
Once you nail down the basics: bright light, well-draining soil, and a hands-off approach to watering, ‘Gollum’ will reward you with years of reliable growth and those distinctive finger-like leaves that never fail to spark conversation.
Are you growing ‘Gollum’ jade? Let us know in the comments section below!
Cleaning baby bottles can be more complex than it originally seems, especially when you have to do it several times a day. With numerous feeding sessions and regular washing, it’s easy to get confused about which bottles are clean, which ones need sterilisation, and what tools can help.
However, with the right practices and a few basic steps, it’s possible to stay on top of bottle hygiene and keep equipment safe for your baby. In this article we’ll explore how to clean baby bottles correctly, the importance of proper cleaning, and when to replace them.
Why proper bottle cleaning matters
The immune system of a baby has not fully developed, and this makes them susceptible to germs. The residue of the breast milk or the milk formula in a bottle can provide the perfect environment for bacteria and mould to thrive. That’s why thorough cleaning isn’t only a routine, but also a necessity.
Prevention of disease: Correct cleaning and sanitation can create a major reduction in the chances of common childhood diseases such as diarrhoea, vomiting, and fungal infections, all of which can easily be spread in feeding equipment.
Avoidance of biofilm buildup: Over time, bacteria may create a protective layer referred to as biofilm within a plastic component or a small crevice. This film can’t be washed easily; breaking down and scrubbing are required to remove it.
Keeping bottles clean: Regular bottle cleaning, particularly of the nipples and valves, can increase the life of your feeding aids.
What you need to clean baby bottles
It’s a good idea to keep a separate set of cleaning supplies for baby feeding equipment. Doing so will help you avoid accidentally transferring food contaminants from other items in the kitchen to your baby’s bottles and accessories.
The following are all useful tools for cleaning baby bottles:
Bottle brush: This is a long-handled brush with strong bristles that access the bottom and sides of the bottle. Some brushes also have a special sponge tip or a flexible head.
Nipple brush: A smaller, more pointed brush is required for washing the small holes and small base of the bottle’s nipple.
Wash bowl: It’s not advisable to wash baby bottles in the kitchen sink, as your sink could contain invisible bacteria from raw food or other cooking procedures. Instead, use a separate wash bowl for baby items.
Drying rack: A special drying rack that will enable bottles and nipples to dry fully and fast is also handy.
Tongs: If you sterilise your bottles by boiling or in the microwave, you’ll need tongs to handle hot components.
Modern appliances can transform the process for parents who want the ultimate convenience and hygiene, especially when handling large volumes of pump parts as well as bottles. By looking into automated tools such as the Momcozy feeding bottle washing machine, you can cut down on time spent on manual cleaning and maintain a high quality cleaning process.
How to clean baby bottles step by step
Use this four-step procedure every time your baby has consumed a bottle in order to clean all surfaces before the sterilising stage.
Rinse immediately: Once your baby has finished feeding, rinse the bottle, nipple, and any other accessories with warm water. This will prevent the drying and sticking of milk.
Disassemble every part: Remove every part of the feeding bottle, such as the nipple, cap, venting system, and the ring.
Wash thoroughly: Wash each part of the feeding bottle using a gentle soap and warm water. use a bottle brush and nipple brush for a thorough clean.
Rinse with hot water: Rinse all the parts under running hot water until all the soap is gone.
Tips to keep baby bottles cleaner for longer
These tips will not just help you reduce germs, but can also increase the lifespan of a baby bottle.
Clean immediately: Once you’re done using a bottle, clean it immediately. Don’t let the milk residue dry inside the bottle.
Use separate bottles for water: If you use baby bottles for water, keep these bottles for water only. Doing this limits cross-contamination from milk bottles.
Check vents: Check narrow anti-colic vents or valves frequently, as milk can accidentally stagnate in these areas.
Storage: When you’ve finished washing the bottles make sure you store them in a clean container with a cover. Don’t reassemble them when wet because this can seal in moisture and encourage mould growth.
When to replace baby bottles
Despite the best cleaning methods, baby bottles and nipples will wear out in time due to heat and frequent scrubbing.
Replace nipples every three to four months, or sooner if there are any signs of wear, such as:
The silicone or latex is torn or cracked
The hole in the nipple has become too big for your baby.
The material looks white or smoky.
Replace bottles every six months, or when you notice any of the following:
The plastic is either scratched, hazy, or cracked (scratches allow places where the bacteria can grow)
The bottles have an unpleasant odour or are discoloured, even after being washed.
Glass bottles are more durable and don’t degrade in the same way as plastic bottles. However, they should be replaced as soon as you see any chip, crack, or structural weakness.
Knowing how to clean your baby’s bottles correctly makes feeding safer and easier. With the help of correct washing, sterilisation, and good storage, you can ensure your baby’s feeding equipment stays safe and lasts for longer.
With just a snippet from an outdoor evergreen, you’re well on your way to making these miniature wreath ornaments. You can hang them on the tree, use them to decorate the outdoors, add them to gifts, or even use them as napkin rings! No matter how you use them, they are a fun and simple project to bring the outdoors in.
Every year, I make a large fresh wreath to adorn my front door. By the end of creating, I have endless bits and pieces of fresh evergreens covering my feet and work station.
Why let them go to waste when you can create even smaller, miniature wreaths? I’m obsessed with all things mini, and I love how easily you can make these miniature wreath ornaments with some leftover plant trimmings.
Let me show you how I made these!
Adorn your miniature wreath with a pinecone or other dried elements.
DIY Real Miniature Wreath Ornaments
I don’t really know why, but this holiday season I’ve been making everything in miniature. It started with these tabletop Grinch trees, and now miniature evergreen wreaths.
The idea for mine came from finding this floral wire with red berries on the ends. I thought it would be a quick and easy way to make plenty of decorations from garden clippings.
Materials
Make It!
Start with a fairly pliable clipping from an evergreen. Leaves from cedar and false cypress are soft and easy to form.
Bend the clipping around so that the tip overlaps the cut end. Wind floral wire tipped with red berries around the two ends to secure it.
Secure the one end first. Then we’ll wrap the rest.
Continue wrapping wire around the wreath until you have all the little leaves tucked in.
Don’t worry about some small pieces still sticking out.
Trim the wreath with scissors to clean it up and make a nice, round form.
Add decorative elements like seed heads, miniature pinecones, and other things found around the garden with a hot glue gun.
Pinecones are great, as well as dried flowers.
You can also use ribbon to decorate the wreath. This raffia ribbon makes an easy bow as you simply need to tie it in a knot, then unfold the ends of the ribbon.
Add ornament hooks to hang them on the Christmas tree or around the garden.
Or tie them to gift wrapping and add a little outdoors to your presents.
Aren’t these miniature wreaths just adorable? In my experience, they also dry well and can be stored again for the next holiday season once fully dried. Happy crafting!
More Miniature Christmas Crafts
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
Big emotions such as anger, worry, or sadness can overwhelm both children and adults. Family time in nature offers a simple way to calm those heavy feelings and bring everyone closer together.
Nature helps families regulate emotions, lower stress, and restore balance through simple shared experiences like fresh air, sunlight, and movement. Even short moments outside, such as walking under trees or sitting near water, give the mind space to reset and the body a chance to relax. For families living in Pasadena, that might mean an evening walk through a tree-lined neighbourhood, a visit to a nearby park, or a quiet moment in one of the city’s many green spaces.
Families that spend time in nature often notice calmer moods and easier communication. Natural settings reduce stress hormones, slow heart rates, and create peaceful pauses that help everyone process emotions more clearly. These small breaks away from screens and routines can encourage understanding and patience during difficult moments.
This article explains why nature supports emotional health for families and how everyday outdoor moments, like a park visit or garden game, can ease tension and strengthen wellbeing. Simple ideas and realistic examples will show how you can use family time in nature as a steady support for connection and emotional balance.
Why nature eases big feelings for families
Spending regular time outdoors can calm the body, balance mood, and build emotional awareness. Families who include nature in their routines often notice fewer arguments, steadier attention, and more relaxed communication.
Nature’s calming effect on the mind and body
Natural environments can lower the stress hormones that rise during frustration or anxiety. Studies show that being outside for even 20 minutes can reduce cortisol levels by more than 20%. The body’s stress response slows, breathing deepens, and muscle tension eases. Families often feel this calm within minutes of stepping into a park or forest.
Nature benefits adults and children differently but meaningfully. Parents report fewer headaches and better sleep, while children display more patience and focus. A licensed psychiatrist (Pasadena CA) often recommends incorporating outdoor time alongside therapy or medication as part of a steady emotional care plan. Practical options include short morning walks or quiet time in the garden to support mood balance.
Reducing anger, worry, and sadness through green spaces
Access to trees, grass, and sunlight can provide relief from anger, sadness, and chronic worry. People in green spaces experience lower rumination, the cycle of repeated negative thoughts, compared to those indoors. Families walking on a local trail often notice children’s tempers soften and adults’ concerns ease by the end of the outing.
A study from multiple public health groups found that families who spend time outdoors each week report higher relationship satisfaction and fewer daily conflicts. Outdoor play encourages laughter, light movement, and teamwork. These natural rewards act as gentle emotional resets. For individuals in therapy, such relaxation complements professional support from mental health providers across California who focus on lifestyle-based care.
Time in sunlight also raises vitamin D levels, which influence serotonin activity and support a stable mood. Simple outdoor routines often lead to better mornings and more restful evenings.
Mindfulness and mental wellness in natural environments
Nature naturally invites mindfulness, a state of paying attention to the present moment without judgment. The soft sounds of wind and birds can help draw awareness away from worries about the past or future. This mental pause eases emotional overload and gives families space to reset together.
Some people describe outdoor mindfulness as easier than indoor meditation because natural cues keep attention grounded. Parents who practice slow breathing outdoors with their children model stress management in a simple, visible way. Over time, families can learn to notice feelings sooner and respond with patience rather than frustration.
Licensed mental health professionals note that this awareness helps prevent emotional buildup that can lead to conflict at home. Even five minutes of quiet observation among trees or at a park bench can restore calm. Families who value mental balance often build small outdoor rituals, such as end-of-day walks, as reliable anchors for emotional wellness.
Simple ways to boost family wellbeing outdoors
Families can improve their mental health and strengthen emotional balance through shared time in natural spaces. Regular outdoor activities also build stronger relationships and encourage physical exercise that supports calmness and focus.
Outdoor activities to strengthen family bonds
Practical outdoor ideas include activities such as hiking or trail walking, which help build trust and communication among family members. Gardening together teaches care and shared responsibility as everyone participates in planting or tending to vegetables and flowers. Outdoor games and picnics encourage laughter and relaxation, giving families a chance to enjoy each other’s company in a fun and low-pressure way. Children who spend time outdoors often become more confident in expressing emotions, and parents also gain more patience and awareness of their children’s needs through these shared experiences.
Nature walks and the power of exercise together
Nature walks combine physical exercise with time spent in green spaces, which supports both physical and mental wellbeing. The fresh air, sunlight, and gentle rhythm of walking ease tension and can lower stress levels. Families can choose routes close to home, such as local parks, lakes, or tree-lined paths, to make this practice a regular habit.
Walking side by side is also a great way to create natural moments for conversation. Children often open up more easily in outdoor settings because the movement and scenery reduce emotional pressure. This allows parents to listen more closely and respond with understanding.
Short, regular walks – about 20 to 30 minutes – can benefit sleep quality, improve focus, and elevate mood. A comfortable pace suits all ages and encourages families to notice small details in nature, such as the sound of birds or the colour of leaves. These observations promote mindfulness and emotional grounding.
When families spend more time outdoors, practical preparation can help make these outings smoother and less stressful. Simple habits like carrying water, wearing comfortable shoes, or protecting devices with durable accessories such as Ghostek cases can prevent small frustrations from turning into bigger emotional moments. Having the essentials to hand allows you to focus on being present rather than worrying about minor mishaps. These small steps support the overall goal of creating calm, enjoyable outdoor experiences together.
Building emotional resilience in children through nature
Children develop emotional resilience through repeated experiences in nature. Outdoor exploration exposes them to challenges and discoveries that build confidence and adaptability. For example, climbing over a fallen log or identifying animal tracks allows them to practice problem-solving and patience.
Parents can use outdoor time to teach emotional regulation skills. Deep breathing exercises, quiet observation of waves, or naming positive feelings after completing a walk can help children link peaceful emotions with natural surroundings.
A simple family routine, such as weekly visits to a park or garden, is an easy way to support long-term mental health. These experiences reduce anxiety and strengthen emotional awareness. Over time, children learn that nature offers a dependable place of calm and safety when they face anger, worry, or sadness.
Summing up
Families that spend time in nature often notice calmer emotions and stronger connections. Simple activities like walks, picnics, or gardening can lower tension and help both children and adults control anger or worry. These shared moments give everyone a chance to slow down, breathe deeply, and reset their mood.
Natural spaces also create a setting where people feel safe enough to talk about their feelings. Fresh air, open skies, and quiet surroundings support honest conversation and reduce emotional strain. As a result, family bonds often grow steadier and more trusting.
By adding regular outdoor time to weekly routines, families can improve emotional balance and communication. Even short experiences outdoors can bring a sense of peace that lingers long after returning home. Together, these experiences show that nature can serve as a gentle guide through big feelings like anger, sadness, and worry.
Cold nights need warm drinks; the kind you can linger over. Olivia Rae James has been warming up her nights with a boozy, citrusy take on mulled cider. Spiked with red wine, this mulled cider gets a combination of sweet and spice from the addition of grapefruit, apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. We’re planning to keep a big pot on the stove this winter. And don’t be surprised if you see us taking an evening walk, thermos in hand. To warm the heart cockles, we say.
Above: Apples and grapefruit inspection courtesy of Olivia’s pup, Frankie. Above: Whole and ground spices. Above: Grapefruit and apple halves. Above: The ingredients combined and ready for heating. Above: Mulled cider, served and ready to be enjoyed. Above: Cider for two.
Mulled Apple Cider
Serves 6
Ingredients:
3 cups fresh-squeezed apple juice
2 cups dry red wine
1 grapefruit, thinly sliced (can be substituted for your citrus of choice)
1 apple, thinly sliced
Cinnamon (whole and ground)
Nutmeg (whole and ground)
Cloves (whole and ground)
Instructions:
Combine apple juice and red wine in a pot over low to medium heat. Add sliced grapefruit, apple, and a handful of cinnamon sticks, cloves and nutmeg, according to taste. Let simmer for at least ten minutes. Add ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves (if necessary, to taste). Serve warm.
For more cocktails ideas, see:
N.B.: This post has been updated; it was first published November 2013.
Hi GPODers and Happy Thanksgiving (happy belated Thanksgiving to all of our Canadian GPODers)!
Another year is quickly coming to an end, and I would like to take this day to share my gratitude for all the gardeners that continue to keep this blog and community going. You might recall when I did this last year (Check out last year’s post here: Giving Thanks to the GPOD Community), reflecting on my first six months as the Garden Photo of the Day editor. A year later and I’m feeling equally as sentimental and grateful for this generous community that makes this job such a treat.
We’ve showcased and celebrated the gardens of several frequent contributors as well as many brand-new gardens featured on the blog for the very first time this year. I appreciate immensely everyone who feels compelled to continue sharing or start sharing their special outdoor spaces with a bunch of plant-loving strangers on the Internet. It is also a testament to the community that has formed here, as the overwhelmingly positive and supportive comments welcome all gardeners with open arms.
With all that being said, we can always use more contributors, particularly this time of year, so I rounded up some great submissions from the past year that will hopefully provide as much inspiration today as the day we originally shared them.
Looking from below an apple tree, with a bare branch hanging overhead, the crabapple tree, the blue spruce and a false cypress stand on the left. A magnolia tree, a Japanese maple (Acer palmatum and cvs., Zones 6–9) and a few azaleas stand above a stone retaining wall. There is a yew at the bottom of the photo.
I regularly make calls for GPODers to submit a wide variety of different types of gardens, and in February Lizzi Gualtieri in Walla Walla, Washington (Lizzi’s Walla Walla Garden, Walla Walla Backyard, Lizzi’s Springtime in Walla Walla, and Lizzi’s Fall Garden in Walla Walla) answered that call by sharing her stunning front yard veggie garden. This submission included some fantastic progress pictures, which made these “after” photos that much more impressive!
And finally the view looking south with the pig fence arches in the foreground. The arches allow for so much more to grow in this relatively small space. We grow more that we can eat or preserve, sharing with friends and neighbors with the exception of the garlic, you can never have too much garlic!
We also started the year with a fabulous series from Cherry Ong in Richmond, British Columbia (Wreath Making with Cherry, Cherry’s August Garden, Cherry’s May Garden in British Columbia, A Cold but Colorful November, Cherry’s Amaryllis, and countless GPOD on the Road submissions), where she gave us incredible details in the step-by-step process of installing a greenhouse in her small garden. From the removal of the beautiful beds that needed to be removed to make room to the accessories and styling that finalized the project, these posts still have me brainstorming about my dream greenhouse.
Hubby added a spot light for inside the greenhouse right after installation, but I wanted to add something pretty. I love the way the Europeans decorate their greenhouses with a chandelier. Our greenhouse has a lower ceiling with not much room for one, so we got creative and strung a long mossy branch with electric LED fairy lights and hung the lit branch with zip ties.
Things really started to heat up in April as spring submissions began rolling in. One of those early submissions was from Cindy Bolz in Dallas, Texas (Spring in Dallas and Collecting Japanese Maples) who celebrated the range of bright and colorful foliage in her garden as much as she did her beautiful blooms.
This photo shows purple oxalis (Oxalistriangularis, Zones 6–10) with white-veined pipeline (Aristolochiafimbriata, Zones 7–9). Each summer I get at least two full cycles of the beautiful black pipevine butterfly (Battus philenor) laying her eggs in these leaves. This is shortly followed by a tribe of little black caterpillars munching their way through every single leaf right down to the roots. Then the leaves grow back and the full cycle repeats.
We always see lots of fabulous plantings on Garden Photo of the Day, but we also saw some really amazing garden art on the blog this year. A piece of art that really stood out to me was this happy metal shark shared by Angie Caruthers in Arkansas (July in Arkansas and Dogwood Season). Two great photos showed how a baptisia coming into bloom during the season gives the shark a “sea” of plants to swim through.
Continuing the violet, lavender, and white color scheme, my Decadence® Sparkling Sapphire baptisia(Baptisia‘Sparkling Sapphires’, Zones 4–9)is showing mega growth in just one week. The above photo is from Friday, April 18…and here they are on Friday, April 25. Side note: I love how the baptisia makes it look like the shark is swimming through an ocean bed of seaweed!
As spring continued on, more color flooded the Garden Photo of the Day inbox. In June we got an update from Beth Tucker in Waxhaw, North Carolina (Early Spring in Beth’s North Carolina Garden, A Look Back at Beth’s Early Summer Garden, Beth’s Poolside Garden, etc.), a garden we’ve watched evolve and fill with color over the years. Beth is also a frequent commenter who always has something encouraging to say about the gardens featured on the blog, so it’s always a treat when we can return the favor.
Lee’s ostrich ferns with an incredible weigela in full bloom—potentially the cultivar Wine & Roses® (Weigela florida ‘Alexandra’, Zones 3–9), based on the dark burgundy foliage and bright pink flowers.
I’ve been sharing a lot of frequent contributor submissions so far, but I do want to give ample credit to new gardens we’ve enjoyed for the first time. One fabulous example came in August from Teresa Eutsler in Worcester County, Maryland. This is a newer garden, built from scratch in 2017, but you would never be able to guess from the photos that she shared.
The skies have been generous, so the little ‘Limelight’ is enjoying the moisture, and I’ve been very happy with Milena Fleur dahlia(Dahlia ‘Milena Fleur’, Zones 9–11 or as an annual). It has returned for me despite a very cold winter and is a beautiful color with the Hameln grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’, Zones 5–9) as it’s neighbor and the Tuscarora crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica ‘Tuscarora’, Zones 6–9) behind, along with the Casa Blanca lilies (Lilium ‘Casa Blanca’, Zones 5–8) in the background.
With all of that gloss, I’m assuming this photo was taken after one of the many heavy rains that Carla’s garden got in August. In her woodland garden, a tapestry of foliage comes together to create wonderful patterns and designs.
Another fabulous new garden was featured in October, and was an excellent (and stunning) representation of the end of the gardening season. Judy Hessert in the Bitterroot Valley of Western Montana shared some gorgeous photos of her garden the morning after the first frost in her area. The colorful foliage and abundant flowers were picture-perfect coated in a shimmery coating of ice, but I hope we have an opportunity to see this garden at its peak.
‘Indian Summer’ black-eyed Susan in the foreground, Korean spiraea(Spiraea fritschiana, Zones 3–8)on the left, Klehm’s Improved Bechtel flowering crabapple (Malus ioensis ‘Klehm’s Improved Bechtel’,Zones 4–8)with the tree guard, and the Sapphire Mountains in the background.
Heidi has awe-worthy borders full of fantastic perennials, but her patio garden mainly consists of incredible annual plant combinations. White zinnias and pink cosmos are heavenly against a backdrop of bright pink impatiens.
Thank you again to all of the contributors who have shared their gardens this year and will continue sending spectacular updates through the seasons. If your garden or submission didn’t make it onto this list, just know that I could easily make post twice as long and it still wouldn’t cover all of my favorite submissions from this year.
And please consider sharing your garden photos with us to keep this blog going as we descend into winter and many of us need doses of daily garden color more than ever! Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
We want to see YOUR garden!
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here
Fine Gardening Recommended Products
Ho-Mi Digger – Korean Triangle Blade
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The native coastal soil is acidic, infertile, and sandy. Decaying organic matter enriches it with nutrients to support blooming.
Choose an African violet potting mix. It will have the appropriate 5.5 to 6.5 pH level, organic matter for healthy foliage and flowering, and inorganic matter for drainage and moisture retention.
This product from Midwest Hearth is a ready-to-use mixture of peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite. It is lightweight, well-draining, and moisture-retentive.
In its natural environment, gloxinia grows during the wettest seasons of the year.
As a houseplant, it needs consistent moisture without oversaturation from spring through summer.
When the top inch of soil feels dry, water deeply until it runs from the drainage holes.
Use tepid water, neither too warm nor too cool, to avoid shock. Take care to water over the soil, not the foliage or tuber, to inhibit fungal disease and rotting.
To support optimal blooming, feed each time you water using a well-balanced liquid plant food diluted to a quarter strength.
A product with an NPK ratio of 10-10-10 is sufficient.
Where to Buy
The time to purchase seeds or tubers is in late winter or early spring. You’ll find an array of named cultivars, including hybrid series, from which to choose.
Hybrid cultivars have the largest flowers and expand the natural color palette with pastels and variegated schemes.
The Brocade Series was developed by the Sakata Seed Corporation and offers a mix of double-petal blossoms in shades of blue, burgundy, purple, red, and white, often with white margins.
Additional cultivars you may come across when shopping include:
‘Carangola’ has white blossoms with purple throats and olive-green leaves.
‘Purple’ has purple flowers and dark green leaves.
However, it’s more likely to find more generic labels that simply list their color.
Maintenance
For a fuller, more uniform appearance, some folks “disbud,” or pinch off the first two spring buds to encourage clusters of blossoms rather than individual flowers.
Post-bloom, deadhead the spring flowers. When they fade, cut off the stems just above the foliage to encourage a repeat bloom in the summer. Remember to pinch off the first two buds for the best display.
When the second flush of flowers dies, reduce watering. Keep the soil slightly moist while the foliage also dies back. Discontinue fertilizing during the dormant period.
After the foliage has withered, dormancy begins and lasts through the fall and winter.
Place the pot in a location where the temperature remains between 60 and 65°F and keep the soil dry during dormancy.
In late winter to early spring, new growth appears.
This is a good time to repot in fresh soil before bringing the pot into bright, indirect sunlight for the growing season. Resume watering and fertilizing when the top inch of soil is dry.
Repotting every one to two years replenishes the soil and gives you the opportunity to increase the pot size if necessary.
Gloxinia likes a snug fit, so allow no more than an inch of space between the tuber(s) and the rim and an inch between tubers.
If there was one plant that embodied the spirit of Christmas, poinsettias would be at the top of the list! These cheerful red blooms may be all over, but did you know how they became associated with Christmas? Here’s the fascinating history behind the plant, plus how to care for poinsettias.
Poinsettias are everywhere we look throughout the holidays. They are for sale in pretty much any store you walk into, are a standby for school fundraisers, and can be seen in many people’s houses over the season. December 12th is even National Poinsettia Day in the United States!
Native to Mexico, the poinsettia has a deep history in the Aztec culture before it became the Christmas icon it’s known as today. Its history as a tropical plant also means many of us struggle to keep poinsettias happy and healthy during and beyond the holiday season.
That’s where I come in! I’m going to share some tips on how to care for your poinsettia, style it, and keep it alive after the holidays.
In this post, we will cover…
Poinsettias are abundant and inexpensive during the Christmas season.
All About Poinsettias
Poinsettias have become such a universal symbol for Christmas and winter that many people don’t realize that they are actually tropical plants that grow as large shrubs in the wild. By learning how to care for poinsettias and paying attention to detail, you can create a stylish poinsettia display that showcases these fiery crimson beauties.
Botany
It can be hard to picture poinsettias growing in the wild since we are so used to seeing them as houseplants. The poinsettia plant, Euphorbia pulcherrima, is native to western Mexico, where it grows into a large shrub or small tree.
The large red “petals” are actually bracts, and the small yellow centers are the flowers. Colourful bracts and small flowers are also seen on other common flowering shrubs and trees like dogwoods and hydrangeas.
Poinsettia “flowers” are actually bracts.
History and Association with Christmas
The plant was originally known to the Aztec people as cuetlaxochitl. They used the plant as medicine to reduce fever. They also commonly used it for making a red dye that coloured cosmetics and textiles.
In the wild, poinsettia naturally begins to bloom in December as a result of longer nights. Missionaries took notice of the plant in the sixteenth century and its star-shaped bracts that bring to mind the Star of Bethlehem.
The timing and shape of the poinsettia are believed to be where the original connection to the holiday came from. And you can’t deny that the red and green colours fit in perfectly!
There is a Mexican Christmas tale about the origin of the poinsettia that tells the story of a young peasant girl named Pepita who could not afford a proper offering for her Christmas prayer, so she placed a bundle of weeds on the church altar instead.
The weeds began to bloom red and turned into beautiful, large, star-shaped flowers. In Mexico, the plant became known as Flor de Nochebuena (Christmas Eve flower).
In the nineteenth century, Joel Roberts Poinsett, the United States’ first ambassador to Mexico and an avid gardener, fell in love with growing poinsettias and sent some back to his home in South Carolina, introducing them to the U.S. for the first time. The plant got its common name from Poinsett.
Joel Roberts Poinsett also has a legacy of being a slave owner and played a role in the displacement of Native Americans, leading some to reject the common name of poinsettia in favour of the original name cuetlaxochitl.
A wild poinsettia shrub.
Selecting a Pointsettia Plant
When it comes to growing poinsettias, most people purchase the plant rather than growing it from seed or propagation. They’re everywhere during the holidays and are rather affordable, too.
Begin by purchasing a plant that looks healthy. Choose one that is full and does not have discoloured leaves or other signs of disease.
I know that you can buy poinsettias in all kinds of colours now, such as blue, rainbow, and even glitter-covered ones, but I am just not a fan. If it is not some shade or combination of red and white, it is definitely dyed.
Poinsettias are beautiful when left natural, and I think that dyed flowers just look artificial and tacky, plus I don’t especially want to bring any harsh dyes into my home. The fewer chemicals, the better!
Leave the fake colours and pick a gorgeous natural poinsettia instead. You can find them in fiery red, white, cream, blush, or with candy-cane stripes!
Avoid unnaturally coloured and dyed poinsettias.
How to Care for Poinsettias
Light Requirements
Place poinsettias in a bright room that gets lots of natural light, but keep the plant out of direct sunlight. Remember, it’s a tropical plant that is used to getting plenty of sunlight.
Place it somewhere away from drafty windows or heat sources since dramatic changes in temperature can harm the plant.
Watering Requirements
Water only when the soil feels dry to the touch. Water thoroughly when you do. I water my poinsettia roughly once a week.
Temperature and Humidity
Poinsettias are tropical plants, and can be more finicky than most. So while it needs plenty of indoor lighting, to shouldn’t be by a drafty window. You want to keep it somewhere where the temperature is stable, ideally between 18°C to 21°C (65°F to 70°F).
If you live in a dry climate, consider misting your poinsettia somewhat regularly. You can also use a DIY humidity tray.
Avoid placing poinsettias by heat registers, as this can dry them out.
Styling Poinsettias
Taking a little bit of time to re-pot your poinsettia once you get it home makes a huge difference. Plant it in a decorative ceramic pot, something plain, or even a salad bowl—anything other than leaving it in that shiny foil wrapping it comes in will make it look SO much more sophisticated.
Take your poinsettia out of the foil wrap and into a salad bowl for easy decor.
How to Keep Your Poinsettia Alive
You can get reblooms every year IF you properly care for your poinsettia. The idea is to mimic greenhouse conditions. After Christmas, continue to water and care for your poinsettia as mentioned above.
Like any plant, it will shed its flowers when it’s done blooming. The bracts will start to fade and fall off. Give your poinsettia a good trim after it finishes shedding.
After the bracts have fallen, it’s also time to start fertilizing. I apply my houseplant fertilizer roughly once a month from spring through summer. The poinsettia can become leggy with all these nutrients and not enough light, so feel free to trim the stems back to six inches.
This may also be a good time to repot the plant, as its soil becomes quite compact in its original nursery containers.
How to Encourage New Poinsettia Blooms
Beginning October 1st, your plant needs to be in total and complete darkness from 5 PM to 8 AM (or 14 hours a night). Any kind of exposure to light, from streetlamps to a tiny night light, can disrupt the process. A closet is a good place to store it, along with a bowl of water for humidity. During the day, return it to a bright, indirect spot and continue with regular watering.
Do this until the last week of November (8 weeks). By then, you should begin to see the red buds coming in. You can stop placing the plant in total darkness and leave it in its usual spot. Your poinsettia doesn’t need any fertilizer during its bloom time.
Your poinsettia should produce the same coloured bracts as the previous year.
Poinsettia Toxicity and Safety
A lot of people avoid having poinsettias in the house because of the fear that they are dangerous to cats and dogs, but the plants are not as poisonous to pets as is commonly thought. They can only cause serious harm if ingested in huge amounts (your furry friend would have to eat hundreds of plants to be in real danger, according to studies).
They can cause some unpleasant tummy aches, though, so it’s best to keep them out of reach of pets anyway. For more on plants that can be harmful to dogs and cats, take a look at this post.
The milky sap can cause skin irritation to some people. If concerned, wear gloves when pruning your poinsettia.
I’m not worried about my cat, Magic, munching on poinsettia.
FAQ on Poinsettia Care
How often should I water poinsettias?
Water your poinsettias once they are dry to the touch or you notice wilting. Let them dry out completely between waterings. It’s important to have drainage for your poinsettia so it’s not sitting in water.
Do poinsettias like sun or shade?
A tropical plant from Central America, poinsettias like it hot. Give them as much bright, indirect sunlight as possible indoors. You want to make sure that they do not touch any window panes with their leaves, as it can easily damage them, as can drafty windows.
How long can I keep my poinsettia alive?
Your poinsettia is designed to make it through the holiday season. It can stay red for a couple of months with the right care, but it will eventually drop its red leaves and turn green again. If you plan on keeping your poinsettia, you can cut back the plant to 6 inches and continue with the care.
They’re difficult to get to turn red again, but you can follow the care outlined above and aim for Christmas red again!
What is the “short-day” / darkness requirement for poinsettias?
To get a poinsettia to rebloom (change its bracts’ colour), it needs to experience cooling temperatures and shorter daylight. It requires 12-15 hours of total darkness over 6-8 weeks during the fall season. This includes artificial light. If this doesn’t occur naturally in its environment, you can move the poinsettia to a dark room, like a closet, or place a large cardboard box over it for 12-15 hours.
More Winter Flowers to Grow
Rose Morris is a professional writer and Editor with an MA in English Literature. She is a member of Room Magazine’s editorial board, has written for The Malahat Review, Western Living Magazine, Concrete Garden, and elsewhere.
One of our favorite tips from our book, Remodelista in Maine, comes from event designer Molly O’Rourke. “It turns out an apple corer creates a hole that is the same diameter as a taper candle,” she told us. “Once I discovered this, there was no turning back.”
How to put this coincidence to use for a last-minute Thanksgiving table? Read on:
Photography by Greta Rybus for Remodelista in Maine.
Above: Molly’s tablescape. When cut (for stability) and cored, “potatoes, apples, cabbages, and melons all become sculptural candelabras that can be whipped up on the spot and composted after your event,” she says. Above: Bought too much bread for stuffing? “Use an apple corer to transform hunks of stale bread into improvised candlesticks.” Above: With an apple corer ($19.95 from Sur La Table), Molly says, “the world is your candlestick.” Just insert tapers.
For more unfussy, ingenious (and inexpensive) design ideas, order Remodelista in Maine, available everywhere books are sold.
And for more tabletop ideas, see our posts:
N.B.: This post was first published on Remodelista in November 2022; it has been updated with new links and prices.
For some gardeners the question, “What is your favorite plant?” is an impossible one. With so many different plants with vastly different attributes, how could you pick just one? For other gardeners, like Alan Weisberg in southeastern Pennsylvania, the answer is easy and most visitors to his garden would likely know his answer before the words came out. Alan has shared his stunning garden in the foothills of Haycock Mountain with us in the past (Alan’s Rural Garden Beauty), but today we’re looking at one plant that brings him so much joy he has sprinkled throughout his designs: cleomes.
Located in the foothills of Haycock Mountain in rural SE PA, I’ve been gardening for 40 years on 3 acres of what was once a 100-acre farm with a fieldstone home and barn built in 1741. The restoration of the structures, landscaping, additions, vegetable and flower gardens have yielded almost as many failures as successes with plenty of lessons learned.
Among 100+ varieties of plants, vegetables, shrubs, and trees on the property, my favorite plants are clearly the spider plants(Cleome houtteana syn. Cleome hassleriana, Zone 9–11 or as an annual). These mere annuals bloom profusely from early summer thru late autumn, are very hardy, deer & rabbit resistant, and the bees, butterflies, and smallest garden birds love them.
Great for mass plantings in river pebbles, gravel, or almost any soil, cleomes re-seed themselves every year with a high degree of reliability.
The seed pods are plentiful & easily stripped at the end of the season for planting elsewhere or gifting to like-minded gardening friends. Large flower heads are commonly pink, lavender, and white, though a red variety is also available.
Note that I’ve found it far more prolific to scatter the seeds on a scratched bed in early winter rather than to wait until spring for planting. They need the cold temperature exposure to condition the seed skin for successful germination. And better to lightly press them in the soil, rather than cover with soil.
Easily growing 3 to 5 feet tall, cleomes love full sun but will tolerate partial shade, though you should be prepared to support them as they will bend down to reach out for more sunlight.
Colorful, aromatic, critter resistant, and easy grow… it makes good sense to add a few cleomes to your landscape. I’m confident you will not be disappointed!
Thank you so much for sharing this ode to an incredible bloom, Alan! While all flowers are unique and exciting, the cleome makes a big impact and it’s fascinating to see how you’ve utilized it in your rural landscape.
Can you name your all-time favorite plant, and how many plantings and different cultivars of the genus can be found in your garden? We have several contributors who have shared their plant collections over the years, and we would love to welcome more to Garden Photo of the Day. Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
We want to see YOUR garden!
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
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Fine Gardening Recommended Products
Buffalo-Style Gardens: Create a Quirky, One-of-a-Kind Private Garden with Eye-Catching Designs
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Berry & Bird Rabbiting Spade, Trenching Shovel
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Generally, western red cedars are healthy trees, especially if you plant them in the right location. However, there are several fungal diseases that can impact stressed plants.
The first is fairly uncommon but incredibly destructive.
Butt and Pocket Rot
Caused by Oligoporus sericeomollis (syn. Poria sericeomollis) and Phellinus pini, butt or pocket rot is a form of heart rot that affects many conifers but is particularly destructive in western red cedar.
In fact, western red cedars are the only living host. Otherwise, these pathogens colonize dead wood.
As the name suggests, it causes pocket-like rot in the “butt,” or the part of the tree just above the roots.
It’s one of the major diseases of western red cedar, but it’s most prevalent in western North America, though it can be found in Europe and Asia.
The pathogens can thrive in both live and decaying wood, but they only breed on dead wood.
Usually, by the time you know anything is going on, the disease will be way too far along to do anything about it.
As such, prevention is key. Avoid wounding your tree, control pests, and remove nearby decaying conifer wood that can harbor spores.
Leaf Blight
Wherever western red cedars grow, leaf blight, sometimes called Keithia blight, can develop.
That’s because the fungus that causes it, Didymascella thujina, is endemic to all the same areas.
Unless you live in a warm, moist environment, it’s fairly rare. It’s more common in coastal, low-elevation areas of the Pacific Northwest.
Whenever the conditions are wet and temperatures above 50°F, the spores will be reproducing and spreading.
Symptoms start with pale patches on young leaves, followed by brown or black spore structures. Infected leaves may turn brown or gray and drop, often making the tree appear scorched.
Older trees are generally less at risk to serious damage, but seedlings can be destroyed.
The cultivars ‘Atrovirens’ and ‘Excelsa’ are most susceptible. If you live in an area where this disease is a common problem, avoid these cultivars.
To prevent infection, maintain good airflow with proper spacing, water at the base, and keep weeds under control.
If needed, treat with copper- or mancozeb-based fungicides during spring and fall, following label directions.
Yellow Ring Rot
Caused by Coniferiporia sulphurascens (formerly Phellinus weirii), yellow ring rot is more severe in firs, Douglas firs, and western hemlock, but can also affect western red cedar.
The pathogen spreads on wood, both living and decaying, so it can spread through roots or wherever wood chips, fallen branches, tree stumps, or closely-spaced trees exist.
Once a tree is infected, it will slowly decline, but you’ll only see the rot if you look at the roots or cut open the tree. The big risk is that the disease will weaken the tree.
While it’s rarely fatal in home landscapes, prevention includes proper spacing, prompt removal of infected wood, and avoiding planting within 200 feet of infected trees.
There is no cure, so focus on maintaining overall tree health.
Embrace the Tree of Life
They are gorgeous, sturdy, and long-lived. Western red cedars are such graceful trees with their lacy leaves and swooping branches.
I’m always in awe of them, whether I encounter one while on a walk in my neighborhood or while hiking in the forests near my house.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
I have a towering tree in my backyard that I love to watch during breezy days because it looks like it’s dancing.
How do you plan to enjoy your tree? Is it going to be a focal point of the garden or will you plant a few as a visual barrier between you and a neighbor? Let us know in the comments section below!
As we barrel towards the holidays and another great gardening season is in our rearview mirror, it’s a great time to go through our photos from this year and reflect on the successes and failures. One gardener who is doing just that is Kathleen Shelman in Port Townsend, Washington. We’ve seen favorite selections from Kathleen’s garden a couple of times in the past (Kathleen’s Favorite Gold Plants and Blues from Kathleen’s Garden), but last year we were introduced to her brand new meadow garden (Check out that post here: Kathleen’s New Meadow Garden in Washington). After its second season of unbelievable growth, she has shared the changes that have taken place from the first blooms of early summer to the grasses and seed heads that keep interest going into fall. See what she loved about the garden this year, and the edits she is already planning for the next growing season.
Hello! This is the second summer for my new garden in Port Townsend, Washington. A little over a year ago, we downsized from our 1 acre garden outside of Portland, Oregon and moved north to a quarter acre city lot. The back half was mine to landscape. The entire lot was covered with failing wild cherry trees, blackberries, and wild roses. We removed them all, tilled the sandy soil and added several truckloads of compost. I divided the garden into three sections, a vegetable garden, a meadow and a shade garden. I brought many plants with me from my previous garden so the garden was basically free to me. The first picture shows the meadow section, with my grid plan applied with spray paint. In the meadow, I planted the more informal perennials from my previous border and a variety of grasses.
In the first summer, everything came up and was quite robust, but not everything flowered. The second summer, everybody showed up.
In the early part of the summer, the perennials were the most visible, but as the season progressed the grasses began to make their presence felt.
I particularly liked this combination of ‘Loraine Sunshine’ false sunflower(Heliopsis ‘Helhan’, Zone 3–9)and ‘Plant World Jewels’ dierama(Dierama ‘Plant World Jewels’, Zone 7–10).
I had originally planned to allow only orange, yellow, and blue/purple flowers in the meadow, but I have loved having the queen of the prairie (Filipendula rubra, Zone 3–8), particularly as the seed heads last long after the flowers are gone.
By summer‘s end, the grasses were the main feature. I had originally planned to leave all seed heads until February, but have found that I needed to remove some of the over-seeders.
The seed heads of the actaea proved to be a delight, and the birds seem to love them.
I have enjoyed this garden immensely, and look forward to seeing what it will do in the future. My original goal of staking nothing and editing nothing has already been shown to be unworkable. I will always need to cut back some of the earlier perennials to save the lives of those who come later, and I am also going to need to stake up some of the more robust plants and grasses so they don’t overwhelm their neighbors. But overall, I’m happy with the way this has worked out!
Thank you so much for this fabulous update on your garden, Kathleen! It’s a great insight into these kinds of plantings to hear how your plan is working or not working, and seeing the gorgeous results.
Did you make any major garden changes this year? Maybe you planted up some new beds this spring, or made some maintenance changes this summer that resulted in bigger blooms and happier plants. Let us know in the comments how your growing season went, or consider sharing a reflection on your 2025 garden with the blog! Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
We want to see YOUR garden!
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here
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The New Organic Grower, 3rd Edition: A Master’s Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener, 30th Anniversary Edition
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Razor-Back Potato/Refuse Hook
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Berry & Bird Rabbiting Spade, Trenching Shovel
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Ideal Tool for All Gardeners Use: Our heavy duty trenching shovel is designed by a professional gardening tool designer. Lifetime Durability: This heavy duty drain spade is made of high-quality stainless steel, it is very strong and durable, even if it is used for high-strength work, it will not bend. Ergonomic Wood Handle: The handle of this planting spade is made of ash hardwood harvested from FSC-certified forests and has an ergonomically streamlined design, making it very suitable for everyone’s hands. Multi-Use: This digging shovel is generally used for digging trenches, digging holes, transplanting, edging, moving compost, cutting thick turf and furrowing. The sharp blade allows you to cut, scoop, dig, lift and dice in hard soil.
