The key to success with any plant is to understand its cultural requirements as determined by its native environment, and to try to replicate them at home.
In this case, we have a succulent that does not grow in the wild, and so we should consider the requirements of the parents from which it originates.
Climate
As a hybrid of two succulent species native to the South African Cape Province region, string of dolphins is genetically wired for hot, dry summers and wet, mild winters.
An average home environment with temperatures of 60 to 80°F and humidity in the 30- to 50-percent range is suitable.
This is a frost-tender hybrid that declines with cold temperatures.
If yours vacations outdoors in the summer, be sure to bring it back inside before the nights dip into the 50s, well before the first frost.
Light
Indoors, x B.delphinatifolius requires bright, indirect sunlight for effective photosynthesis, the process of converting light to energy that keeps foliage vibrant.
A position about three feet from a south- or east-facing window is ideal. Avoid direct exposure that can scorch the foliage.
If you like to place your plants outdoors in the summer, choose a location with full sun to part shade for optimal health.
Soil
As with many types of succulents, string of dolphins prefers slightly acidic to neutral soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.0.
It should be gritty for fast drainage. A cactus and succulent mix is the best choice for houseplant cultivation.
Hoffman Organic Cactus and Succulent Soil blends compost, peat moss, and sand with limestone for the appropriate pH balance, resulting in a slightly acidic, rapidly draining substrate.
While it is not one of the more common succulents, you are likely to find x B.delphinatifolius available from specialty nurseries and those that carry a wide selection of succulents.
Find string of dolphins in four- and six-inch starter pots, and bare root specimens available at Planet Desert.
Maintenance
The stems of a dolphin succulent grow rapidly.
If you find they are getting “leggy,” with longer spaces than usual between the leaves, you can prune to promote more compact, branching growth.
Use clean shears to cut just below a leaf node to stimulate lateral growth from that point. You may want to use the cutting to propagate new plants as discussed below.
Repotting is an infrequent maintenance task best done during dormancy in late winter to early spring.
When the roots protrude from the drainage hole, or there is no longer an inch of space between the foliage and pot rim for easy watering, select a pot one size larger than the current vessel.
Do not water the day before repotting. You’ll want the soil dry so you can loosen and remove most of it before replanting in fresh cactus and succulent potting mix.
Fill the bottom third of the new container with soil. Settle the root mass in the pot at the original depth.
If a new plant catches Richard Hawke’s eye, you know it is a true standout. As the director of ornamental plant research at Chicago Botanic Garden, he has researched, monitored, and written about more plants than most experts in the field. Most of these plants are part of CBG’s comparative trials, which is the best way to measure one plant’s merits against those of other similar plants. However, Richard’s reputation as Mr. Plant has also given him the opportunity to trial several brand-new cultivars—even if they do not fit seamlessly into an ongoing or upcoming trial. The following three perennials fall into this camp but performed so well that Richard felt they were report-worthy.
To see the rest of the best new perennials trialed at CBG recently, keep an eye out for Richard’s upcoming feature in Fine Gardening’s Summer 2026 issue.
The latest color in the New Vintage™ yarrow series ranges from peachy orange to yellow throughout the growing season.
Size: 26 to 28 inches tall and 10 to 12 inches wide
Conditions: Full sun and average to dry soil
The New Vintage™ series—Rose (‘Balvinrose’), Red (‘Balvinred’), Violet (‘Balvinolet’), and White (‘Balvinwite’)—of yarrows we evaluated in the mid-2010s made me love common yarrow again. I commended them for years for their uniformity, strong colors, and flower power. We have purposely not evaluated many common yarrow cultivars since, but I couldn’t say no when New Vintage™ Terracotta was offered to our trials. What a beauty! The peachy orange flowers keep coming from late June to mid-August, fading to shades of yellow before turning brown in September. At peak, the copious flowers—a delightful mix of soft earthy tones—conceal the lacy green foliage completely. As with others in the series, I am impressed by its strong, uniform habit. In 2025, the plants were 36 inches tall, and 46 inches wide measured across the broad floral canopy. And while there is no guarantee of what rabbits will eat, two neighboring yarrow cultivars are their favorite food, while Terracotta has been left alone!
A hosta with blooms as striking as its funky foliage
2. ‘Silly String’ hosta
The squiggly blue leaves of ‘Silly String’ make this plant a textural powerhouse.
Conditions: Light, open shade; moist, rich, compost-enhanced soil
There was a time when I paid little to no attention to the endless varieties of ho-hum hostas. I can’t remember the hosta that got me thinking otherwise or when it happened, but I’m a huge fan now. Hosta ‘Silly String’ is a recent introduction that has utterly charmed me. The squiggly lines of its narrow blue (to blue-green) leaves are whimsical and the perfect textural companion to broader foliage. As a small plant it’s just cute, but the cuteness sticks around even when it’s bigger, which so far is 11 inches tall and 24 inches wide. The quality of the flower display is equal to the superior foliar display, making it extra special to me. Rising on stems to 25 inches tall, the lavender trumpets—3 inches long and 1½ inches wide—are bountiful at peak bloom in August.
The luscious, deeply veined leaves of ‘Fusion of Fire’ can reach up to a foot across.
3. ‘Fusion of Fire’ oredenia
Name: ×Oredenia ‘Fusion of Fire’
Zones: 5–8
Size: 12 to 14 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide
Conditions: Partial to filtered shade; moist, well-drained soil
For gardeners looking for something new and different, ‘Fusion of Fire’ oredenia is that something. ×Oredenia is a fairly new intergeneric cross between Mukdenia and Oresitrophe, a related but less commonly grown Asian species. The first sign of life in the spring are sprays of soft pink flowers that emerge before the leaves. The glossy bronze leaves that follow give no indication of how lushly large and green they’ll grow—they can reach a foot across! We’re patiently waiting for the promised brilliant red fall color we have only seen in photos. After three years, plants are 16 inches tall and 34 inches wide and have been fully winter hardy. Some plants are forgiving; this one is not—correct culture is crucial for oredenia to be its best. Plant ‘Fusion of Fire’ in moist, well-drained soils in partial to filtered shade. Leaves will flag in the heat of the day and can burn in hot sunlight, especially if soils are also dry. Frost damage on tender new leaves is also possible in Zone 5. At home, I planted it in partial shade with lacy ‘Horatio’ goat’s beard (Aruncus ‘Horatio’, Zones 4–7) and the arching blades of roof iris (Iris tectorum, Zones 4–9) for a wonderful leafy medley.
Discuss this article or ask gardening questions with a regional gardening expert on the Gardening Answers forum.
And for more Midwest regional reports, click here.
Richard Hawke is a contributing editor for Fine Gardening and the director of ornamental plant research at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Illinois.
Photos: Richard Hawke
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Premium 16 Perennial Wildflower Seeds Mix – Special Garden Flower Seeds Blend designed for planting indoor & outdoors across North America. With over 16 varieties and 100,000 wildflower seeds, this mix is the best solution to attract pollinators – bees, butterflies & birds are essential for garden plants health. Our Special Perennial Wildflower Seeds Mix Includes White Yarrow, Columbine, New England Aster, Siberian Wallflower, Shasta Daisy, Lance-Leaf Coreopsis, Sweet William, Purple Coneflower, Blanketflower, Gayfeather, Blue Flax, Lupine, Dwarf Evening, Primrose, Mexican Hat, Prairie Coneflower, Black Eyed Susan. Easy & Fun Growing Experience with our online guides – Don’t plant disappointment – Add more colors to your wildflower garden! We send only super hearty heirloom flower seeds with the highest germination rate and fast sprout. Our detailed growing guide helps you grow seeds the garden of your dream like a PRO. Colorful Wildflower Garden from Seeds – Grow wildflowers everywhere – Indoor in window garden or Outdoors Flower garden Garden make a beautiful design for your garden borders, pathways, field or meadow and attract pollinators. Made in the USA by Small Family-Owned Business – Quality You Can Trust – Our wildflower bulk seeds variety pack are tested at the highest germination rates before being sealed to last for up to 3 years before you need to plant. Each packet of our flower seeds variety pack is resealable to make it easy to store and has its own label with a QR code for the growing instructions.
Lee Valley Garden Obelisks
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Sturdy yet lightweight, these obelisks provide ample support for climbing plants while being easy to install and move. The medium obelisk stands 68 1/2″ high overall with a diameter of about 9 1/2″, compact enough for smaller containers indoors or out. The large size stands 86 1/2″ high with a diameter of 15 3/4″, ideal for larger outdoor spaces and containers.
Last Friday night the Society of Garden and Landscape Designers (SGLD) gathered in London to present their annual awards. Gardenista got the scoop on this year’s winners, which include several firms who won multiple awards for their submissions.
The “Garden of the Year Award” went to a family garden in Putney designed by Tomoko Kawauchi, the design director at Charlotte Rowe Garden Design; this garden was a triple-winner, also taking home the prizes in the “Small Residential Landscapes & Gardens” and “Built Landscape Design” categories. Another multi-award winner was a shady,terraced London gardensubmitted by Adolfo Harrison, which won both the “Judges’ Award” and the “Garden Jewel Award.” Fi Boyle took home the “People’s Choice Award,” which is the only category decided by public vote, for a garden sited in an old quarry.
But the garden that most caught our eye was the winner of the “New Designer Landscapes & Gardens” award design by Nicholas Morton, though he’s no novice designer: Before starting his own firm he worked for more than a decade for well-known designers Charlotte Rowe and Arne Maynard. Morton had also previously won one of SGLD’s Student Awards. “It is an incredible confirmation for a young design studio to be recognised by the SGLD,” says Morton.
Judges praised Morton’s restoration of a coastal town garden as a “a delightful, well-planted garden that overcomes challenging conditions with skill,” while remarking on the thoughtful planting, high-quality materials, and clever use of budget. They also noted: “The restrained design works beautifully with the building and its history.
Here’s a peek at Morton’s winning garden.
Photography by Elissa Diver, courtesy of Nicholas Morton.
Above: Added as part of architectural work on the house, new French doors connect the garden to the open-plan sitting room and kitchen. Morton describes the resulting indoor-outdoor space as “a place that feels like it is very private and a far away from the world outside. Above:”The clients’ in-town property was a tricky L-shaped garden that wraps around the house, from the back to one side. “The challenge was to connect two arms of a garden, which had very different conditions, using planting that would both look good year-round and have seasonal highlights from multiple windows. All whilst breaking up the space to create a journey that both utilised, and encouraged use of, all of the space,” says Morton. Above: For the hardscaping, Morton paired reclaimed Yorkstone pavers with a shell-based gravel mulch, which helps the garden retain water, for a welcome time-worn feeling. Outdoor furniture pieces from HAY’s iconic Palissade collection appears in each of the garden’s seating areas. Above: Custom wood fencing and a row of newly-planted pleached trees and two specimen multi-stem ‘Strawberry’ trees create privacy and vertical interest along the property line. Above: Morton describes his drought-tolerant planting scheme as “deceptively simple,” noting he used repeated structural planting with a matrix of grasses that “allow the feature plants to really stand out when it is their turn to shine.” Strategically-placed, naturalistic evergreen shrubs break up the space and define different areas within the garden. Above: Note how Morton cleverly concealed an external oil boiler (at right) that dominated the view along this arm of the garden. Morton designed what he calls a “collector’s table,” a reclaimed slate table top with custom-made corten legs, to hold the clients’ potted sun-loving plants.
So far this season we’ve already enjoyed an assortment of wonderful indoor greenery from Barbara in Massachusetts and Leni in Ontario, Canada. Now we’re off to Eden Prairie, Minnesota (Zone 4b/5a) for a tour of Jen Furan’s collection. We were first introduced to Jen’s midwest garden back in August of last year (Jennifer’s New Gardening Journey in Minnesota), but we had no idea that she was hiding all of these incredible treasures indoors.
Living in the cold northern state of Minnesota, once I got bit by the gardening bug a couple years ago it resulted in needing to be surrounded by green in the winter months, too. What began as a few plants, admittedly that I had to replace frequently due to my learning curve, has ballooned into an outright obsession. Some of the plants still become my victims from time to time, but I’d like to think that’s more on them than me. Hope you enjoy looking at some of my indoor plants.
A hand-me-down leather top table isn’t probably the best plant table, but that’s what my mom also used it for. This is an eastern window in my kitchen and dining room area. I’ve hung a grow light from the ceiling to keep the plants happy. These plants include a few hoyas(‘Royal Hawaiian’ hoya [Hoya pubicalyx ‘Royal Hawaiian Purple’] is behind the carnivorous butterwort), air plants, a pink crown of thorns (Euphorbia milii, Zones 9–11), and an orange spider plant (Chlorophytum ‘Fire Flash’, Zones 11–12) I’ve brought back from the brink of death in a cute locally sourced cache pot.
My touch of green atop a tall bookcase where a rattlesnake calathea (Goeppertia insignis, Zones 11–12)and wintergreen(Gaultheria procumbens, Zones 3–7)do just fine. Sitting guard is a gnome and a pink mushroom I made at a class held by a local pottery shop.
My obsession even resulted in me refinishing this old bookcase- paint, stencils, and some grow lights turned this into a plant-case instead.
My office has a collection of plants on my desk and printer cabinet. From left to right: ‘Futura Robusta’ snake plant(Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Futura Robusta’, Zones 10–12), ‘Chameleon’ ZZ plant(Zamioculcas zamiifolia ‘Chameleon’, Zones 9–10), ‘Wishes’ aglaonema(Aglaonema ‘Wishes’, Zones 10–12), and a medley of assorted pothos.
The pothos (Epipremnum aureum, Zones 10–12) medley includes epipremnumvarieties ‘Snow Queen,’ ‘Neon,’ ‘Cebu Blue,’ and ‘Manjula.’
This is the western window of my office where in the winter months my crown of thorns and butterworts need help with some extra grow lights. I even had to get a second-hand table just to make room for more plants.
I’ve become a bit enamored with hoyas. ‘Lisa’ hoya(Hoya australis ‘Lisa’, Zones 10–11)on the left and two ‘Super Silver’ hoya(Hoya krohniana ‘Eskimo’, Zones 10–11)that I got as small cuttings have done well in this west facing window.
Zebra haworthia (Haworthia attenuata, Zones 9–11)and ‘Quito’ peperomia(Peperomia caperata ‘Quito’, Zones 11–12)brighten the office corner, with what has become a wood carving of a fitting house plant motto for me – begin again.
This paphiopedilum hybrid venus slipper with variegated leaves is a newer addition that I can’t stop staring at. Its been happy in an eastern window of my living room.
My Hoya walliniana (Zones 11–12) in a western window of my living room has been blooming profusely since I broughtit home, with a couple more getting ready to open.
Thank you so much for sharing your incredible houseplant collection with us, Jen! With your spectacular gardens I’m not sure how you find time to care for all these beauties indoors, color me impressed.
Seed starting and spring prep might be underway, but we still have a whole lot of winter to get through. Before we turn our attention to spring blooms and outdoor chores, consider sharing your indoor plants with the blog. Follow the NEW directions below to submit your photos to Garden Photo of the Day!
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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!
You can also 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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Sturdy yet lightweight, these obelisks provide ample support for climbing plants while being easy to install and move. The medium obelisk stands 68 1/2″ high overall with a diameter of about 9 1/2″, compact enough for smaller containers indoors or out. The large size stands 86 1/2″ high with a diameter of 15 3/4″, ideal for larger outdoor spaces and containers.
The Crevice Garden: How to make the perfect home for plants from rocky places
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A crevice garden replicates the environmental conditions of mountain tops, deserts, coastlines, and other exposed or rocky places on earth. These striking garden features provide perfect conditions for the plants native to these far-off places, bringing the cultivation of these precious gems within everybody’s reach.
Chinese chestnut is a medium size deciduous flowering tree that is a native of China and, in its natural habitat, often found in woods, forests, and mountain slopes from sea level to 9000 feet. This tree can reach a height and spread of about 40 feet, with a symmetrical and round crown. It branches close to the ground, which makes it a good landscape tree. The smell of the flower might be offensive to some people. The nut is edible, attracts wild life, but use caution when handling it because it is spiny. The tree is resistant to chestnut blight. Chinese chestnut will make a good shade tree in the landscape and has interesting fall color.
The genus name comes from the town of Castania in Thessaly where the trees reportedly grew in abundance. The specific epithet comes from the Latin word for soft, in reference to the pubescent twigs and leaf undersides.
Chinese chestnut prefers full sun to partial shade and moist well drained soil It will grow in clay, sandy soils, loam, and even tolerates nutritionally poor soils. It will do well in neutral and mildly acidic conditions and tolerates occasional drought, hot summers, and humidity. If you are growing this tree for its edible nuts, planting more than one tree will facilitate cross-pollination and produce a more abundant nut crop. However, falling chestnuts can pose a litter problem.
The first time we saw Chinese chestnuts was way back when we lived outside of Nashville. Pastor Phil Dillingham of Priest Lake Christian Fellowship had a couple of them growing in his backyard. They were beautiful little trees, loaded with nuts.
We tried roasting them but found them awful. We had no idea what we were doing, but we had heard the Christmas song and did our best.
Later, we boiled some and they were delicious.
So far, we’ve planted about 5 Chinese chestnuts and two Dunstans in the yard. We plan to plant a lot more as we get the opportunity. I’ve also got two Chinquapins that need to go in the ground, hopefully before they wake up.
Hunters and wildlife appreciators often plant chestnuts to feed animals as well. They fit nicely into the ecosystem anywhere oaks already grow. The spiny nut casings are hard on bare feet, though, so don’t plant them next to your walkways.
Whether you’re creating a character for cosplay, writing a fantasy story, naming a fairy in a garden display, or helping a child imagine who might live behind their fairy door, choosing the right fairy name is part of the magic.
The best fairy names feel whimsical, a little mystical, and perfectly suited to the fairy’s personality – and finding that just-right name can spark all sorts of creative inspiration.
Whether you’re looking for cute fairy names, funny fairy names, or fairy names inspired by nature, this guide is packed with fairy name ideas to help you find the perfect one.
And if you can’t decide, we’ve included a fairy name generator at the end too.
Tips for choosing a fairy name
When thinking of names for fairies, it helps to picture the fairy first. Ask yourself:
What is the fairy’s role? (Garden fairy, tooth fairy, woodland fairy, flower fairy?)
What is her personality? (Mischievous, gentle, wise, playful?)
What does she look like? (Petal dress, leafy wings, glittery glow?)
Does she have any special powers? (Controlling the wind, helping flowers grow, granting wishes?)
A few handy tricks for coming up with the best fairy names:
Use alliteration: Flora Fern, Poppy Petal
Try a rhyme: Tilly Twinkle, Mabel Maple
Say it out loud – fairy names should sound light and musical
Take inspiration from nature, mythology, and literature
Keep it playful and imaginative — these are fairies after all!
Fairy name ideas
Here are some versatile, inspiring fairy name ideas that work beautifully for stories, fairy gardens, and children’s play.
Aeloria
Bramblewing
Cloverglow
Dewlily
Elowen
Fernshade
Glimmerbell
Honeyfern
Ivyshine
Juniper Gleam
Larkspur
Moonpetal
Nettlewink
Opalwing
Primrose Gleam
Quillowisp
Ripplefern
Sunlily
Thistledown
Umberbloom
Velvetwing
Willowmist
Yarrowgleam
Zinniaflutter
Fairy names inspired by nature
Fairy names inspired by nature are some of the most magical because fairies and gardens go hand in hand.
Blossom
Petal
Briar Rose
Clover
Daisydew
Fern
Ivy
Lavender
Marigold
Poppy
Bluebell
Snowdrop
Buttercup
Dandelion
Hazel
Rowan
Willow
Holly
Maple
Acornia
Fairy names inspired by mythology
If you want something a little more timeless, fairy names inspired by mythology add a lovely depth.
Aura
Selene
Nyx
Gaia
Freya
Iris
Luna
Thalia
Rhea
Calliope
Daphne
Echo
Astraea
Circe
Elara
Fairy names inspired by literature
Some of the most famous fairy names and enchanting characters come from books.
Titania
Tinker Bell
Morgana
Nimue
Arwen
Galadriel
Melisande
Rosamund
Seraphina
Cute fairy names
These cute fairy names are perfect for little ones and fairy gardens.
Twinkle
Pip
Lulu
Mimi
Tilly
Bubbles
Peaches
Fifi
Niblet
Pudding
Winks
Dottie
Flossie
Pippa
Gigi
Mystical fairy names
For something more ethereal and magical, these mystical fairy names have a dreamy feel.
Aeris
Lumina
Zephyra
Solara
Nymera
Eloria
Vaelora
Sylpha
Miralune
Orabelle
Celestia
Elaris
Moonara
Starwyn
Funny fairy names
Children absolutely love funny fairy names.
Tootle
Wobblewing
Snickerdust
Bumbleblink
Fizzlepop
Noodlefern
Wigglepetal
Giggleleaf
Muffinwing
Pickleblossom
Whimsical fairy names
These whimsical fairy names feel straight out of a storybook.
Whistlefern
Petalwink
Shimmerlark
Glowbriar
Mistyquill
Thimblewing
Featherdew
Glintpetal
Hushwillow
Driftlily
Famous fairy names
Some names of fairies are already well known and loved.
Tinker Bell
Titania
The Blue Fairy
Fairy Godmother
Merryweather
Flora
Fauna
Fairy name generator
If you’d like an endless supply of magical fairy names, this simple fairy names generator will create one at the click of a button.
Fairy Name Generator
Click the button to generate a magical fairy name!
With these fairy names, fairy name ideas, and your own fairy name generator, you’ll never be short of magical inspiration for stories, fairy gardens, or imaginative play again.
If your once sunlit area is now shaded, or a recent storm took out a significant tree, you may notice your garden design is suffering. It’s time for intervention.
It’s disappointing when a good design begins to fail. Unlike interior spaces, gardens continually change, so most designs require revision over time. Frequently, when a design begins to deteriorate, plants are replaced piecemeal. This often results in an unfavorable shift in appearance—technically, a loss of design “legibility.” What was once a dynamic tapestry begins to resemble a tattered patchwork.
Like most things in life, there is another way. However, hold off on a garden center run, and do your homework first. Restraining your impulses when you decide to change your garden composition is the unsexy but critical secret to successful design. Take these steps instead:
Make a basic diagram of the revision area to help guide later plant choices.
Observation goes beyond noticing problems; it’s also about recognizing what is working and investigating possible remediation. Record your findings by making a basic diagram of the bed. At this point, there is no need for artistic appeal or accurate scale, although using graph paper may help you keep track of everything. Draw a circle for each plant or group, label it in a way you will understand (you can find its scientific name later), and make a note of its condition and relevant variables. Document the site by taking pictures, more than you think you will need, and try to do this at three points throughout the day (morning/midday/afternoon).
Investigation means checking the less obvious spots. What is going on below your plants?
Lay everything out so you can review it. I upload my photos to create an online collage, but you can also print them. Depending on your site, you may already know the issues you are facing. Now is the time to note current environmental conditions and which plants will perform well under those conditions. Avoid fighting your circumstances, as that approach often leads to poor outcomes. Your revision’s success usually depends on your willingness to accept reality and think creatively. Believe me, there really is a plant for every place, but you may have to open yourself up to it.
Get your data in front of you. Document your site with photos, and measure your working area in preparation for redesign.
If you have your heart set on specific plants, now is the time to research their requirements and compare them with your conditions. Review what you have at hand and wish to reuse, but be willing to start fresh. Consider more than your data; also assess what you are trying to accomplish with the revised design. For example, you may have initially designed that border to highlight a view. But as the neighborhood has grown, your needs have changed, and privacy is now more important. Prioritize your plant wish list to align with your design needs.
Step 3: Plan (rules, plan)
Your plan may be a simple pencil drawing. What matters is what it looks like in the ground. Take time to work through the steps for a successful revision.
The instinct at this point is often to jump into layout, but wait—set some rules for yourself to filter your plant choices based on environmental conditions, your color scheme, and your design strategy. This is why it’s so important to know what you are trying to achieve with your redesign. It’s easy for plant palettes to go out of control now (more on this in another post), so generally focus on selecting fewer kinds of plants, but include more plants overall. Use the rules you set for this design when you finally make your layout plan.
While it doesn’t have to be complicated, using research, forethought, and a solid methodology results in the strongest designs. In Part 2, I’ll address the final two steps, focusing on installation and the factors that drive long-term garden success.
Find more great garden design advice:
Discuss this article or ask gardening questions with a regional gardening expert on the Gardening Answers forum.
And for more Northeast regional reports, click here.
Heather Tuckman owns Resilient Ground Design in southeastern Pennsylvania and is a graduate of the London College of Garden Design.
Photos: Heather Tuckman
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Meetup apps are springing up left and right, promising you friendship in a time when many people struggle to build new connections. After attending multiple meetups, I can safely say they’re not what you expect. You may not meet your best friend, but you can expect to get social in new ways.
A few months ago, I shared my experience of meeting strangers for coffee in my newsletter. And it sure got a lot of responses.
In 2025, met over 100 strangers by sitting down for coffee or dinner. While I wish I were so friendly-looking that I just met all these people single-handedly, I met them through various meetup apps.
Chances are, you’ve also received ads for these apps. They promise carefully curated meetups, where you can meet with strangers and form new connections.
These meetup apps have been growing in popularity, most likely as a result of the loneliness that emerged from the pandemic. From working remotely to losing friendships, people were craving connection.
I was not alone in that. Seeing these apps advertised made me think, “When is the last time I made any new connections?”
So I signed up. And ended up loving it so much, I went to as many meetups as I could. I ended up meeting people that I now consider some of my closest friends. But this didn’t happen immediately.
How It Works
There are different apps and websites, and they all work a little bit differently. The two apps that I have used the most are Timeleft and Kin. And they both work approximately the same way.
You start off by filling in your profile with basic info about yourself. This will help the group facilitators pair you with other people they think you’ll hit it off with.
Timeleft focuses on dinners, while Kin focuses on coffee meetups. You’ll be notified of your date and time for your meetup, but you won’t receive the details of who will be attending. You don’t do any planning or networking ahead of time. You simply show up.
And yes, it can be a little awkward at first. But there are typically a person or two in the group who have done this before and don’t mind steering the conversation.
So here’s what I’ve learned from doing this over the course of a year.
Everyone is Here for Their Own Reason
The people who join these groups are from all walks of life. While the app will create a group based around commonalities (age, interests, etc.), you’re still going to meet people you wouldn’t normally interact with. And that’s a good thing.
I’ve encountered those who are married, single, new to the country, have kids who have recently left the nest. Some are foodies who use this as a way to try out different restaurants and have stimulating conversation while they’re at it.
Some people want to make new connections and deeper friendships. Which is why I was there.
There’s a huge lack of commitment, which is really nice if you look at it the right way. Come into the experience knowing that it’s very casual. Most of the people are comfortable just showing up and having these dinners. They find them as a way to feel connected without having to go with a partner or a friend.
It’s important to remember that not everyone is looking to get the same experience out of this. Go in with the expectation to meet new people and have some dinner. And something will arise from it, should there be a desire from the participants.
It’s Easier to Meet People in a Group Setting
Being in a group dynamic is much less intimidating than trying to meet with people one-on-one. You don’t have to worry about continuously keeping up the conversation. But the group must be a small enough size, and the meeting should be intentional.
Compare this to a party where you don’t know many people; it can be hard to mingle because there are no forced introductions. I consider myself a fairly social person, and I still find it really hard to make connections if I only know the host or a couple of people.
Having an activity to do while you chit-chat also helps to ease any awkwardness. It can be as simple as sipping a coffee or eating dinner, but I have gone to other group activities like hikes, paint and sip at a brewery, skiing, and karaoke. I’ve heard of board game groups and others based around practicing Spanish.
There is a group-related activity that relates to your existing interests. The activity is simply the reason for you all to get together and give you something in common.
A Replacement for Third Spaces
Don’t go into this experience trying to find a deep connection. Yes, this can organically arise from the experience of constantly meeting with strangers, but I have found that these meetups are more like a replacement for a third space.
Third spaces are a place to go that’s separate from the home and work, and are a place for you to get social and build community. Think of libraries, coffee shops, churches, gyms, legions, bars, and parks. Ideally, you shouldn’t have to pay much to spend time there. Unfortunately, affordable third spaces are getting hard to come by. And fewer people are being social in third spaces.
These meetups provide a place to meet and arrange all the details on your behalf. All you have to do is show up, making it low commitment. Go in with a desire to interact with people, and you’ll get something out of the experience.
I already have many deep friendships, many of which I maintain on a regular basis. But what I didn’t have was the opportunity to go out for dinner on a Thursday night and sit with a group of strangers.
At the end of it, I could say goodnight and go on about my business. It allows me to sit in a social environment as someone who works from home.
Don’t worry about trying to get to the “meat” of conversation too quickly, and form these deep connections. These meetups are about having a casual place to go and to feel less pressure in social settings.
You’ll Be Pleasantly Surprised
If you go in with all of the above as your mindset, you’re starting in a really good place. You’re going to get out of the house, be a little social, meet with some hopefully like-minded people, and then be on your merry way.
And if something else arises out of that, amazing.
I met a woman at one of the coffee meetups, and she and I have become really close. I now consider her one of my best friends.
I’ve also met a large group of people (about 20-30 people) with whom I now routinely go out for a variety of activities. We do karaoke on a regular basis and go out for dinner. I’m also in a skiing group that meets up regularly in the winter.
Most of the people I have met are activity partners, but a few have become really close friends. So if you’ve gone to a few dinners or meetups, I encourage you to keep trying. You’ll find the people you’re meant to click with.
Meetup Apps to Try
My Experience With Timeleft
After you sign up and fill in a bit about yourself, Timeleft will take over and schedule a dinner for you, matching you with a group of six or so strangers.
What I like about the app is that they obviously have local people in place to help with scheduling. They book the restaurant for you, and you won’t know who you’re meeting or where you’re meeting until the day of the dinner.
I found it to be a great way to get out of the house in a low-commitment, social environment. When you’re having dinner, you’re sitting right next to these strangers, and conversation will flow.
I’ve had some dinners where I don’t love some of the ideas being discussed or where the flow of dinner feels a little bit uncomfortable. But of course, that’s going to happen when you’re regularly meeting with strangers.
Dinner has a certain level of intention, since people must put in the effort of going to a restaurant and contributing their time, money, and effort to get to know other people. People show up with a level of openness.
In total, I went to 11 dinners in 2025, so I found the experience quite amazing. I would highly recommend it if it’s available in your city (it’s in 200+ cities and 52 countries). Besides dinner, you can also meet for drinks or runs.
My Experience With Kin
If dinner feels a little too intense, I’ve done the exact same thing through Kin and met up with a group of people for coffee. Coffee meetups definitely feel more casual than dinner. Kin has the same structure as Timeleft, where they will arrange everything for you, giving you a place and time to meet.
You begin by taking a quick questionnaire, which they will use to help match you with those of your age and personality. Groups can range from 4 to 7 people.
From Kin, I’ve made some of my closest friends. I found people that I connected with quickly, and planned to hang out with them immediately.
I’ve also met people that I encounter again at another coffee, or even dinner through Timeleft. It’s great because I can follow up on our earlier conversations!
Kin is currently only available in ten cities, but I hope it continues to expand because I think it’s a really great low-stakes, affordable option for those interested in community building.
Other Meetup Apps to Try
I have not given these apps a try, but I wanted to include them in case they were more available in your city or had features you’d be interested in. All of them seem to be a little different.
Group Vibes: Very similar to Timeleft and Kin, Group Vibes will match you with like-minded people and schedule a meetup in a café or restaurant. It’s currently available in 40 cities and 15 countries.
RealRoots: RealRoots is another match/group meetup app, but specifically designed for women. It also includes a RealRoots guide at the meetup, who will help to lead the conversation. You then have the option to continue with the group for 6 weeks, where they will continue to reserve and organize meetups.
Bumble BFF: based on their popular dating app, Bumble BFF is a swiping app designed specifically to meet friends. It requires you to make a profile and swipe through to find matches based on other people’s profiles. You initiate conversations and meetups.
I hope this plants a seed to step outside of your comfort zone. If you’re looking to meet new people, this could be a great, low-stakes option to do so. If you’ve tried one of these apps before, let me know in the comments.
More Ways to Build Community
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
Welcome to The Editors’ Cut, our monthly column dedicated to beautiful and useful finds for all over the house. In this installment: sweet nothings to give to someone you love (or treat yourself). — The R/G Editors Italian Socks Sexy Soap Love Notes, Two Ways A Toast for Two Flowers That Last Forever Also On […]
As promised, we are back in Richmond, British Columbia, today to see more photos of Cherry Ong’s incredible fall pumpkin arrangements. We already saw some beautiful close-up shots of some of the pumpkins she gave as gifts last year (Cherry’s Festive Fall Pumpkins), but today we’re looking at the DIY project that allowed her to create lovely displays of the finished products in her garden before they were gifted. These homemade boxes are Cherry’s auricula theaters, small garden structures that can be traced back to the 17th century, after the rise in popularity of auriculas (Primula auricula, Zones 3–8) the century before. While these garden boxes are traditionally used to protect delicate spring bloomers from harsh winds and rain, Cherry found an interesting way to utilize them in the fall.
The Auricula Theater was a DIY project about two years ago. They’re made from pallet wood and stained. Hubby constructed and hung the boxes. I designed and stained them.
The succulent-topped white pumpkins were displayed in the left theater.
For the right theater, I decorated a variety of mini white pumpkins and mini turban squashes with Chinese tea rosebuds (a bag of them cost CAD $7, and I didn’t use the entire bag) along with seasonal flowers and foliage from the garden.
I had a little fun displaying the smaller ones in our pallet-wood DIY Auricula Theater before they were delivered. A small number of old mini terra-cotta pots added more interest and height to the display.
This was a really fun project this year. It’s always amazing what the garden brings each season.
A couple more precious pumpkins topped in clusters of Chinese tea rosebuds
Dried dahlias from the garden
Thank you so much for sharing this gorgeous display with us, Cherry! I’m thrilled you got to enjoy your pretty creations in all their glory before they went to their homes.
Did you try anything new in your fall garden last year? While most of us have all eyes on spring, it’s a great idea to look back at last fall and consider what we want to plant or plan for this year’s garden. If you have any photos that might offer inspiration to your fellow gardeners, consider sharing them with the blog. Follow the NEW directions below to submit your photos to Garden Photo of the Day!
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Premium 16 Perennial Wildflower Seeds Mix – Special Garden Flower Seeds Blend designed for planting indoor & outdoors across North America. With over 16 varieties and 100,000 wildflower seeds, this mix is the best solution to attract pollinators – bees, butterflies & birds are essential for garden plants health. Our Special Perennial Wildflower Seeds Mix Includes White Yarrow, Columbine, New England Aster, Siberian Wallflower, Shasta Daisy, Lance-Leaf Coreopsis, Sweet William, Purple Coneflower, Blanketflower, Gayfeather, Blue Flax, Lupine, Dwarf Evening, Primrose, Mexican Hat, Prairie Coneflower, Black Eyed Susan. Easy & Fun Growing Experience with our online guides – Don’t plant disappointment – Add more colors to your wildflower garden! We send only super hearty heirloom flower seeds with the highest germination rate and fast sprout. Our detailed growing guide helps you grow seeds the garden of your dream like a PRO. Colorful Wildflower Garden from Seeds – Grow wildflowers everywhere – Indoor in window garden or Outdoors Flower garden Garden make a beautiful design for your garden borders, pathways, field or meadow and attract pollinators. Made in the USA by Small Family-Owned Business – Quality You Can Trust – Our wildflower bulk seeds variety pack are tested at the highest germination rates before being sealed to last for up to 3 years before you need to plant. Each packet of our flower seeds variety pack is resealable to make it easy to store and has its own label with a QR code for the growing instructions.
Bee Watering Station with Vivid Flower Design
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Thoughtful Combo: You will receive a bee feeder and 30 glass marbles. This thoughtful combo can provide clean water for the bees, you just need to put the marbles into the bee watering station, add water (note: the water level should not exceed the height of the marbles) and hang them in the right place. The round, colored marbles can provide a place for the bees to stand and prevent them from falling into the water, effectively keeping the bees safe. Fine Material: This exquisite bee bath is made of high quality iron material, smooth surface, rust and weather resistant, not easy to fade, sturdy and reliable. Bee cups for garden can well meet the drinking water needs of lovely bees, and it can also provide food for bees, such as sugar water, nectar, etc., attracting more bees to your outdoor area and making your garden full of vitality. Perfect Size: The butterfly watering station has an overall height of 13.4 inches, a bowl diameter of 9.4 inches, and a weight of 0.44 pounds. The bee cup serves the needs of the bees well without plunging them into dangerously deep water or taking up unnecessary space in your garden, and this compact and efficient design makes it a practical addition to any outdoor space. Elegant Design: Our bee watering cups are designed in unique flower shapes with vibrant and realistic colours to attract lovely bees to your garden and patio, bee feeders for outside are not only functional but can also be used as a landscaping element, their vibrant floral patterns enhance the beauty of your garden. Multicolored Decoration: Colorful bee water stations look like flowers in a garden, flower bed or pot and attract bees and butterflies. They can drink or bathe in bee feeders, which are highly decorative and practical.
The Crevice Garden: How to make the perfect home for plants from rocky places
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A crevice garden replicates the environmental conditions of mountain tops, deserts, coastlines, and other exposed or rocky places on earth. These striking garden features provide perfect conditions for the plants native to these far-off places, bringing the cultivation of these precious gems within everybody’s reach.
Arbico Organics carries a powder that can be mixed with water to create a spray called BioCeres WP. Pick it up in pound bags.
6. Cutworms
Cutworms are larvae of night flying moths in the Noctuidae family, the same ones that flap around your porch lights at night.
They exist on every continent in every area except Antarctica.
Adult moths lay eggs on plants, which hatch into grubs that can reach up to two inches long.
Since cutworms vary dramatically in appearance, the easiest way to identify one is to poke it gently – if it curls into a C shape, you’ve found your culprit.
These grubs emerge from the soil at night to chew through the herbaceous stems of young plants at ground level.
A healthy pea seedling in the evening can be toppled and dying by morning.
Deer, rabbits, voles, mice, and gophers all love the tender leaves, tendrils, flowers, and stems. I’ve watched deer devour an entire pea plant down to the ground.
Growing in containers is the best defense against underground pests like gophers, while fencing or row covers works better for deer and rabbits.
Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) are serious pests, even if their jewel-like iridescent green, brown, and bronze bodies make them surprisingly attractive.
Don’t let the pretty exterior fool you – these beetles can devastate a garden.
In large numbers, they’ll skeletonize entire plants, and they won’t stop at peas.
They’ll move on to roses, apples, cherries, hollyhocks, marigolds, basil, and soybeans. The grubs also feed on turfgrass roots.
It’s alarmingly easy to end up with huge populations because when one beetle finds food, it releases a pheromone that alerts every other beetle in the area.
They can quickly turn a healthy plant into a sickly, stunted, or dead one.
Pea moths (Cydia nigricana syn. Laspeyresia nigricana) aren’t widespread, but they’re particularly problematic because you won’t know they’re present until it’s too late.
The first sign is usually when you shell your peas or bite into a snap pea and discover half-inch white caterpillars wriggling inside, or evidence of their feeding – holes in the seeds and frass.
Left undisturbed, these caterpillars drop to the ground to overwinter. In spring, they pupate and emerge as half-inch grayish-brown moths.
The adults mate and lay eggs on pea plants, and when those eggs hatch, the larvae tunnel into developing pods to continue the cycle.
To control pea moths, start by removing any weeds in the legume family from around your garden. When the garden bed is fallow, till the top inch of soil to expose overwintering larvae.
You can’t effectively spray insecticides because the larvae are protected inside the pods, but you can apply kaolin clay to plants in spring as a deterrent to adult moths.
Snag 25 pounds at Arbico Organics and follow the manufacturer’s directions for spraying plants.
11. Pea Weevils
Pea weevils (Bruchus pisorum) are misnamed – they’re actually leaf beetles, not true weevils, though they certainly do feed on peas.
These beetles arrived in North America from Europe in the 1600s and now occur throughout the continent except northern Canada. They’re incredibly damaging and difficult to control.
The adults are oval-shaped beetles up to seven millimeters long with mottled cream, brown, and black shells.
Females lay bright yellow, cigar-shaped eggs on developing pea pods.
When the eggs hatch, cream-colored, C-shaped larvae burrow into the pods and tunnel directly into individual seeds, where they feed and develop.
Unlike true weevils, the larvae lack a distinctive snout, though they do have brown heads and grow to about five millimeters long.
In 2026, technology plays a strange and dual role in our lives. On one hand, it offers endless opportunities for learning and exploration; on the other, it can easily pull us into mindless entertainment.
For example, during a nature walk a child could open a phone’s identification app, point it at a wildflower, and spend a few minutes comparing the leaf shapes with the app’s results. In this scenario, the app doesn’t detract from their experience – it makes it more interesting. That same phone, left unchecked at home, could have meant hours spent lost in Roblox before dinner.
This is the odd reality of children and technology in 2026. The device that can turn a garden walk into a science lesson is the same device that can swallow an entire evening. The apps that teach, inspire, and encourage creativity sit right next to the ones designed to keep small fingers tapping forever. And without some kind of structure, the second group always wins.
The good news is that setting up that structure is simpler than it sounds.
When screen time actually feeds a real-world hobby
There’s a real difference between screen time that leaves children glazed over and screen time that sends them running to the garden with a magnifying glass. A plant identification app is a perfect example.
Hand a child a phone with something like Seek by iNaturalist on a nature walk and something shifts. Suddenly every leaf is worth photographing, every wildflower needs looking up, and the walk home involves plans to press flowers and label them properly. That’s learning in action, not passive consumption.
Drawing tutorial apps work the same way. Children who love to sketch can follow step-by-step lessons on a tablet, then transfer those new skills to paper and canvas. Gardening apps can help them plan beds, track planting schedules, and learn about companion planting. The technology becomes a springboard, not a replacement.
The trick is making sure these enriching apps don’t end up buried under a pile of distracting ones. And that’s where a bit of practical planning comes in.
Sorting the ‘positive’ apps from the ‘passive’ ones
It might help to think about children’s apps in two simple categories. There are the positive apps, the ones that actively support their interests, teach them something, or encourage them to create. And then there are the passive apps, the ones designed to keep them tapping and scrolling with no real purpose beyond entertainment.
Both have their place. But the issue comes when the passive apps eat into all the available screen time, leaving no room for the ones that genuinely enrich a child’s hobbies.
What if you could set things up so that the educational and creative apps were always available, while the time-sink games had a clear daily limit? That way, a child could spend as long as they like identifying butterflies on iNaturalist or following a watercolour tutorial, but Roblox or whatever the current obsession happens to be would switch off after thirty minutes.
How app groups make this simple
This is exactly the approach you can take with Salfeld Child Control, a parental control tool that’s been around since 1998 (originally developed for Windows 98, which gives you a sense of how established it is). What makes it particularly useful for families with active, hobby-driven children is the App Groups feature.
Setting up the groups
The idea is straightforward. You create groups of apps based on how the child uses them. So you might have a “Creative & Learning” group containing things like Seek by iNaturalist, Tayasui Sketches, YouTube (filtered to art and gardening channels), and a favourite drawing app. This group can be set to unlimited access, with no time cap, because these are the apps you don’t mind them using.
Then you create a second group, perhaps “Games & Social”, for the apps you want to keep in check. Set a daily or weekly time limit for this group, and the software handles the rest. When the limit is reached, those apps lock automatically, but everything in the “Creative & Learning” group stays accessible.
It takes the arguing out of screen time. The child knows the rules because the device enforces them consistently. No negotiations, no “just five more minutes” at the dinner table.
A few other features worth knowing about
Cross-device tracking with roaming
Salfeld’s app works across both Windows and Android, with a single web portal to manage everything. So if a child uses a tablet for drawing apps and a laptop for homework, you can set shared time limits across both devices using the Roaming feature. No more “but my tablet time ran out so I switched to the computer” loopholes.
Bonus time for positive screen time
The Bonus Time feature allows you to designate certain apps as “bonus apps,” and time spent on them actually earns the child extra screen time elsewhere. So twenty minutes on a maths app might automatically unlock ten extra minutes of gaming. It’s a carrot-not-stick approach that rewards the right kind of screen time without you having to manage it manually.
Web filtering for independent browsing
The web filter is useful too, particularly for older children who are starting to browse independently. You can filter by age or category, or set up a whitelist of approved sites.
Making technology work for your family
We don’t have to see technology and real-world hobbies as being at odds with each other. A child who loves nature can use an app to deepen that love. A child who loves drawing can find new techniques and inspiration on a tablet. The role of technology is to add another layer to what they’re already passionate about.
Setting up clear boundaries around which apps get unlimited access and which ones have limits doesn’t take long, and it makes a genuine difference to how children experience their devices. Rather than fighting over screen time, you’re guiding it, and that feels like a much healthier approach for everyone.
Trying it out
If you’d like to give it a try, Salfeld offers a free 30-day trial with all features included, so you can set up your app groups and see how it works for your family before committing. There’s no credit card needed, and it cancels automatically with no sneaky renewals.
Over to you
Do your children use any apps to support their hobbies? Share what’s worked well for your family in the comments.
Unless you’re in the southernmost United States, you probably experience a period of dormancy in your garden in winter. Deciduous trees and shrubs drop their leaves, herbaceous perennials dry and wither to crispy brown stalks, and even evergreens seem to stall their growth in anticipation. At first glance, dormancy might look like death for many plants, but it’s really a process of survival that enables perennials to persist from one year to the next.
There are two kinds of dormancy: Some plants enter endodormancy, which is timed by the plant’s internal clock, and others enter ecodormancy, which relies on environmental triggers like a sudden drop in temperature. Functionally, both processes reduce the plant’s need for light and water, protect it from the stress of harsh winter conditions, and postpone growth until favorable conditions return.
Transplanting and planting
Don’t fret if all your transplanting and planting was not completed by the end of fall. If the ground isn’t frozen, hardy plants will take movement in stride during winter dormancy. Photo: Carol Collins
When your garden goes dormant, it may be tempting to hang up your tools and take the season off, but don’t let this unique opportunity go to waste. Winter is the best time to transplant many plants, especially trees and shrubs. Just as dormancy protects plants from feeling the effects of extreme weather, it also protects them from the stress and shock of transplanting. As long as you can get a shovel into the ground, you can transplant.
Hardy new additions to the garden can also be planted any time the ground isn’t frozen—so long as you’re careful not to move them from a house or greenhouse directly into freezing temps. Even in the harshness of winter, plants are happiest in the ground.
Common Winter Woes
Dormancy is a dependable process, and most cold-hardy plants survive the winter without ever needing help, but that’s not to say this season is always trouble-free. Here are the most common winter woes to look out for, and ways you can prevent them.
Frost heave:
Without an insulating layer of mulch or leaves, underground water can swell and crack soil. This is not a big deal for bare spots in the garden but devastating when it exposes root balls to the elements. Photo: Michal Maňas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Frost heaving occurs when water freezes underground and turns to ice that pushes up from beneath the surface. The frozen soil swells and cracks, and can even lift the root balls of plants, exposing them to frigid air. Porous, loamy soils are particularly susceptible.
Frost heaving can be devastating in a garden, but you can protect against it with a good layer of mulch or even leaf litter to insulate the soil. Mid- to late fall is a great time to apply it before winter sets in. Learn more about the dos and don’ts of mulching here.
Frost damage:
Most hardy, well-established plants, like this rhododendron, will have no problem bouncing back from a hard frost but will likely lose buds that have already developed. Photo: liz west, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
While early or late frosts can cause unsightly damage to plants, it won’t usually kill hardy, established ones. The greatest risk tends to be to newly planted seedlings and flower buds. Seedlings might not be rooted in well enough to survive, or may experience a severe setback due to shock, and flower buds that freeze may lose an entire bloom season and any fruit that might have followed.
Predicting frosts can be a tricky business, since frost dates are based on yearly averages, so it’s important to be prepared. Here are ways to protect at-risk plants from a sudden frost:
Create a temporary cloche for individual plants out of an empty milk jug or juice container (be sure to remove it if temperatures rise during the day, to prevent a greenhouse effect).
Position cardboard boxes over plants.
Use sheets or blankets to shield flowering shrubs or entire beds from frost in areas where they aren’t likely to get wet.
Use plastic sheeting, which is impermeable by moisture, but be careful not to let it touch the plants.
Consider building hoop houses or cold frames for plants that need protection for an extended period of time.
If you’re concerned about a particular plant, there are several different methods of giving them a little extra protection from frost. Photo: Mark Dwyer
Even if a plant looks fatally damaged by frost, leave it planted. Roots may persist even when the foliage has died, and if given enough time to recover, sometimes the plant will regrow.
Plants that aren’t cold hardy:
Sometimes there is no way around it. If you want certain warm-climate plants, like elephant’s ear, to come back next year, you will need to dig them up. Check out How to Overwinter Elephant’s Ears to learn more. Photo: Jennifer Benner
Cold-hardy plants have come up a lot so far, but what about overwintering plants that aren’t hardy? Plants in pots and above-ground planters, and warm-climate favorites like fuchsia, elephant’s ear, and citrus trees can all be unequipped to deal with winter temperatures in the majority of the southeastern United States. Luckily, there are some ways to increase your chances:
Consider choosing perennials and small shrubs that are hardy to at least two growing zones below your own for pots and planters.
Move potted outdoor plants into an unheated shelter for winter, like a shed or unheated garage, and water occasionally (usually every few weeks).
Dig up non-hardy bulbs, like dahlias, to be stored for the winter.
Plant borderline-hardy plants along the south side of your house or another building to provide extra warmth in the winter.
Discuss this article or ask gardening questions with a regional gardening expert on the Gardening Answers forum.
And for more Southeast regional reports, click here.
Cheyenne Wine is a writer and gardener with experience in the plant nursery industry. She currently helps promote conservation efforts through the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
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Pruning Simplified: A Step-by-Step Guide to 50 Popular Trees and Shrubs
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Pruning Simplified shows you exactly how to do it. This must-have guide offers expert advice on the best tools for the job, specific details on when to prune, and clear instructions on how to prune. Profiles of the 50 most popular trees and shrubs—including azaleas, camellias, clematis, hydrangeas, and more—include illustrated, easy-to-follow instructions that will ensure you make the right cut the first time.
Pomegranates are a Mediterranean species that is generally poorly adapted to Florida. High humidity causes fungal problems which makes for poor fruiting or premature rotting in fruit before full development. Vietnam pomegranate is an exception to this rule, being a variety with a long track record of good performance in Florida. Specimens are even reported to fruit well in muggy Miami-Dade County. Vietnam pomegranate would not be considered a gourmet/choice variety in climates where many varieties can be grown, but it is the best we have for the time being. It is a hard seeded type. Fruit often splits and not all of them ripen perfectly, but perfectly good pomegranates can be harvested from the trees.
Our plants are grown from seed. Generally, named cultivars of pomegranate are grown from air layers or cuttings. This type seems to be an exception in the nursery trade. After speaking with several fruit growers, including a Florida pomegranate specialist, we learned that it is typical to grow this variety from seed and this is often what is offered in nurseries. Trees are known to grow mostly true to type and fruit quickly from seed. For this reason, Vietnam pomegranate should probably be considered a “seedling line” of pomegranate rather than a cultivar. Variation from seed opens up potential for the selection of better or more productive cultivars.
Now let’s compare that to a pomegranate description at Just Fruits and Exotics:
Experience the exquisite taste and abundant health benefits of the Kaj-Acik-Anor Pomegranate Tree. With its vibrant red fruit and easy-to-care-for nature, this tree is a must-have addition to your garden. Order online now for a fresh and flavorful harvest.
Which pomegranate description captures your interest and imagination?
Josh educates and gives the good and the bad, informing his customers and building trust.
Just Fruits and Exotics is a long-standing and respected nursery with a vast selection.
Here’s their old description of Illinois Everbearing mulberry from 2023, thanks to the Internet Wayback Machine:
Illinois Everbearing is touted as one of the longest ripening mulberry varieties. Reddish black fruits are up to 1 1/2 inch long. Excellent quality. Trees are large growers, but can be kept small with a hard prune after fruiting. Fruit ripens early-May to early June.
And here is the current copy:
Luscious Illinois Everbearing Mulberry Tree, a bountiful bearer of sweet, plump berries. Perfect for gardens. Order online now for home orchard delight.
Which description makes you want to try growing this tree? The first description isn’t fluffy and vague. It tells you about the tree. The second is frosting with no cake.
If I could share one piece of advice with them, it would be this: get someone who knows and loves plants and have them write the copy. You can definitely market the tree as you educate, but if you have just breezy marketing copy with no kernel of knowledge behind it, you’re losing people.
Who. What. When. Where. Why and How is a good place to start.
Who discovered the tree? What is is like? What is is good for? What color is the fruit? When do you plant it? When does it fruit? When does it wake up in spring? Where is it from? Where would you plant it? Why would you want it? Why would you NOT want it? How do you grow it? How do you use it?
The earlier description tells you actual information about the tree. The second doesn’t separate it from any other mulberry! Almost every mulberry we grow is “a bountiful bearer of sweet, plump berries” and is “perfect for gardens.”
I would like to see nurseries succeed, and I regularly share links to those that have helped us find the plants we love.
And a final thing:
Don’t Spam Other People’s Businesses with Your Own
The other day I put up a post on the Atmore Farm and Garden Facebook page about our bare-root fruit trees. That post got repeatedly spammed by someone telling everyone to go to a particular nursery to get what we had.
I don’t mind the occasional link to a nursery being shared, but this was ridiculous. The poster was answering all our comments with a “Go to _____ nursery they have _____.” When we looked up the poster, we found it was the husband of the nursery owner. That’s just in poor taste. I wouldn’t dream of posting about our nursery all over another nursery’s page. I actually let the first post go through and commented something like, “That looks like a nice nursery.” But then the commenter posted again and again all through our comments.
Banned!
I want Just Fruits and Exotics and other nurseries to thrive.
Yes, people buy plants there that they could be buying from us, but that’s okay! There are plenty of fish in the sea, and a bit of competition is good. If we have more nurseries it also means we get more food in people’s backyards. It means new varieties get introduced. It means more wholesalers will thrive and propagate good plants. But don’t go spam other people’s pages, especially if you don’t have any relationship with that nursery. For example, we buy citrus from Floradel nursery to re-sell here, and both of us support each other’s work. If I don’t have something Chase has, I send people to him. And if someone lives in our area, he supports us. Sure, we probably “lose” sales to each other, but we make up for it with mutual support.
If we wanted to, we could spam that nursery with the hyperactive husband.
We won’t.
We could even post a negative review.
We won’t.
Instead, we just cut off their posting ability.
Instead of making friends, we are now alienated from each other. Bad will begets bad will. If I had discovered that nursery in a good manner, I would happily re-post their events and pay them a visit. But now? Nah. There are better people out there.
Have you noticed a decline in the performance or efficiency of your central heating system? If so, you’ve likely begun wondering how to restore it to its optimal function. One of the most effective solutions is power flushing, a service designed to clean your radiators and pipes, ensuring that your system runs smoothly and efficiently.
While you might be tempted to take on the task yourself, this is one area where it’s best to leave it to the professionals. If you’ve started looking into this, you’ve probably come across the idea of power flushing services from reputable UK companies. This process can significantly improve your system’s reliability and extend its lifespan.
The key is choosing the right company. Not all power flushing services are equal, so it’s important to do your research to find the best professionals for the job. To help with that, here are some tips for selecting the ideal power flushing company in the UK.
1. Ask for recommendations
When looking for any service, word of mouth is often one of the best resources. Reach out to people you trust – friends, family, or colleagues – who may have used power flushing services in the past. Their experiences and recommendations can point you in the right direction.
2. Conduct online research
Once you’ve gathered some suggestions, take the time to research potential companies online. Most reputable businesses have a strong online presence, which makes it easier for you to gather information, compare services, and read customer reviews. This step helps you create a list of qualified candidates to consider further.
3. Evaluate experience
Experience matters, especially when it comes to specialised services like power flushing. Look for companies with a proven track record and a team of experienced professionals who know the ins and outs of central heating systems. Most power flushing companies in the UK will share their experience and qualifications on their websites, but if you can’t find the information you need, don’t hesitate to ask directly.
4. Check reputation
Reputation is a key factor in choosing the right power flush company. You want to work with professionals who are not only skilled but also trustworthy and reliable. Reading customer reviews and testimonials are a great way to check a company’s reputation. Online platforms and social media are great places to find feedback from previous clients, helping you gauge how well a company delivers on its promises.
5. Discuss availability
Before making your final decision on a power flushing company in the UK, check their availability. While some wait time is expected, you don’t want to deal with excessive delays. Be sure to confirm that the company can complete the work within a reasonable timeframe and that their schedule aligns with your needs.
6. Compare prices
Finally, consider the cost of services. Prices for power flushing can vary, but the cheapest option isn’t always the best. Look for a balance between cost and quality – reliable companies offering fair prices and excellent service. Compare quotes from different businesses, but keep in mind that experience, reputation, and availability are equally important.
By following these steps, you can find a trustworthy and professional power flushing service that will help restore your central heating system to optimal performance.
If you’re interested in how cleaning your radiators can save you money on electricity bills, here’s a helpful guide: How to Clean Your Radiator.
Vancouver friends, I’m celebrating the launch of The Wild & Free Garden, and I want you to join me.
If you have been following me for a while, you might find it strange to learn that I haven’t hosted a launch party for any of my previous books. Lucky number thirteen, I guess!
But really, this one has landed different. The Wild & Free Garden is rooted in community, full of local gardeners, shared knowledge, borrowed tools, and seeds passed from hand to hand. It’s meant to be celebrated through gathering.
The book launch will take place on February 25 at the MONOVA, Museum of North Vancouver. Tickets are $33, which includes one signed copy of The Wild & Free Garden, as well as event admission for two guests and a special goodie from West Coast Seeds.
The Wild & Free Garden is my 13th book. I can hardly believe that I’ve written an average of a book a year since I signed my first book contract. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to write books and have them published; it’s truly a dream job.
With 13 books, creating new articles on Garden Therapy, magazine contributions, and speaking events, it’s no wonder I haven’t made the time to host a book launch before.
I had planned to do a big launch for Garden Alchemy in February 2020. It really felt like one worth celebrating, and I had a whole book tour scheduled for that spring. And well…you know what happened next. Events and travel were cancelled, and we began social distancing at home.
My next two books, Regenerative Garden and The Big Book of Botanical Crafts, were both released in 2022, but by then, book launches were far from my mind. I didn’t really attend events or host parties anymore. It all felt a bit forgotten.
I missed doing events and workshops.
So much has changed since then. In our work and live-from-home spaces, we all became busier than ever and more isolated. There seemed to be a correlation between the convenience and access to purchasing things and the inconvenience and lack of access to social connections.
After moving houses twice, I set upon building a new garden again from scratch, and I decided this garden would be built from used or reclaimed materials. For the cost savings, yes, but also for the reduction of waste.
The sharing economy became my first stop to shop for the materials I needed, and I often found exceptional quality and style from my Buy Nothing or neighbourhood groups. They would end up in a landfill if I didn’t repurpose them for my garden.
Inspired, I decided to embark on a low-buy/no-buy year in 2025. I said goodbye to all my shopping apps and any remnant of fast shopping in my life.
While it can be hard to eliminate these systems entirely and buy everything used, I made an effort to find what I needed in sharing groups first, then from local businesses.
It was through these connections of chatting and meeting with people to collect their things that I realized how much we have lost contact with real people through one-click buying and same-day shipping. Convenience = disconnection.
And that is how The Wild & Free Garden came together as a book about cost savings, waste reduction, and finding your people.
The Wild & Free Garden is a DIY and design book, but it is also the manual of how I built my own garden and came into a community of connections that transformed my life. I built the gardens in my new home through community sharing and recycled materials, and made lifelong friends along the way. The garden came together entirely through connecting.
So now, as we near the launch of the book, the idea of a launch party feels like a real-life expression of the book’s values. It calls for a gathering of people who are also interested in building community.
The Book Launch Details
The book launch will be taking place at MONOVA, the Museum of North Vancouver, on February 25, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM.
LoriAnn Bird, author, herbalist, and dear friend of mine, will be joining me to share stories, gardens, and the people behind them.
Vancouver’s North Shore Tourism Association has been a big champion of mine through the book’s creation, and they’ve helped me secure this beautiful location for the book launch. Your ticket to the event includes after-hours museum access!
Tickets to the event are $33, which includes one signed copy of The Wild & Free Garden (valued at $32.99) PLUS event admission for two guests and a special gift from West Coast Seeds.
At the event, you’ll also find two spaces inspired by the book with extra goodies. In the “Wild” area, you’ll find a self-guided creative space. I’ll be filling it with natural and found materials like pressed flowers, leaves, twine, paper, and more for you to create your own botanical artwork to take home.
The Wild area is sponsored by Vancouver’s North Shore Tourism Association, and there will be plenty of wild materials from around the North Shore for you to craft with.
The “Free” area will be a free market full of community-supported, garden-themed items, and has kindly been sponsored by West Coast Seeds. Guests are encouraged to bring new or like-new garden-themed items for the free space, but it’s completely optional.
You can leave or take as much as you’d like, and there’s no obligation to bring anything at all. There are no rules about giving or taking. Giving is for anyone who finds themself with an abundance that they no longer need. Some people need more than others, and I want the Free area to be a place of generosity.
I’ll be bringing some of my handmade soaps and gardening tools in addition to gardening books donated by Quarto, seeds from West Coast Seeds, and more goodies. So bring some jam from your garden! Or that extra trowel you never use. Or a division from your garden. It’s all about sharing.
If you’re local or happen to be in town on February 25th, get your tickets before they sell out. Space is limited for the event, and I’d love for you to join me in celebrating the launch of The Wild & Free Garden. This is an open invitation to gather, connect, and spend an evening being a little wild and a little free, together.
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
Last week we enjoyed some fantastic fall scenes from Cherry Ong’s garden in Richmond, British Columbia (Cherry’s October Garden in British Columbia), but that wasn’t the only aspect of fall gardening featured in her submission. At the end of that post, I noted that Cherry also included photos of the festive fall pumpkin creations she creates and gives as gifts every year. Of course, this is not the first time Cherry has shared the many succulent-topped treasures she has made (check out Cherry’s Succulent Pumpkins and Succulent-Topped Pumpkins), but every new batch of photos reveals exciting new designs and unique combinations that make us all excited to see more.
The usual succulent-topped pumpkins were happily made as Thanksgiving gifts.
Cherry grows a spectacular assortment of succulents and cacti year-round in her garden greenhouse, so she has no shortage of cuttings for marvelous arrangements.
These stunning arrangements, sadly, will not last forever. However, the magic of succulents is that these cuttings can be stuck in soil after the pumpkin has gone soft, and might live on in the form of a newly rooted plant.
But this year, I tried making more with nuts and dried flowers again.
Maybe more of what we might imagine from floral arrangements in the fall, these variations offer a completely different look and feel that’s equally alluring. I can easily see this as a scene-stealing centerpiece at a gorgeous holiday dinner.
This last photo is another fabulous example of Cherry’s spectacular designs as well as a little teaser of the photos we will be featuring tomorrow. Cherry and her husband worked together to craft fun display boxes that traditionally are used to house delicate spring flowers, but last fall they also doubled as the perfect spot for some creative pumpkin staging.
Keep an eye out for Garden Photo of the Day in your inbox tomorrow to see more of Cherry’s colorful fall creations and her delightful DIY display.
Follow the NEW directions below to submit your photos to Garden Photo of the Day!
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!
You can also 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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A carefree perennial, peonies (Paeonia spp.) are beloved for their sumptuous flower heads and sweet perfume.
Native to parts of North America, Europe, and Asia, their longevity and easygoing nature makes them a favorite with gardeners – and many varieties will survive even frigid Zone 2 winters.
Blossom colors are available in white, yellow, pink, and red and they appear in late spring to early summer.
Single forms are intensely fragrant and don’t require as much staking as the double flower forms, which have a lighter scent but can get quite top heavy.
Peonies aren’t the longest lasting of cut flowers – but bring some into the home anyways!
Robust clumps will form in fertile, well-drained soil with a neutral pH. Give peonies a sunny exposure or part shade. They also enjoy a winter chill to set buds.
Remove spent flower heads after blooming, but don’t cut back until winter – their foliage puts on a lovely display of autumn colors. Hardy in Zones 3 to 8.
Paeonia ‘Karl Rosenfeld’ sports large, bright red double blooms that are intensely fragrant.
In early spring, it develops arching panicles of small white blossoms similar in shape, size, and fragrance to lily of the valley.
Photo by Lorna Kring.
Before the flowers are finished, new growth appears in blazing shades of pink, orange, and red that turn to green by summer.
Ideal as a foundation or specimen plant in garden beds, they also perform admirably in large planters.
If left ungroomed, shrubs can grow to 10 feet, but its shape and size is easily maintained with a winter pruning.
Andromeda prefers slightly acidic soil in a sheltered location out of the wind. Hardy in Zones 6 to 9, note that this plant is poisonous to children and pets.
‘Mountain Fire’ has bright red foliage that offsets the pinkish-white flowers, and grows to a mature height of four to eight feet.
Azaleas belong to the genus Rhododendron and are native to the temperate regions of North America, Europe, and Asia.
Several of the deciduous azaleas have pastel flowers that are strongly scented, with fragrances ranging from sweet fruitiness to sultry spiciness.
The sweet azalea (R. arborescens) hails from northeastern North America and bears large, funnel-shaped white flowers in early to midsummer, with a scent reminiscent of heliotrope.
For a spicy scent of cinnamon and cloves, try the Western azalea (R. occidentale).
Native to the West Coast of North America, striking trusses of flared pink blossoms appear before the leaves, giving maximum visual impact along with its heady fragrance. And in autumn, the leaves glow in incandescent shades of orange and scarlet.
Azaleas are striking in groups, and many are well-suited to naturalized settings.
Most deciduous varieties need excellent air circulation and regular watering to prevent powdery mildew. Hardy in Zones 7 to 9.
With yellow flowers that have a sweetly floral scent, ‘Lemon Lights’ is a cold-hardy cultivar suitable for growing in Zones 4 to 8.
A native of China, Japan, Africa, and Oceania, the gardenia (Gardenia spp.) is prized for its delightful, waxy, white, and long-blooming flowers with their sweetly tropical aroma.
An evergreen with thick, dark green, glossy leaves, gardenias bloom from midspring to midsummer, preferring bright but indirect light and high humidity.
Blossoms are followed by clusters of flame-orange berries.
To best enjoy their fragrance, use them in plantings for privacy screens or hedges close to walkways and paths. Hardy in Zones 8 to 10.
‘August Beauty’ grows to a mature height of three to five feet and a two- to three-foot spread. You can find plants in quart-sized and #3 containers at Nature Hills Nursery.
Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) are twining vines and shrubs native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
With close to 200 species in existence, most are deciduous with only a few being evergreen.
Highly popular with those who enjoy fragrant plants, their tubular flowers are sweetly scented and produce a sweet, honeylike nectar – a favorite of hummingbirds.
Colors range from creamy white, yellow, and orange to pink, and red, and elongated fruits in shades of red, blue, and black follow the blossoms – with many varieties being edible for birds and wildlife.
Honeysuckle prefers full sun and are adaptable to a variety of soil types. Provide a support for the twining varieties to climb on, and prune in winter to control their size. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9.
L. periclymenum ‘Peaches and Cream’ has five-lobed pink, white, and magenta blooms. Vines grow six to 10 feet long.
The lilac (Syringa vulgaris) is well-known for its heady perfume and beautiful, exuberant blossoms of white, mauve, purple, and yellow – with the French hybrids being the most renowned for their large blossoms and sweet scent.
Photo by Lorna Kring.
They prefer well-drained soil with plenty of sunshine, and will produce more blooms if left unpruned, as blossoms grow on old wood.
However, they will benefit from a light grooming right after flowering is finished.
Lilacs flower for only three weeks in late spring, but planting a few different varieties will extend their overall season into early summer.
Hardy in Zones 3 to 7, lilacs enjoy a period of cold dormancy – although some species have been bred to grow in Zones 8 and 9.
‘Tiny Dancer’ is a dwarf cultivar that grows to a mature height of four to five feet tall and features light pink flowers. It is hardy in Zones 3 to 8.
Flowering quince (Chaenomeles spp.) is a reliable cold weather performer, with early blossoms in March and April.
Available in shades of white, pink, salmon, orange, and red, these are an important food source for early returning hummingbirds.
Photo by Lorna Kring.
Their fragrance is delicate and fruity, and an old-style quince will produce lemon-yellow fruit that’s good for jelly and marmalade.
Most of the newer varieties have been bred to produce neither fruit or thorns.
Reliable in Zones 4 to 9, cultivars have been developed for Zone 3 as well.
Double Take Peach™ aka C. speciosa ‘NCCS4’ is a thornless variety with large double flowers that matures to a compact height of three to four feet tall.
Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) is an evergreen vine with glossy, oval leaves.
A native of south Asia, its scent is often described as the perfume of love – and when you catch its aroma on the breeze, it will stop you in your tracks!
Photo by Lorna Kring.
Small, star-shaped white flowers bloom in early summer, and the leaves give pretty winter color in shades of orange, red, and burgundy.
Star jasmine needs a sheltered spot with well-drained soil, and a bit of shade from intense afternoon sunlight will help its performance.
Drought tolerant once established, it can’t abide wet feet.
A dazzling, twining climber, it will grow upwards of 25 feet on a brick wall. But it also makes a superb ground cover, spreading out 10 feet with a two-foot height. Hardy in Zones 8 to 11.
You can find star jasmine in one-, two-, and three-gallon containers from Fast Growing Trees.
19. Viburnum
For outstanding value, it’s hard to beat this master of versatility, the viburnum (Viburnum spp.).
With close to 200 species, viburnums come in both evergreen and deciduous forms. Heights vary from ground cover to tall shrubs.
Some blossom as early as mid-winter, and many have fragrant flowers that are followed by colorful berries, plus gorgeous fall foliage.
Several species provide three or even four seasons of interest, and viburnum drupes provide needed food and moisture for winter birds.
Try V. carlesii, or Korean spice, a deciduous variety that starts with red buds in spring followed by pink, then white clusters of deliciously fragrant flowers.
While fragrant flowers might not last as long as unscented ones, it would be hard to imagine a garden without them – like the sky without brilliant, but brief, sunsets.
And Mother Nature does indeed provide us with an abundance of scented blossoms to choose from!
From annuals and perennials to shrubs and vines, with a bit of planning, you can enjoy their perfume in almost every month of the year.
Remember to choose what works for your hardiness zone, provide them with the growing conditions they need, and overlap their bloom times so you’ll never be without a touch of scent.
Any favorite flowering fragrances you’d like to mention? Let us know your ideas in the comments section below!
The decay of useful information on the internet proceeds.
The latest example is the enstupidification of plant descriptions. Consider this description of the “Suwannee” peach from Just Fruits and Exotics:
About the Fruit
Embrace the essence of the South with the Suwannee Peach Tree, a delightful variety that promises to deliver mouth-watering peaches right in your backyard. Each succulent fruit is a symphony of flavors, combining the perfect blend of sweetness and acidity, producing a juicy, tender bite every time. Whether you’re baking a classic peach cobbler or enjoying them fresh off the branch, the Suwannee Peach is a versatile gem that will become a staple of your home orchard.
What to Know About the Tree
The Suwannee Peach Tree is a picture of elegance and vitality. This deciduous tree awakens in spring with a stunning display of pink blossoms that give way to lush green foliage. As a moderate grower, it reaches a manageable height that makes it perfect for both expansive gardens and intimate outdoor spaces. Not only is the tree visually appealing, but it’s also hardy and adaptable, requiring minimal maintenance to thrive and produce its prized fruits.
Harvest Season
Anticipation peaks in the heat of summer when the Suwannee Peach Tree’s bountiful harvest is ready to grace your table. With peaches ripening usually in mid to late summer, your patience is rewarded with an abundance of fresh, flavorful peaches that embody the warmth and generosity of the season.
That is a quite a pile of verbiage. It doesn’t tell you much about what makes Suwannee a unique peach… or really, much of anything at all.
Here’s another terrible one, this time about the “Joy” apple. Instead of giving us some info on why this variety is unique (where it was discovered, how it thrives in more heat than other apples, etc.), we get this:
Joy’s Apple Tree: Crisp Delights in Every Bite
About the Fruit
Delve into the delectable world of Joy’s Apple, a variety that exudes the perfect blend of sweetness and zesty flavor. Each apple is a symphony of taste, with a crisp texture that sings with freshness. The alluring red blush over a yellow base makes these apples not only a treat for the taste buds but also a visual delight. Ideal for snacking, baking, or creating savory pairings, Joy’s Apple promises to inspire your culinary adventures and become a cherished favorite.
What to Know About the Tree
Joy’s Apple Tree is a testament to the beauty and bounty of nature. This deciduous tree heralds the coming of spring with its show of delicate white blossoms, setting the stage for a fruitful harvest. With a presence that can grow up to 12-15 feet tall when mature, it offers a stately appearance without overwhelming the landscape. The tree’s robust nature and adaptability to various climates make it a resilient addition to any garden, requiring only your love and care to thrive.
Harvest Season
Anticipation grows as the harvest season approaches in the late summer to early fall, when Joy’s Apples reach their peak ripeness. The tree’s foliage transitions into autumnal hues, providing the perfect backdrop for the richly colored apples that are ready to be plucked. This season ushers in a time of abundance, with each branch laden with fruit that’s as fresh as it gets – directly from your own fruitscape™.
Come on, man.
Or ChatGPT.
You have good plants. Tell us their story.
Say “Maintains a good form. Fireblight resistant. Discovered by my friend Bob.” Not “a picture of elegance and vitality”
We need real information, not fluffy magic words and incontinent gushing.
“Chaing Mai #60 is a mulberry variety from Thailand that is grown in that country as a niche commercial berry crop. What distinguishes this variety from all others we have tasted is that the berries are very firm and are not damaged during harvest. Other mulberries easily have their walls broken during picking, which is why children famously turn purple from handling the fruit. This variety can be picked and placed into clamshells to be sold or stored to be eaten later. We experimented by picking fruit and storing in the refrigerator to test shelf life. At two weeks, one hundred percent of the berries were still of good eating quality. Other mulberry varieties are hardly intact by the time they get indoors.
This mulberry variety has other good horticultural traits. It grows as a dense bush rather than a tree, facilitating easy harvest. It has tightly packed internodes and excessively high production, making fruit loads so heavy that the branches can lean over with fruit weight and almost touch the ground. The fruit are quite large. Unfortunately, you can’t always have your cake and eat it too. The fruit is somewhat bland compared to other mulberry varieties. It is still a good fruit that receives positive feedback when given to guests, but definitely falls short in flavor compared to some others. We feel that the shelf life of the berries and high productivity make this a worthwhile variety to cultivate even though there are better tasting varieties. In many ways, this mimics the scenario of other commercial fruits which may not have sensational flavor but can hold up to shipping. We personally enjoy eating the fruit quite a lot.
This variety is similar to other types in the nursery trade such as Thai Dwarf and World’s Best. It very well may be the same clone as one of these but we have no way to confirm it is or is not the exact same variety.
This variety of mulberry tends to break dormancy very early in the spring, which could make it prone to crops being lost in locations that get frequent late frosts. This variety roots very easily from cuttings if you wish to make more trees later.”
Keep it simple. Don’t spout flowery nonsense. Relay actual growing experience if possible.
Writing “Fruit tastes good. Plant in full sun” beats the living daylights out of “a delightful variety that promises to deliver mouth-watering peaches.” ‘
If everything is amazing, and luscious, and mouth-watering, and alluring, and savory, and delectable… it’s just tiresome. You stop believing anything.
You get past the point of wondering what a girl looks like under all her makeup, to wondering if she even is a girl.
My two cents. I’m tired of stupid. Take it or leave it. Or ignore me completely and just keep it unburdened by what has been.
For lots of gardeners, the garden is our sanctuary – a place where the chaos of family life fades into the background, replaced by the rhythmic snip of secateurs and the earthy scent of freshly turned soil. But let’s be honest: for a long time, the “gardening wardrobe” has been a bit of a disaster zone. We’ve all been there, pottering about in an oversized, paint-stained t-shirt and a pair of leggings that have seen better decades. While the scruffy look is functional, it doesn’t exactly make you feel like the powerful, creative goddess you are when you’re coaxing life from the earth.
As we move into 2026, there’s a new movement taking root in the horticultural world. We’re calling it Garden to Glam. It’s the idea that you shouldn’t have to wait until you’ve showered and changed to feel stylish. With a few clever tweaks and some truly resilient materials, you can maintain a sense of personal flair even when you’re knee-deep in a flower bed or wrestling with a stubborn rose bush.
The foundation: the modern gardening uniform
The key to a stylish garden look is choosing high-quality natural fibres that breathe. Heavy denim can be restrictive when you’re bending and squatting, so many of us are switching to linen-blend overalls or cotton boilersuits. These offer full-body protection from scratches and stings but feel incredibly light and airy.
Pair these with a wide-brimmed straw hat – not just for the effortless French-countryside aesthetic, but for the essential UV protection it provides for your face and neck. A pop of colour in your gardening gloves or a beautifully patterned apron can also lift your mood instantly. These items are the “workhorses” of your wardrobe, but they don’t have to be boring.
Why your accessories shouldn’t have to retire
One of the biggest hurdles to staying stylish in the garden has always been jewellery. We’ve been told for years to “strip off the sparklies” before heading outside, and for good reason. Soil is abrasive, sweat can corrode cheap alloys, and the garden hose can be a death sentence for traditional gold-plated items. The result? We spend half our lives looking bare, or risk ruining our favourite pieces.
However, the technology behind modern accessories has changed the game. Many green-fingered women are now investing in waterproof jewellery that’s specifically designed to handle the real world. These pieces use advanced bonding processes (often involving stainless steel bases) that won’t tarnish, green, or lose their lustre when they come into contact with water, suncream, or the inevitable garden grime.
This means you can keep your signature gold hoops or that delicate pendant on while you’re watering the tomatoes or potting up seedlings. There’s something incredibly empowering about catching a glimpse of a gold shimmer against the green of the leaves. It’s a reminder that you are a woman of style, even when you’re covered in dirt.
From potting shed to patio: the quick pivot
As a busy parent, your time in the garden is often interrupted. One minute you’re weeding the veg patch, the next you’re hosting an impromptu playdate or greeting a neighbour for a coffee on the patio. The “Garden to Glam” philosophy is all about the quick pivot.
By wearing durable, tarnish-proof accessories, you’ve already done half the work. A quick wash of the hands, a flick of the hair, and perhaps a lightweight denim jacket thrown over your overalls, and you’re instantly presentable.
Caring for your outdoor style
To keep your garden-to-glam look at its best, follow these three simple rules:
The hose-down rule: If your jewellery gets caked in mud or grit, don’t worry. Since it’s water-resistant, you can literally rinse it under the tap (or even the garden hose!) to bring back the shine. Just pat it dry with a soft cloth.
Fabric choice: Stick to darker earthy tones or vibrant florals for your clothing. They hide the inevitable dirt smudges much better than whites or pastels.
The accessory base: Choose “huggie” earrings or flat-back studs. They won’t get caught on branches or the straps of your sun hat, allowing you to move freely without snagging.
The psychological bloom
There’s a deep psychological link between how we dress and how we feel. When we wear things that make us feel beautiful, our confidence increases, and our stress levels can drop. Gardening is already a form of therapy, but adding a touch of personal style turns it into a full-blown ritual of self-love.
Next time you head out to the shed, don’t reach for the “emergency” t-shirt at the back of the drawer. Choose an outfit that makes you feel great, keep your resilient accessories on, and embrace the dirt. You’re a gardening goddess, after all – it’s time you looked the part.
