Let’s face it: succulents were invented for lazy people. They are so stubbornly durable that even the most lethal “brown thumb” gardeners can grow a bounty of lush greenery with ease. Sporting plump, dusky leaves and curious foliage shapes that can seem downright extraterrestrial who can possibly resist the charm of succulents?
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City life has its perks, but what of the gardeners stuck in the steel jungle? When there’s not enough open land to sooth the itch in your green thumb, it’s time to start looking up. Rooftop gardens are the next best thing to the ground level lawns of the suburbs. They take time and creativity, of course, but what garden doesn’t?
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First, a Cautionary Tale
Epic . Fail.
Last year when I went on vacation I knew I was going to be gone for the better part of two weeks, and I didn’t want my poor houseplants to die without me, so I did a little research on how to make an automatic plant watering device. Then I proceeded to waste hour after hour on some McGuyver-like watering contraption that turned out to be an epic fail.
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A great example of arrangements built around shrubs.
Are you a small-space gardener that gets jealous of the great trees and shrubs you see other people growing? Or perhaps a container gardening guru that wants to take your displays to the next level of height and year-round interest?
Learn how to use shrubs in containers today! Check out the latest Press Release from Wayside Gardens, featuring 6 tips on how to successfully incorporate shrubs or small trees into your mixed containers.
Here is a preview:
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Since the tree or shrub will grow to be the largest plant by far, this is the cornerstone of the design. Lovely compact choices for mixed containers are: Acer, Camellia, Buddleia,Hydrangea, or Crapemyrtle.
Enjoy!
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Echinacea (Coneflower)
You may already love Coneflowers for their impressive tolerance of high heat, humidity, drought and other environmental stresses, but those aren’t the only tricks this perennial has up its sleeve. Did you know that the root of Echinacea angustifolia was originally used to treat toothache, tonsillitis, and pain in the bowels? The story goes that Native Americans discovered the healing powers of this flower when they noticed that sick Elk would seek out and eat the plant. Ever since then, Echinacea has been a popular natural remedy in America, revered for its immune-boosting effect. It has been used to treat everything from the common cold all the way up to rattlesnake bites!
Scientific analysis of Echinacea has found that the fat-soluble alkylamides in the plant have an immunomodulatory effect, increasing our immune system’s ability to fight antigens. The chemical basis for this is complex, and the exact chain of cause-and-effect has not been determined yet, but the prevailing wisdom is that Echinacea can temporarily boost your immune system, which makes it a great thing to take when you first feel a tickle in your throat, or when someone in your household comes down with a cold. I personally wouldn’t rely on Echinacea to save me from a snake bite, but I have found it effective so far at keeping the cold and flu at bay.
The potent medicinal value of this timeless perennial is one of many reasons that back in 2014 the National Garden Bureau named it the “Year of the Echinacea”!
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Enter for your chance to win top cultivars!
It’s hard to believe I work for a company that is turning 94! Most of the time it doesn’t feel like it, but every now and then I come across an artifact that reminds me, like an ancient bulb catalog or an old plant culture library on Dewey-Decimal-style cards.
Well, to celebrate its grand old age, Wayside is doing a huge event featuring 7 giveaways as well as plenty of sales. So head over to the Giveaway Page to enter for your chance(s) to win some of Wayside’s finest plants and supplies! There will be something for everyone, from trees to perennials to planters!
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