We’ve all heard the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” and that is sound advice even when applied in the horticultural world. These beautiful yet unfortunate specimens were stuck with silly, weird, or just plain ugly names, but that doesn’t keep them from making us smile. After all, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, right?
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Are your flowers vase worthy? Find out which blooms live the longest in vases and learn the little tricks that ensure they stay fresh and perky long after they leave your garden!
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Ghouls and Goblins won’t kill you. But these plants could.
Many of the garden plants we grow for ornamental reasons got their vibrant, exotic colors as nature’s way of saying “Warning—Poison!” While most of these are innocuous enough sitting in pots or in the garden, if ingested they could cause illness of varying severity, and sometimes even death.
Read MoreA truly beautiful lily, a customer favorite, Lilium 'Blackbird' puts on a spectacular show, adding depth and dynamic quality to any garden. The deep red, three to six inch blooms make a great companion for roses, cone flowers, and other lilies.
The striking deep red of these blooms is satin shaded and speckled in black, reminiscent of a blackbird's feathers in the sunlight, a very interesting effect. They are also very easy to care for, resistant to cold, heat, disease, and pests.
Care Tips
This lily requires moist, well-drained, nutrient rich soil. It may be necessary to use an all-purpose fertilizer with every other watering, especially if you are growing in a container. This plant also requires full sunlight, and may not respond well to being indoors. A grow light or bright window might be necessary to grow Blackbird as a houseplant.
I love even, soothing plantings. I love a garden full of small delights. Very often, though, what a garden needs to really spice it up is something absolutely stunning, a plant that you absolutely can’t ignore. For a real centerpiece, Lilies are some of the very best. Quality lilies feature lots of well-formed, interesting blooms in a range of colors and color patterns. Their upright, regal habit draws the eye and easily complements other plantings. The foliage is generally lovely and complementary, too.
With the variety of Lilies that are available, there are many directions you can go with them. Mass plantings create a strong effect, but so too can a single plant, or even several peppered throughout a garden. The large, pure white of the ‘Casa Blanca’s’ blooms add elegance, as does the much sought-after Lily ‘Silk Road.’ As for me, though, I’m an absolute sucker for Tiger Lilies, and the double-flowered ‘Flore Peno’ Tiger Lily can’t be beat for a unique, eye-catching exhibit. I’ve had one of these beautiful plants adding tropical interest to my garden for years now, and it never fails to amaze me when the blooms come in late summer.
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Bulbs should be firm and never mushy or rotten—small amounts of surface mold should be okay. If only a small part of the bulb seems to be mushy, try slicing off that part with a knife and stick it in the ground anyway. It’s better to give it a fighting chance than to just assume it’s dead and throw it away. Even chancy plants can live a healthy life if you’re diligent.
Bulbs that have already sprouted will be vulnerable during the winter, so make sure your bulbs have as little new growth as possible. Larger flower bulbs, like tulips, produce bigger plants and tend to come up later in the season than plants from smaller bulbs. Plants with smaller bulbs, like crocus, come up much earlier.
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