Many years ago, I cheered on a friend as he ran a local marathon. As my friend began running, he looked like he belonged in a Nike ad: Strong. Healthy. Determined. Just do it, baby! And he set a great pace until about mile 16 … … when heat and exhaustion caught him...
Western Container Gardening With Flowers
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia): An Easy-to-Grow Flower for Late Summer
Looking for an easy-to-grow flower that gives you big, pretty color in the late summer? I'd like to introduce you to Black-Eyed Susan (officially, Rudbeckia — Rude-bek-ee-uh). It also goes by the name: Gloriosa Daisy. There are MANY reasons to love this flower. In...
VIDEO: How to Clean Your Petunias, So You Aren’t Trimming Off the Wrong Parts
You want to "clean" your petunias, so they look pretty and tidy. But how do you know you're trimming off the right parts? What's a new bud versus a dying flower? In this short video on petunia care, you'll see get simple tips and clear photos on: EXACTLY what to look...
How to Protect Flowers From Hail Damage
9 ways to prepare for hail to minimize damage to your western garden Hail can leave you wanting to yell, “WHHHHYYYYYYYY?????” to Mama Nature. Sometimes, thunderstorms pop up so suddenly, there's very little that can be done except for cleaning up the damage. But other...
“Hail Destroyed My Garden. What Do I Do Now?”
In my opinion, there is nothing that will suck the soul from your gardening body like hail You can have your flowers looking SO DARN GOOD ... And after a few minutes of hail, your Instagram-worthy flowers have become a sloppy, shredded mess. Ugh. Mama Nature doesn’t...
Lantana: A Heat-Tolerant Flower for Pots and Summer Gardens
This cutie is known as Lantana. This colorful flower reminds me of a delicious bowl of sherbet. It isn’t a flower you want to eat, though — no matter how yummy it looks. It's actually a little poisonous. Be careful where you plant it if you have wee ones or dogs. The...
VIDEO: 4 Proven Tips to Pick Flowers for Planters (That Last!)
So, you walk into your local garden center ... You're all ready to pick 3-5 flowers for your planters, but suddenly, you see HUNDREDS of flower choices. You're looking at row, after row, after row of flowers. How are you supposed to know which flowers to pick?? No...
A Simple Flowerpot Design Tip: Take Your Flowers From “Meh” to “Wow!”
Looking for a design tip to make your flowerpots look prettier this summer? Combine flowers of different heights! Planting flowers of different heights can help you create a lot of visual interest. Think of a city skyline or a beautiful mountain range. There are...
VIDEO: How to Trim Petunias to Keep Them Looking Pretty
If you have petunias, you may be wondering how to keep your petunias looking good, especially when the blooms start dying. In this week's video, you'll: See exactly where to trim your petunias, so your plants look pretty and you encourage them to keep giving you new...








