Browsing category: My Country Gardens

What Do Bleeding Heart Seeds Look Like?

Bleeding heart seed pods appear very quickly after the flowers fall off. At first the seed pods will be a bright green and look like tiny green beans. They grow fast and soon you will be able to see the shape of the seeds inside.

The Lupines Growing Wild at the Edge of Our Woods

I love the way these lupines (Lupinus polyphyllus) are growing wild at the edge of one of our wooded areas. They’re mostly shades of rose and lavender, with some deep purples and blues mixed in.

Bridal Wreath (Spiraea x vanhouttei)

Bridal Wreath (Spiraea x vanhouttei) is a hardy shrub that happily flourishes in our zone 4 growing conditions. This is a shrub that needs plenty of growing space because it can reach an impressive size…

Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana)

Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana) is a hardy perennial that grows wild in some areas. I have both the purple and the dark blue spiderwort growing here.

Sunshine Columbine (Aquilegia x caerulea)

I have wanted sunshine columbines (Aquilegia x caerulea) in my garden ever since I first saw them in a gardening catalog, but I have had unexpected problems with this supposedly easy to grow perennial.

Can You Tell Me What This Is?

I’m hoping someone can tell me what this plant is. It isn’t anything that I have ever grown in any of my gardens, but it really doesn’t look like a weed. I would guess that it somehow came in with a plant that I did buy at some point…

Did My Siberian Squill Survive?

I found this siberian squill last spring when mud season was at its worst and the road past our house was an absolute mess.

Starting More Hollyhocks from Seed

Hollyhock seed can be planted in either spring or fall. In areas where the winters are severe (like here), more plants will survive if seeds are planted in the spring and the seedlings have the entire growing season to settle in.

Growing Hollyhocks the Easy Way

Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) belong to the mallow family. The botanical name comes from the Latin word “altheo,” which means “to cure,” because some hollyhocks have medicinal properties. The old-fashioned hollyhocks are hardy perennials but they are short-lived.

The Peppermint I Planted Doesn’t Smell Like Peppermint

Reader question… “Last year I planted a few peppermint seeds. The plants grew well but don’t smell as pepperminty as I thought they would.”