CasaSugar

Name This Flower

CasaSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:00:37 -0700

This thistle-like flower is drought tolerant, deer-resistant, and loved by bees, butterflies, and birds. Sounds perfect for anyone's flower garden!

Do You Have Roses in Your Garden?

CasaSugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:00:43 -0700

Roses add elegance and color to any garden space. While many modern-day cut rose varieties are bred for looks rather than scent, my favorites are the old, fragrant varieties. They may not have a perfect appearance, but they smell wonderful.

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How-To: Transplanting For Beginners

CasaSugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:00:00 -0700

While I've offered you plenty of advice on gardening, some of you may still have some questions on where to start. So, I thought I'd give you a very basic, straightforward tutorial on transplanting a flower or bush from a plastic pot to a garden spot. If you've been intimidated by advanced gardening techniques, now's the chance to learn the ropes.

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Midday Muse: Everblooming California

CasaSugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:00:58 -0700

Since I grew up in the Midwest, I associate mid-September with falling leaves, chilly temperatures, and apple picking. However, here in California, where I've lived for seven years, I'm still getting used to the concept of mild seasons. As if to prove this to me, my rosebushes, which were just blooming back in May, are back in full yellow-and-red splendor again. I suppose I'll get used to it eventually, right?

Cool Idea: Potless Plants

CasaSugar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:00:11 -0700

Did you know that every year about 80 million tons of plastic end up needing to be recycled? Much of this is thrown away, which is bad news for the environment. At my house, I have a stack of plastic garden pots that have been gathering over time. I try to re-use them when starting seeds, but often times they just end up sitting in the corner, ugly and unused.

If you, like me, are looking for a better solution, then head down to the nearest Home Depot store and grab some PotLess Plants when you're starting your garden. Planted in earth-friendly, biodegradable containers, these flowers use containers that decompose in the soil as the plants grow. Available at Home Depot stores (though not online), this product provides gardeners with an eco-friendly and convenient alternative to plastic trays and pots. Plants and flowers come in a paper six-pack carrier. When you're ready to plant, just stick one - or all six - of the biodegradable containers into the ground to plant. No pots to throw away, no massaging the seedlings out of their containers. Easy as can be.

Name This Flower

CasaSugar — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 04:36:38 -0700

I'm classier by the dozen (though not necessarily cheaper), and come in a dizzying array of colors and varieties. Some cities have entire public gardens devoted to little old me.

Midday Muse: Autumn Flora

CasaSugar — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 11:30:33 -0700

German photographer Janne Peters certainly has an eye for capturing natural beauty. When I first stumbled upon her photos, through An Indian Summer, I literally caught my breath. And the autumnal colors of this lone bloom are making me itchy to go and buy some autumn bouquets immediately.

Su Casa: A Flower-Filled Porch

CasaSugar — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:38:16 -0700

Ah, if only we were all lucky enough to have a flower display as lovely as the one created by Zoe Loves Doug. Until then, at least we can admire her handiwork in today's Su Casa. (Want to share your photos? Here's how to post in the Su Casa group.)

A serious flower-gardening hobbyist, Zoe Loves Doug grows all sorts of beautiful things at her Colorado pad, including poppies, petunias, marigolds, and chrysanthemums.

Planting Perennials For Your Fall Garden

CasaSugar — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 06:00:23 -0700

I named autumn perennials one of my must-haves for September. After all, just because summer is fading fast doesn't mean you can't enjoy gazing at a colorful flower garden for a few more months.

In fact, late summer / early fall is the ideal time to plant flowers that will bloom into the cold season. For ideas on what to grow, iVillage has a great list of seven star fall perennials; here are a few for you to try.

Seven of the Best Fall Perennials, via iVillage

Ceratostigma: This fall beauty has brilliant clusters of blooms. It makes great ground cover with shiny dark green leaves that turn red during late fall. Does well in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun.
Cimicifuga: This species does well in a moist, shady to partial shady location with fertile, humus-rich soil. Certain species (ramose Atropurpurea) has very divided leaves that are mahogany and purple stemmed with very slender, candle-like creamy white flowers.

For five more Fall perennials to try, read more

Coreopsis: This is a perennial that never stops giving. It is best known for its petite yellow flowers on wiry stems that keep on blooming throughout the summer and into the fall. But with the addition of a deep burgundy red species Limerock Beauty and Sweet Dreams (it's white with raspberry eyes), this sturdy little perennial that thrives in full sun or partial shade in well drained soil can now be utilized in a variety of fall gardens.
Perovskia (Russian Sage): This fantastic woody-based plant is classified as an herb, but its striking gray foliage and lavender blue to gray-blue flowers make it a gorgeous summer and fall perennial. Will thrive in poor to moderately fertile soil in full sun. Beautiful planted en masse in a mixed border.
Sedum (Stonecrop): This is one of the all-time great fall perennials. This is a genus of about 400 species of succulents and does well in full sun in moderately fertile, neutral soil. Several of the sedums are used as ground cover and have fleshy, light green leaves with star shaped, five-petaled flowers that come in white, yellow and pinkish to burgundy tone. Sedum Autumn Joy looks stupendous when combined with a purple-toned aster.
Japanese Anemone: These bloom from late summer through mid-fall and are chosen for their delicate-petaled faces ranging in color from white to soft pink, and from deep pink to dark rose. They thrive in moist but well drained, humus-rich soil in sun to partial shade.
Aster (Michaelmas Daisy, New England Aster): A large group of perennials that can be grown in a variety of sites. The fall blooming asters are utilized as a border for the mass of color they offer. Whether you choose white, lavender blue, bright pink, purple with a yellow eye, or a medium blue, when purchased in large quantities and planted in sweeps, asters are synonymous with the autumn garden.

Su Casa: A Fairytale Flower Garden

CasaSugar — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 13:56:58 -0700

I'm so excited finally to have some garden photos to share in today's Su Casa, which reader Supergrover recently posted in the Su Casa group. (Want to share your photos? Here's how to join Su Casa.)

Though Supergrover is a bit miffed by the lack of vegetables she grew this year, her flower beds are lovely enough to make up for it. I particularly love this bleeding heart plant, which she describes as "something you'd see in a fairytale."

To see one more stunning photo, read more

I'm also admiring her peppermint-striped petunia, which looks good enough to eat.