A Rainbow of Leaves: Coleus Plants

Today we wanted to shared with you another one of our favorite garden plants: Coleus Plants. We especially love this plant as it is durable and easy to grow. They are best known for their bright colors, and variety of foliage.

While this plant can survive in full sun, the foliage color tends to intensify in light shade. Also, as your plant grows, pinch the center stems back to help induce bushier growth. You will also want to pinch off the flower stems as they form as that will also encourage more foliage.

Coleus come in a number of shapes and colors, ranging from solid deep burgundies to magenta tipped with lime. With such variety, you can really have fun mixing and matching different varieties together or with other flowers and plants to vibrant effect.

In the video below, Harris shares with you his love for the very hearty and vivacious Coleus plant!

Create stunning landscapes with Dragon Wing Begonias!

Summer has officially started and we are loving all of the bright and beautiful annuals around our pond! Annuals plants, like their name implies, live only a year, but what a joy they are when they are in bloom. Dragon Wing Begonias are fantastic summer annuals because they mature quickly and will give your garden a nice splash of pink or red color. Dragon Wings fill in fast to form a lush garden bed or border that will last clear up to the first frost and always be full of breathtaking blooms! In the video below, Harris shares some more information about Dragon Wing Begonias and how to use them best. So plant some of these beauties and let us know what you think! Just a tip: Dragon Wings do best in areas of partial shade.

Harris’ Tour of The Dads’ English Style Garden!

How have your gardens come together this spring? Harris shares with you some of his ideas for easy to care for English style gardens!

For inspiration, use of Hostas adds for gentle borders or a dramatic effect! Coralbells sport airy flower spikes on wiry stems above low-growing, often dramatic foliage. For us, we feel the use of topiaries is especially wonderful in our historic home, as the art of topiary gardens date back to Roman times.

We feel that our gardens are a reflection of us as yours should be of you. Bottom line, design and plant what makes you happy! But now’s the time to get it done so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor all summer!

 

Peonies forever in our hearts!

For a lifetime of luxurious beauty, plant heirloom peonies in your garden! Give them a sunny spot and they’ll reward you with abundant blooms for a century or more! They are great for cut flowers to add into your home! We enjoy them every spring!

The Dads' Peonies

Peonies are now out of season, but we wanted to share with you how ours bloomed this spring. They are so fragrant, beautiful and romantic! If you would like more tips on growing your own, send us your questions!

 

 

New Topic! Gardening! Harris’ tips on starting an Herb Garden!

Hooray for Summer’s arrival!

Our children and friends have been begging us to share our tips on gardening. As we do LOVE to garden!

The Dads' Garden

Since Melissa lives in NYC, her garden is on the roof. So in this video, Harris shows you how to start an herb garden that is perfect for any rooftop, small garden and outdoor windowsill planters. Of course, if you have a large garden, this works too!

Harris had actually just picked up his new herbs when he received this special request. So the timing couldn’t have been any better!

Here he pots, Rosemary, Basil, Oregano, Thyme, and Parsley.

Watch our video for The Dads’ special gardening tips!

 

If you love our video or have more tips, please share in the comments section! We’d love to hear from you!