Jade Vine ~ strongylodon macrobotrys
What an amazing sight to find the Jade Vine (strongylodon macrobotrys) blooming in the Longwood Gardens conservatory this week! This waxy flower is such an intense turquoise blue, it looks almost artificial. A woody ornamental vine that grows in the fast-disappearing Philippine rainforests, Jade Vine is in the legume family. Bats pollinate it in the
DIY ~ Garden Hose Wreaths
DIY ~ Garden Hose Wreaths I have been wanting to make hose wreaths for some time now. Unfortunately, all our garden hoses are in good shape, so I actually broke down and bought a 25 foot garden hose! It was held together with four large, black twist ties which I reused in the
DIY ~ Spring Wreaths
I am all about using natural materials, making pretty things and spending little or no money doing it! Here’s a little project that would be a sweet gift or home accent for yourself. These wreaths made of dried plant materials can be colored to suit your decor or left as nature intended. Best
Spring Windowboxes
When planning for spring windowboxes, it is always a good idea to look back at past years’ efforts. Depending on your style and the local supply
A Visit to Longwood Gardens Orchid Extravaganza 2015
February is the longest, shortest month of the year. Winter is dragging its heels, the wind is blowing and the landscape is bleak. What a wonderful time for a dose of spring encapsulated in a four-acre conservatory at Longwood Gardens. The annual Orchid Extravaganza is in full bloom now through March 29th. Thousands of orchids, spring
Valentine’s Day Windowboxes
It is a balmy 32 degrees Fahrenheit today, perfect for switching the winter windowboxes over for Valentine’s Day! As I was thinking up a design for these Valentine’s Day Windowboxes, my first order of business was to salvage the winter greens and keep it simple. Can you tell I’m not so crazy about the cold?
Birdfeeders ~ Use What You Have!
Recently, our weather has been Arctic and I decided to add more feeding stations for the birds who visit our winter garden. Trying to use what is already on hand is a favorite goal of mine. It just so happened that I had picked up a box of blue and white dishes for a song
Our Fairfield Home and Garden’s Top 2014 Posts
Our Fairfield Home and Garden has had a great year! Garden and home projects that look great, are economical and able to be done by the average person are our focus. Here are the readers’ favorites for 2014. Just wait. I have lots more up my sleeve for 2015! Number 1 of all Our
Unexpected Garden Accents
Unexpected Garden Accents Unexpected garden accents are those unique additions to a garden that you’ve never seen before. They can be beautiful, practical, whimsical and make you want to run home and recreate the idea, or say, “What were they thinking?” And, each of these special touches reveals the gardener and stamps the garden with
Natural Holiday Bird Wreath
Make a Natural Holiday Bird Wreath Want to decorate naturally for the holidays and feed the birds, too? Mt. Cuba Center held a wonderful workshop on “Making Natural Holiday Wreaths Birds Will Love” and my friend and I were two of the happy participants. Under the tutelage of Donna Wiley and Bev Kostek, we all created our
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