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A garden designer once told me that good garden design was a lot like pornography: You can't define it, but you know it when you see it. Certainly good garden design is subjective. My tastes seem to change daily, so my garden's design is constantly evolving. I do favor a certain sense of order, but my plants usually have their own way, despite my best efforts.

I was at a garden talk recently and the speaker was a garden designer who specializes in naturalistic garden design. He feels that a successful garden design is one where you don't even realize the space has been designed. I'm not sure that's ever going to be my aesthetic. I like natural areas, but I love billowing boarders and flowering hedges. David Beaulieu has an interesting piece on the evolution of garden design, from geometric order to cottage gardens, sweeping lawns and minimalism. Do you think you're garden aesthetic can be categorized, or do you find yourself constantly experimenting.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti

Is There Such a Thing as Good Garden Design? originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 01:58:03.

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Who knew winter could be so fascinating in the garden? I still can't wait for it to be over, but I've gained a greater appreciation for winter more after seeing the photos submitted in this first garden photo contest of the year. Thanks for trudging out in the snow to share your garden highlights with us. I can't wait to see what you photograph this summer.

Here are the winners of the Jan/Feb 2010 Garden Photography Challenge - Winter Interest. Congratulations! The photo here was submitted by Rebecca Huss (Rebeckia), who took 1st Place with her Leucojum vernum var. carpathicum or Snowflake.

Thanks, everyone, for posting such great shots. Don't forget to get your photos in for the next challenge - Spring Bulbs. We sure could use some signs of spring.

Photo: Rebeca Huss

Winter Interest Photo Challenge Winners originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 06:36:28.

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Landacre wrote in with an interesting problem. He husband planted potatoes, but "...all he got was a green bush and the same potato attached at the bottom." I've had years when my potoatoes weren't very large, but I've always gotten a few from each plant. And since growing anything underground for the entire season is a leap of faith, it's got to be very disappointing to pull up nothing.

Poor potato production is usually caused by one of two things:

1. The temperature stayed too warm. Potatoes like to cool off in the evenings. Keep piling on the soil, as the plant grows, or at least give it a good 4" of mulch.
   
   
   

2. Too much nitrogen, too little phosphorous. We always talk about wanting our plants to develop a good root system, but this is one time when it really matters. Choose a fertilzier with a low 1st number (nitrogen) and a high 2nd number (phosphorous)

Potatoes also need a lot of water, especially while they're in flower. But since the tops of the plants grew well, water probably wasn't the problem. Have any of you experienced this and do you have any advice to share with Landacre?

• Growing Potatoes
• Landacre's Question

Photo: © Marie Iannotti

Gardening Question of the Week: All Tops, No Potatoes. What Happened? originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 01:37:37.

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The snow is pretty much goen around my house and the first thing that seems to be greening up is the creeping ivy. Or maybe it's the rosettes of garlic mustard. I haven't gotten close enough to check, but I'm finding it very frustrating that my two nemeses are back already. Clearly those bags of pullings I left to fry in the sun last summer didn't do the trick. Can the dandelions be far behind?

Is your idea of weed control getting down on your hands and knees and pulling? There are easier ways and they don't have to be nasty, harsh chemicals. About's Landscaping Guide, David Beaulieu, gives us 5 kinder gentler ways to get rid of unwanted plants in Weed Control Without Chemicals.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti

Weed Control Without Chemicals originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 01:01:29.

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Ok, time to fess up - did you clean your hand pruners before you put them away last season? If you've already started pruning, did you give them a good sharpening at the start of the season?

There are few tools we rely on more than our hand pruners, but most of us don't really take very good care of them. Keeping your hand pruners clean and sharp can make pruning less stressful on your hands and on your plants. Ideally it should be done several times a year, but at least give them some attention at the beginning or end of the season.

Don't let your pruners intimidate you. They're basically held together by a screw or nut and taking them apart to clean and sharpen is a simple process. (And no, putting them back together again is not magic either. You can do it.) This pictorial walks you through the steps of cleaning and sharpening hand pruners.

• What to Look for in a Hand Pruner
• Hand Pruner Top Picks

Time to Clean Your Hand Pruners originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 01:25:21.

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I promised you photos of my visit to the Philadelphia Flower Show. Once again, I'm slow to get them uploaded, but our Guide to Philadelphia, Meg Favreau, has offered to share her's with us. The Theme was "Passport to the World" and the designers went wild with tropicals, orchids, succulents and edibles. My husband was wowed by the giant balloon made of flowers, which you'll see next, but I think my favorite might have been the green garden by one of the show's sponsors, PNC Bank.

There are still plenty of flower and garden shows to see around the country. If you visit one you think was great, share your thoughts with us.

• 2010 Philadelphia Flower Show
• More Photos from the 2010 Philly Show
• Flower & Garden Show Listings
• Tell Us About a Show You Saw

Photo: © Marie Iannotti

Philadelphia International Flower Show Your Passport to the World originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at 01:08:56.

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The snow is receding and every time I walk in or out of the house I notice the planter by the side of the stairs and the wispy, brown foliage of whatever was in there last summer, bobbing in the breeze. Now, what did I plant there last year? More to the point, what should I plant there this year?

Containers you walk by every day should have something special in them, something to make you smile and feel glad to be home. This is not a particularly sunny spot, and thinking back on all the plants I've tried growing in it over the years, my mind stuck on Torenia. This is a quirky looking flower. One of its common names is Wishbone Flower, because the anthers form a wishbone, until the bees break it open. But I always think of it as the Clown Flower. I believe only the Clown Series are technically Clown Flowers, but that little yellow dot on the bottom lip of the flower makes it look like the flower is in a constant state of surprise, so I always remember them as clown flowers.

Whatever you call them, they bloom their little hearts out and don't require deadheading, which is a really, really big plus. And they love partial shade. So today I'm thinking one of the violet Torenia varieties would look very nice in that container this summer. Join me while I check out this week's featured plant: Torenia.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti

Featured Plant: Torenia - The Wishbone Flower originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 01:20:04.

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Susan wrote for help with a Seniors project she undertaken: "I volunteer at Seniors' Home. The staff want to do a project growing flowering plants indoors from seed that will be in flower during May. They asked me for ideas but I'm no expert on growing flowers from seed, or on what will be flowering in May. Do you have any ideas? The plants can't be spiky or toxic."

May is a tricky time of year for seed grown flowers. I think if they get started now, indoors, they may have some luck with prolific bloomers like: Cornflower, cosmos, larkspur, stock, sweet pea and small flowering zinnia. Maybe some of you have participated in similar projects and can offer other flower ideas or tips to get them going. I'm sure Susan want's to get started right away. Either leave a comment here or reply to Susan directly, in the Forum.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti

Gardening Question of the Week: What Blooms in May, from Seed? originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 01:21:42.

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I spent the past weekend in one of my favorite cities, Philadelphia, doing one of my favorite things. I attended the Philly Flower Show, or the Philadelphia International Flower Show, as it's now called. What a wonderful breath of spring air, despite the storms that swept through the area in recent days. I'll have more on the show gardens later this week, but I wanted to share this photo of tulips unfurling in the Tulip Garden, by Jacques Armand - The Bulb Specialist from the Netherlands. I sure hope the tulips can survive the week in a crowded convention center. They were stunning.

I'm crossing my fingers that I'll be seeing my tulips soon. The Gardening Photo Contest for the months of March and April is none other than Spring Bulbs. We've spread it out over 2 months, to give everyone a chance to catch up. So keep your photos handy. Spring may seem forever in coming, but one or two hot days and our celebrated bulbs will melt into memory. Delight our winter weary eyes with Crocus, Glory of the Snow, Fritillaria, Tulips and Grape Hyacinth. Post your photos here.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti

March/April Gardening Photo Contest: Spring Bulbs originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 13:59:28.

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Right about now, many of us are wondering if spring will ever come. I can smell the first whiffs of springtime mud and I'm fighting the urge to shovel the remaining snow off my vegetable garden and plant some peas.

A regional gardening calender for the month of March can give you general tips on what to plant and what to wait for, but spring in the garden is unpredictable and won't be hurried. Gardeners will have to use some common sense. Take advantage of warm days, but don't trust your coddled seedlings to a weather report. And try not to do too much walking on wet soil. That will only compact it and make it harder for plant roots to breathe and grow. Here are some reminders of what you can be doing in the garden in March, now that winter is on its last legs.

Photo of Ipheion uniflorum (Spring Star Flower) © Marie Iannotti

March in the Garden Regional Gardening Tips originally appeared on About.com Gardening on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 01:01:32.

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