Plant A Patch: Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
A favorite of hummingbirds and butterflies, this clump-forming native perennial sports 8 inch spikes of striking red blooms beginning in July and continuing until frost. In the wild, Cardinal flowers are typically found in wetlands, along the edges of streams and in ravines and ditches. Cardinal flowers require a consistent moisture to thrive which makes …
Dining Out -- In Your Own Backyard
It was a perfect spring day here today — the kind of day that makes you want to spend all day outdoors luxuriating in the warm sun and soft breezes. Knowing that I should be inside cleaning the kitchen or vacuuming floors, instead I made myself a sandwich, grabbed a book I’ve been wanting to …
Plant A Patch: Round-Leaved Ragwort (Packera obovata)
PLANT A PATCH Because of their commitment to an environmentally friendly and sustainable landscape, the staff at Embassy Landscape Group is proud to introduce The Plant A Patch series. These blogs are designed to introduce you to a variety of lessor known native plants that are of particular value to the landscape. We …
Outdoor Living - Relaxing on the Patio
When I was growing up, having a patio at your home usually meant that there was a square (or sometimes rectangular) slab of grey concrete protruding off the house in the backyard. In our neighborhood, patios were not terribly common and I can remember the consternation when my father not only had one installed, but …
What Are Your True Colors: Bringing Color Home
This time of year — the few weeks before I can really start planting my flower gardens — I spend hours staring at bare ground in the yard. Most years, I gradually start to envision the finished product and I have a sense of what I want to achieve. This year I am seeing …
What Are Your True Colors? Part 1: Color Schemes
I can say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that my outlook on life is directly tied to the amount of time I spend outdoors working or playing or just relaxing in my yard. I used to think it was time in the sunshine that made me feel better — Vitamin D, you know — …
Understanding Color in the Garden
We have overcast, grey skies and snow again. The few, bright yellow daffodils that were blooming are completely bent over with their heads in the snow and the purple pansies I just planted are totally buried. I’m tired of the bleakness; I need color! If you stop and think about it, the role that color …
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