A Beautiful Home & Garden Made Easy
This article contains links, which if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Flowering Shrubs Flowering shrubs are an important part of a well-designed landscape. Easy-to-grow flowering shrubs can turn a landscape into a retreat! Landscape designers use shrubs to bring structure and substance … Read more
My backyard and patio is my happy place! There is nothing like the scent of fragrant flowers in the breeze as we relax after a hard day. My husband and I love to put something on the grill or in the smoker and have family over. We are definitely home-bodies! Therefore, I spend a lot … Read more
This article contains affiliate links for advertisers of this site. See disclosure page for more information. Thank goodness for the internet- there are so many free online gardening resources! Although I prefer to be outside in my garden, there is such value in taking time to learn and be inspired online. There are so many … Read more
As a trained horticulturist, I can say that it isn’t always easy to identify trees; especially from a distance. However, the Sycamore tree is one that is not only easy to identify but a beautiful part of the fall and winter landscape. Sycamore trees have a distinctive, mottled green, brown and white bark. As the … Read more
This article contains links, which if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure here. One of the most popular ways to grow plants is container gardening. Instead of planting flowers, vegetables, herbs, etc. into the ground, they are planted in … Read more
As a gardener, I have violated one of my own rules of gardening- great soil equals amazing plants. When my husband and I married almost 5 years ago, I moved into his house on the west side of Cleveland. Our intention wasn’t to stay there long, but time has flown by. I added several bags … Read more
I believe that we are all on a journey of learning to develop our character. We encounter people, places, and events that challenge this growth and create learning opportunities. In some cases, the lessons are difficult ones, while others are much less painful. As I continue to learn, I realize that there can be lessons in the major events of life as well as the ordinary. My garden has spoken lessons and truth to me this summer. I am sure that this is not the first time, but I am in a place in my life that I am open to receive this guidance. My hope is that you can relate and see how these 7 lessons may apply in your life.
After the heat and humidity of a summer in northeastern Ohio, fall is refreshing. It has become a “second spring” for me and I find that I look forward to fall gardening more than ever. I want to make sure that my landscape is just as vibrant and beautiful in autumn as it is other times of the season. Fall flowers are an important part of my overall landscape. Perennials bring color and texture to the garden year after year, while annuals add a pop of color wherever needed. Here is a list of easy-to-grow beauties that won’t disappoint:
Spring is generally the prime gardening season for most of us. The start of warm weather and the end of “cabin fever” launch me out into the yard and virtually every garden center in the area. However, fall is a great time to garden as well. The cooler temperatures and more plentiful rain make it the best time of the year to plant trees, shrubs, perennials and grass seed. Fall gardening can also make spring chores much easier. Planting bulbs like daffodils, tulips, crocus, and hyacinth in the fall will set the stage for a gorgeous spring flowering display. Here are some of my favorite fall gardening tips:
I have lived in northeastern Ohio my whole life and seeing deer is commonplace, even in densely populated suburban and urban areas. My husband Jimmy and I like to walk through many of the beautiful public parks and it isn’t uncommon to see deer grazing. Quite often, we are able to walk within 5 feet of them and they are not skittish or frightened by our presence. It is as if they expect to see us! Last week we saw a mother nursing her baby from about 15 feet away. The mother saw us but didn’t mind us watching. I love seeing them in nature. Their big brown eyes are adorable and they are beautiful… until they start devouring my landscape!
Realtree.com estimates that Ohio has 18.3 deer per square mile, third highest in the country. So Ohio gardeners especially know how deer can make their yard a nightly buffet. There are many products designed to help keep deer away, however they generally need to be reapplied regularly and aren’t an effective long-term solution. One of the best strategies is to continue to add deer resistant shrubs and plants to your landscape. Although there isn’t any plant that is deer-proof, they certainly have favorite plants and will seek those out over those that they find distasteful.
Below is a list of deer resistant shrubs and trees. If you live in an area with a high deer population, these plants won’t be their favorites and will make it easier to have a beautiful, enjoyable landscape. Also, see our list of deer resistant annuals and perennials.