Lion Topiary at Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida

Lion TopiaryDecember 16, 2010

We left the chilly north on December 8 to stay mainly at our vacation home in the sunny south, returning north January 9.  During that time we made two visits to Busch Gardens.  While this is an amusement park it very much has a garden setting.   Many of the plantings have name tags that I found quite useful.  It's nice to be able to see the actual plant for future

A Tipi at the Organic Farm

TipiJuly 28, 2010
Home gardeners know that gardening is not  just the bare basics.  Garden decorations enter the picture at some point.  Some aren't even intended garden decorations but meant rather to serve practical purposes likes pest deterrents or critter protectors like toad home.  The organic farm has a wonderful tipi constructed on a bit of open space.  Despite adding character, the tipi

Please Welcome the Latest Inhabitants of the Gnome Empire

New ArrivalsJuly 22, 2010 
Many people don't realize that Gnomes come in a variety of sizes much like their human counterparts.  They also have a wide range of interests.  The smallest Gnome is an exclusive design from Cape Shore.  He is about 2 - inches tall.  Unlike working Gnomes this little one is all about lounging on the beach complete with drink in hand.  He sports sunglasses and a funky

A Petunia Garden

Petunia GardenJuly 10, 2010
Part of loving gardening is enjoying and learning from other gardeners.  Saturday we took the boat out for a wonderful day spent on the water.  I managed to snap this picture of a petunia garden from the boat.  I'm actually impressed at how clear it came out.  Aren't those frogs simply adorable?  They look like they are enjoying their quiet spot tucked in the petunias!

Vacation Gnomes

Vacation GnomesMay 22, 2010
As the happy keeper of Gnome Empire in Ontario, Canada I was anxious to have a few gnomes volunteer to help establish a Gnome Empire Outpost at the vacation home.  I looked high and low to no avail.  I was becoming quite discouraged ready to put out an SOS for any gnomes willing to join the Gnome Empire Outpost.  Just when I was giving up hope these 2 friendly gnomes

Discovered Water Hose Hanger

A garden is more than just a few plants tucked into the ground. It really does become an outdoor living area. Yes it provides food but that is no reason it can't aesthetically be pleasing! Even functional gardening necessities can provide a bit of eye candy. We wanted to tuck the first raised bed perpendicular to the garage. The problem was there was a large, scraggly and over grown

In the Garden

Not much has been happening in the gardens other than clearing brush and over growth. We decided to remove all of the remaining bits of garden decorations left by the previous owner to create a more uniform theme. The focus has been on preparing the greenspace areas for our upcoming anniversary party. The unseasonably dry weather combined with higher temperatures are working against us. I've

Standing Guard

Standing GuardGarden 2006Garden gnomes bring good luck to your garden and work hard to help your garden prosper but sometimes they need a bit help. That is where other garden decorations can help. Garden decorations add a touch of whimsy to the garden but they can also help in pest control. Pests are smart especially the rabbits who likely have group meeting to decide the best way into my

Please Wecome Jack My New Gnome

Gnameless Gnome & JackGnameless gnome was used to being the only gnome in my garden. As you can see he lost a couple of pieces off his rake so I'll have to see if I can find a way to fix that for him. He was joined by a wide variety of other garden decorations. This year I decided to use a unifying theme instead of a mish mash of decorations. Of course that theme had to be gnomes! The

Garden Goodies

Garden GoodiesI treated myself yesterday for behaving at the dentist. I hate dentists so actually bribed myself. Yes I know, I clearly stated here that I was gnomifying the garden and I am but the store I stopped at had no gnomes! I bought two new bird feeders and solar lights. I think I might pick up another set of the post solar lights and perhaps another solar rock. All are on sale until

More on Garden Gnomes in the Garden

Stella de Oro DaylilySpring is just around the corner even though it does not feel that way today. It is cold with freezing rain and snow flurries. Everything was coated with ice this morning thanks to the Colorado Clipper as it made its way northeast. I'm itching to be in the garden again! This week I will be starting a few seeds indoorsGardens can be so much more than just plants and while

Garden Gnomes

GnomesMontelago Village, Lake Las Vegas, NevadaThe number one question I get online is "Why the nickname Garden Gnome?". The nickname originated from a smart alec comment from my youngest referring me to a Gnome because of my short stature. The Garden part came because ove my ever expanding garden and desire to spend more time there. Gnomes have always been interesting to me likely because of