Flowers Blogs

A fresh bouquet instantly brightens a room and a mood, but keeping those flowers vibrant takes a little know-how. With the right care, the vase life of a bouquet can be extended by days or weeks. Here is an easy guide to help your flowers stay beautiful for as long as possible.High-quality...

When you think of growing fruits and vegetables, you probably think about putting plants in the ground or into pots. However, you don’t always need ‘dirt’ to grow plants. In a hydroponic system, soil is replaced with a nutrient-rich water solution that provides the necessary nutrients for plant...

During the dreary days of winter, we often long for the colors of spring. With a little planning, we can bring those spring colors indoors by forcing flowering bulbs to bloom indoors during the colder months. Choosing Bulbs to ForceWhile many different bulbs can be forced, some are easier to...

Plants like caladiums, cannas, dahlias, elephant ears, and gladiolus bring vibrant color and tropical flair to summer gardens. Unfortunately, they’re no match for our Midwestern winters. These plants, commonly referred to as tender or summer-blooming bulbs, will be killed by...

As fall approaches, our landscapes begin to transition. Summer bloomers like purple coneflower, prairie blazing star, and milkweeds begin to fade while fall bloomers like asters and goldenrod begin their colorful displays. These plants are commonly covered in pollinators, one of which is the...

If you take some time to look closely at a plant, chances are you’ll see a variety of different insects. Take sunflowers, for example: many different pollinators can be seen visiting the flowers, from bees and wasps to beetles, butterflies, and flies. Other insects can be found feeding on the plant...

As gardeners, we're often on the lookout for low-maintenance plants with colorful flower displays. One such plant that fits that description, and is vastly underutilized in the landscape, is Baptisia. These easy-to-grow native perennials are primarily grown for their colorful floral...

Columbines are popular garden plants. They can be found in a variety of colors, ranging from red, pink, yellow, white, purple, and blue, and they can help fill the gap between early spring blooming plants like tulips and daffodils and the summer blooming plants that dominate our landscapes....

In addition to the spring flowers blooming outside, many enjoy the fragrant flowers of a Lilium longiflorum (Easter lily) as a symbol of spring and the Christian holiday Easter. Growers manipulate the growth cycle and force them to bloom so that we can enjoy these...

Forsythias are planted for their stunning floral display in early spring. Have you ever seen a forsythia bush, and for some reason, there are only blooms at the very top or sparsely scattered around the plant? Or maybe wondered why it didn't bloom at all? While forsythia will produce an...