There are very few true-blue flowers to choose from in the cutting garden that do well in floral design. There is iris, bachelor's button, delphinium, hydrangea and thistle to name a few. All these flowers offer certain characteristics and have certain looks and uses to design with.
Every year I'm stunned by my neighbor's Ginkgo biloba trees. These two trees put on a beautiful show just when most deciduous trees and shrubs have dropped their leaves. I've been admiring them for over 28 years (that's when we moved in, and they were full grown then).
If you haven't introduced a Cineraria into your flowerbed, you're missing an often overlooked plant that is truly amazing. This non-native to the United States is easy to grow in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11, actually preferring our low humidity.
We have an enchanting little plant that sits on our kitchen counter. This plant has many common names, such as Thanksgiving cactus, crab cactus, Easter cactus, and holiday cactus, but is most known as the Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera).
