Amanda Shenstone, Author at Graceful Gardens

How to Get Amaryllis Bulbs to Bloom for Christmas

If you want an amaryllis blooming right around Christmas, plant the bulb in early to mid November. Amaryllis typically take 6 to 8 weeks from planting to first flower, so counting backward from your target date is really the whole trick. I’ve timed dozens of bulbs for the holidays over the years, and I can […]

Delphiniums: 12 Questions Gardeners Always Ask

I’ve grown delphiniums for more than 30 years, both professionally and in my own garden, and I’ve learned that many of the “rules” you read about this plant are really just tendencies. Some delphiniums sail through winter while others disappear. Some rebloom beautifully while others seem to call it a season after the first flush. […]

Geraniums: Pelargoniums vs Hardy Geraniums, Which Should You Grow?

If you want geraniums for a sunny windowsill, look for pelargoniums (the classic red or pink “geranium” sold in garden centers every spring). If you want geraniums to soften a walkway or edge a border, you want hardy geraniums, also called cranesbills, which are true perennial Geranium species that come back every year. They’re not […]

How Seed Saving Saves Me Hundreds of Dollars in the Garden

If you’ve looked at seed catalogs lately, you’ve probably noticed how quickly a handful of flower packets can add up. Mine certainly did. These days, I save enough seed from my own garden that some years I only buy special hybrid flower seed. Here’s where the biggest savings come from, what I always save, and […]

Why Are Aphids So Bad This Year?

If you’ve walked out to check your delphinium spikes or rose buds this week and found them coated in a sticky little cluster of green (or black, or gray) bugs, you’re not imagining things. Aphid populations really have exploded this year for a lot of gardeners, mine included. The short answer: a mild winter let […]

Are Zinnias Deer Resistant Enough for Your Cottage Garden?

Are Zinnias Deer Resistant? Short answer: Yes, mostly! Zinnias sit pretty solidly in the deer-resistant camp, and after several summers of watching deer stroll right past my zinnia beds to munch on my hostas instead, I can vouch for it from experience. But “deer-resistant” doesn’t mean “deer-proof,” and there are a few conditions worth knowing […]

Is Salvia Deer Resistant? What I’ve Learned After Years of Growing It (Despite the Deer)

Is salvia deer resistant? Yes and here’s why it’s one of my go-to plants. If you’ve got deer wandering through your yard at dusk like I do, you’ve probably already learned to be suspicious of every “deer resistant” label on a plant tag. Salvia is one of the few plants in my garden the deer […]

6 Essential Fall Garden Tasks for More Flowers Next Spring

Every fall, I have to remind myself that gardening isn’t winding down, it’s just changing seasons. While the flower beds may look tired, this is when I do some of the most important work of the year. A few hours spent planting bulbs, sowing seeds, and dividing perennials now means a garden that’s ready to […]

12 Squirrel-Resistant Flower Bulbs for Your Spring Garden

If you’ve ever planted flower bulbs in the fall only to find holes scattered across your garden the next morning, you’ve probably had squirrels helping themselves to your hard work. I’ve dealt with this more than once, especially in newly planted beds where fresh soil seems to attract every squirrel in the neighborhood. The good […]