High Tide

There are many kinds of violets, the wild ones that grow along the side of the road, the yellow and pinks that are a bit unusual and then the fragrant ones that are more difficult to find.

Do you have birds gobbling up seeds and insect pests in your garden? If not, you should consider adding a bird feeder and planning to plant some bird-friendly plants for next year.

Many folks want to plant plants when they see them in bloom. Unfortunately for Hellebores, the Christmas or Lenten rose, the ground is frozen or there is snow everywhere when they’re showing off!

It is time to write about one of my favorite trees, the Holly. They are so glorious this time of the year and they grow so well in our area they deserve a yearly applause.

One of my favorite plants of the Cape May area is Bayberry. They are a native and one that the birds help to spread. Bayberry says seashore. Traditionally the berries of these evergreen plants have been used to make candles.

The roses that smell the best are the almost flat type blooms found on the Rugosa rose shrub. They are in both white and deep rose in my gardens and do well in sandy soil.

Whether you garden in a pot or a plot, it is time to take notice and give the plants one last feeding if you do not already have time-release fertilizer on the plants. Clip or deadhead blooming plants so they will continue to flower. Trim back vegetables if they need it and plant some fall crops.

Butterfly weed is a beautiful fiery orange plant that is now blooming all over southern New Jersey. It has always been one of my very favorite wild flowers. It is known by many different nicknames, but most old timers call it “Railroad Annie” because it often grows along railroad tracks or in vacant fields. Butterfly enthusiasts call it butterfly weed because its colorful blooms attract butterflies.

We all know them. Geraniums are truly an old-fashioned summer plant, but did you know that you can enjoy these beauties all year long?