Planning and Design Archives

Plant an Iris or Two in Your Garden - National Garden Bureau

Bearded, Beardless or Dutch, there’s an Iris for you!

Plant an Iris when you are looking for a showy flower to add to your garden! Fall is the perfect time to plant an iris, and they are among the easiest perennials to grow. Named after the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris, there are hundreds of iris species in almost all the colors of...

Blooming Hydrangeas are more than a dream with these 7 tips - National Garden Bureau #hydrangeagardeningtips

Blooming Hydrangeas Guaranteed!

Backyard Habitat, Garden Planning & Design, Planting Tips

How to Get Blooming Hydrangeas Guaranteed Getting the Blooming Hydrangeas of Your Dreams! Warm climate gardeners have been enjoying hydrangea flowers for several weeks. Cold climate gardeners, on the other hand, are just now seeing the buds and blooms on their bigleaf hydrangeas (macrophylla). Alas, however, some may not be seeing anything except either dead...

Attract Pollinators with Container Gardening - National Garden Bureau

Attract Pollinators with Container Planters

Container Gardening, Pollinator Gardening

No yard? No problem! Container planters can help you play a part in attracting pollinators even if you don’t have a yard! In the United States one-third of all agricultural output depends on pollinators, we need pollinators and pollinators need us! Help the pollinators do their job by planting pollinator-attracting plants in your containers. Create...

Grillscaping Love Your Food, Love Your Space - National Garden Bureau

Grillscaping: Grow Food You Love in the Space You Enjoy

Foodscaping, Planning and Design, Vegetables

We’ve all heard the expression, “You are what you eat.” Nowadays we also want to know more about the sourcing and production processes used to grow the vegetables and fruits that we consume. Are they organically grown? How far did they travel to get to me? One way to know the answers and have control...

Urban Gardening Methods: Growing In Any Environment

Container Gardening, Garden Planning & Design, Planting

When you live in a concrete jungle, it seems like it’s impossible to find space to create an actual edible jungle. It's time for Urban Gardening! We all have this mental image of a garden as an outdoor paradise, sequestered from the house and our day-to-day existence. But there are plenty of ways to work...

The Best Flowers for Homegrown Bouquets

Flower Gardening, Garden Planning & Design

Homegrown bouquets can decorate your home all summer long. The key to growing homegrown bouquets is by planting a combination of annuals, perennials, and flowering bulbs. This way you will always have new flowers coming into bloom. Every flower farmer knows that summer-blooming bulbs are the backbone of a cutting garden. Bulbs such as lilies,...

Community Pride is part of American In Boom - National Garden Bureau

Inspiration x 10

Planning and Design, Planting

Communities Transformed America in Bloom-participating communities send me photos each year of the transformative ways they are making their towns more welcoming and vibrant places to live, work, and play – benefitting from colorful plants and trees; enjoying clean environments; celebrating heritage, and planting pride through volunteerism. As one mayor said, "We first thought it was...

Six Reasons Why Plants are More Than Just Pretty

Garden Planning & Design, Planning and Design, Planting

Plants can do all that?! Plants are “givers” – to you, your family, your office, and your community by offering environmental, economic, mental, and physical benefits. Sure, flowers, shrubs, trees are beautiful, but they are so much more. Below are six reasons that show how plants are more than just pretty. Reason 1: The Ability...

12 Gardening Gifts that everyone will love - National Garden Bureau

12 Gardening Gifts Perfect for Anyone!

DIY Crafts & Gifts, Planning and Design

12 Gardening Gifts for Everyone on Your Gift List Still struggling on just what to get that gardener for this holiday season or birthday or "just cause" gift, then look no further than these 12 products that will bring a smile to any gardener on your list! Want to see more? Then take a peek...

Boost the Beauty of Your Spring Garden with Double Tulips

Flower Gardening, Garden Planning & Design, Planting Tips

Fall is my favorite time to plant. The soil is warm, the air is cooler, and I am traveling less. Each fall I add new spring-flowering bulbs to my garden. This year double tulips are at the top of the list. Consider doing the same and help celebrate the National Garden Bureau’s Year of the...