Lithodora diffusa

Imagine a carpet of the most intensely blue flowers polka-dotting a mat of deep green foliage and what you’re really seeing is Lithodora.  This lovely ground cover plant brings in pollinators throughout much of the year, too.

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When Company Arrives Unexpectedly

20190224_081449_MomentDespite the menacing appearance of this shady group of uninvited visitors, they are actually pretty harmless.  If anything, they were more comical than anything else.

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Garden Sage (Salvia officinalis)

20180413_180142ijklmGarden Sage is an all-in-one plant offering both looks as well as functionality.  Spires of tubular, lavender colored flowers sit above a sea of grey-green and fragrant leaves in masse each spring.  And of course, those leaves become a tasty addition for your kitchen spice rack.

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Almond (Prunus dulcis)

20190117_163855Just think, you could make almond butter, kourambiethes, seasoned snacks, and more from your own home grown almonds.  You’ll even get beautiful blossoms and feed the bees, to boot!

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Apple (Malus domestica)

20181013_090953I wonder if the old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” works if we are talking about apple-pie, or Milopita (Greek apple cake)?  Maybe??

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“Ambridge Rose” (Rosa ‘Ambridge Rose’)

20180501_155103This is easily the most photographed plant in my garden.  With a generous supply of the most luscious, peachy-pink blooms in a classic, cabbage rose form, it is easy to understand why.

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Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)

20180517_171126This is probably the least troublesome plant that I have in my garden, as well as the most spectacular.  Not only do people stop and gawk, but the bees are happy to see them, too.

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Freesia (Freesia corymbosa)

20180317_161549Each spring I eagerly await the appearance of my freesias.  Their sweet aroma greets me every time I walk outside and their bright blooms are some of the first spots of color I see.

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Scabiosa (“Pincushion Flower”)

I’m a sucker for old-fashioned looking flowers like the kind you see in a typical English Cottage Garden.  However, England’s climate isn’t all that similar to mine.  In fact, not at all.

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Pomegranate (Punica granatum)

20171105_134912It is easy to understand why Persephone was tempted by the pomegranate seeds offered to her by Hades, as told in the ancient Greek mythological story, even though eating them would condemn her to spend three months of each year in the dark underworld.

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