grace grits and gardening - ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

How to Grow a Clematis Vine (as big as a dinner plate)

April 12, 2017 By Talya Tate Boerner

I thought since my clematis flowers are as big as a dinner plate, this would be a good time to talk about growing clematis vines. For the beginner gardener, clematis is a great plant to start with because it’s a pretty undemanding vine. When it bursts into bloom you’ll feel encouraged and believe down deep where you live that your thumb has turned a brighter shade of green. That’s a nice thing to believe.

There’s no reason to make gardening difficult. Grow what works for your area and skip the fussy mussy plants. That’s my motto.

When to plant?

How about today? Continue Reading

The Farm: Where Soil and Soul Intersect

April 10, 2017 By Talya Tate Boerner

Today I’m thinking about The Farm. And The Homeplace. Not my farm or the homeplace of my family but my husband’s. My mother-in-law grew up in Morrison’s Bluff on a farm that backs up to the Arkansas River. For years, I’ve heard stories about John’s childhood trips to The Farm, but Saturday was my first visit. We went for a family reunion.

Y’all, don’t miss your family reunion. It’s important to gather and connect. And we couldn’t have ordered a more perfect day. Not even from a spring weather menu.Continue Reading

A Pop of Spring Color for the Butterflies!

April 5, 2017 By Talya Tate Boerner

Raise your hand if you’re busy celebrating spring. (Both my hands are raised!) When I was asked to work with Monrovia again, I didn’t hesitate. The timing is perfect, too, because after traveling and promoting my book during March, my immediate plan was to spiff up our butterfly garden with a pop of spring color. Just in time for Easter.

Even though our established perennials are beginning to bloom, adding a few fresh, vibrant Monrovia plants into existing beds is the best way I know to give the world an immediate boost. I headed straight to the local nursery where I had no trouble filling my shopping cart with lots of spring color. Seriously, you can keep the plastic eggs and chocolate bunnies. The picture below represents my dream Easter basket!

So what’d I buy?

For the Butterflies~

Two years ago, I planted a butterfly garden in our backyard. Each spring, I add to it with butterfly attracting perennials. My husband and I live in Zone 6, so it’s a bit early to plant milkweed, but I was happy to find two of our tried and true Monrovia favorites—salvia and coreopsis. These winners are long-blooming and hardy, they complement each other in style and color, and they attract butterflies and bees.

As pollinators, butterflies and bees are critical to our environment. Flowers and flowering shrubs that attract them are high on my preferred list.