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Monrovia Plants fuel my gardening addiction. Even in winter.

March 4, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner 19 Comments

Note: Today’s post is sponsored by Monrovia, but my love for their plants is all my own.

Monrovia plants fuel my gardening addiction. Even in winter

I have a problem. Even though we are in the midst of winter and experiencing wave after wave of snow and ice, I’m still gardening. Spending time at Westwood Gardens on a cold winter day is a great way to stave off cabin fever. I walk through the warm, humid greenhouse, lusting after the lush Monrovia plants and dreaming of spring. Outside, fresh air is plentiful. So are shopping carts.

Winter Gardening Addiction - Monrovia plants add year-round color

I chat with (not really, yes really) plants covered in a layer ice. Here’s a tip for you…if a plant is thriving at the nursery while covered in ice, it will survive in your garden. Check out this Brakelights Red Yucca that now lives in my backyard:) Yucca plants are water-wise, self-sufficient and provide an interesting design element. This is not your average yucca. It’s named “brakelights” for a reason. Its bloom season is long and the prolific red flowers will make you stop and take notice. And bonus: hummingbirds love it!

Monrovia Brakelights Red Yucca - water wise, hearty with interesting foliage!

I’ve been buying proven Monrovia plants for years. In fact, it’s not a stretch to partially credit Monrovia with my gardening addiction. Years ago, as an inexperienced gardener with a hot, dry, square patch of Texas grass, Dallas nurseries lured me in with sidewalks filled with brilliant fuchsia azaleas. But the coral bark maples and red Chinese fringe flowers hooked me. Turns out, I’m more of a foliage kind of girl.

Since my husband and I recently moved from North Texas to Northwest Arkansas, we’ve been designing a new garden—a peaceful space that blends with the natural beauty of Northwest Arkansas. Our wish list includes not only places for gathering with friends, but quiet spots for reading and writing, and sunny corners for growing vegetables. When we step into our backyard, we want to be on vacation. We want the “ahhh” factor.

Our new yard is bigger than our last. More space means more possibilities, yet that can also be intimidating. One of the first things we did was develop a new design plan, working with The Grey Barn in Fayetteville. Monrovia plants are a key design component. Interesting foliage and bark patterns form the background for our new garden—the backdrop for what’s to come in spring and summer. During winter when perennials have died back and annuals have been tossed to the compost, foliage takes center stage providing year-round color. And no, a little winter weather doesn’t scare us. We began implementing our plan in January between snow storms.

Take a look at our design so far. This is the front yard.

https://ooh.li/4669c7a

Monrovia plants form the back drop of our design. We left plenty of open spaces for spring flowers.

 

Here’s a shot of the backyard including our fire pit and a few more soft touch hollies and laurels.

Monrovia plants soften landscape design

Here’s a more typical winter view. But see, if we didn’t have Monrovia evergreen scrubs poking through the snow, there’d be nothing to break up the blinding white…am I right?

Monrovia shrubs in winter

Through the years, we’ve learned a few things by trial and error, by reading gardening books, by visiting arboretums and making note of things we love. We have favorite plants. Much like choosing paint color and arranging furniture inside the house, there’s a thought process to peaceful design. Gardening is much more than digging a hole and planting a shrub. Designing a relaxing space involves creating garden “rooms” with beds, creating movement with texture and materials, adding fun elements with found objects and personality specific items.

And yes, specimen plants like our new yucca create interest. 

This morning sleet is falling (again) in Fayetteville and the ground is frozen solid. Our new yucca hasn’t been planted. I’m still considering the best location for him, a place where I can see him from the house. Possibly near the fire pit.

Monrovia Brakelights Red Yucca

No matter the weather, no matter the season, I always find a way to garden even if only by dreaming on a winter day and planning where my new Monrovia yucca will live once the spring thaw arrives. And yes, that counts.

So what about you? Are you dreaming of spring?

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

FYI everyone – Monrovia brand plants are available at local garden centers (Westwood Gardens in Fayetteville) and Lowe’s home centers across the country.

[tweetthis]Fueling my #gardening addiction. Even in winter! @MonroviaPlants #Monrovia #Plantlust https://ooh.li/d9d9725[/tweetthis]

Watch me:

 

 

Winter garden dream. And GOLD!

January 19, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner 10 Comments

Winter is the perfect time to dream and plan for a spring garden. Did you realize we are halfway through the calendar winter? Yes, although it’s still too soon to plant veggies and flowers (at least in our neck of the Northern Hemisphere), it’s never too soon for moving dirt around. Unless, of course, your dirt is buried under a blanket of snow. Since ours isn’t, we have lots of garden prep work going on at our house. And believe me, since we bought this house in August, we have been itching to work in the yard.

wheelbarrows

Winter isn’t stopping us. Not this week anyway.

To add more interest, we are terracing our sloping backyard. This is the beginning of a stone wall.  (See Lou Holtz supervising? He’s good.)

building a rock wall terrace

We have plans to expand our outside stone dining area, install a sprinkler system and build a fire pit. The Grey Barn is doing the heavy lifting. The Grey Barn, dirt work

Fortunately, the last few days have been dry, otherwise what a mud hole we would have. Mud + Schnauzers = Pigs.

Lucy and Annabelle playing ball

Turning dirt reveals treasures like old broken glass and pieces of pottery. Yesterday I found a cool rock partially buried but glinting in the sunlight. I’m not sure what it is, but it looks interesting. Some sort of ore or mineral?

found in my backyard

If it’s something significant, let me know, and I’ll go dig for more in the backyard. In the meantime until we identify it, I’ll pretend it’s gold. Or a rare lump of Martian meteorite. Or maybe there’s a black diamond hidden inside there.

Whoo-hoo!

Think of how many herbs and plants and trees and seed packets one nugget of gold would buy.

A girl can dream. Even in the dead of winter.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]Turning up dirt uncovers lots of treasures. #gardening #winter #waitingforspring[/tweetthis]

“I’m a miner, and I’m always dirty, because I’m constantly digging. Am I shoveling for gold? Hardly. I’m unearthing this hearty land searching for the next great American novel. If I dig deep enough, I’m sure to find it.”
― Jarod Kintz

Musical Pairing:

California Dreamin’ – The Mamas and The Papas

Talya Tate Boerner


Hi! I'm Talya. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (Now Available!)

Click to BUY NOW!

Talya Tate Boerner books
Gene, Everywhere

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