Dirt Therapy

Mrs. B.R. Cant was displaying some nice blooms this past weekend. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

The Japanese Maples got off to a late start this year with their fall color but it was so spectacular while it lasted. Last night a front came through with heavy winds and rain followed by colder temperatures. This morning 90% of that beautiful fall color is on the ground. Winter is coming!   Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

I can usually find something exciting in every gardening season. As winter approaches, the anticipation for camellias builds. Sasanqua camellias bloom in the fall and the showier japonica types will begin blooming in January and continue through early spring. One of the earliest to bloom is the hybrid "Snow Flurry". It has been blooming now for weeks in our garden. The exquisite camellia is often regarded as a deep south plant but hybridizers continue to work on pushing the envelope. As a result, more cold hardier varieties have been introduced so gardeners farther north can enjoy these beauties as well. "Snow Flurry" is hardy to zone 6. "Snow Flurry" was released in 1986 by the National Arboretum and it is advertised as one of the most cold hardy camellias available. This is one of the few camellias that I planted on the north side of the house and knock wood, it is thriving nicely. The pure white anenome type blossoms are rather delica...

This recipe comes from Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa). I made it this past weekend for my family and it was very good! I did use canned pineapple and I found that in my oven, the baking time only took 40 minutes so better aware of that and check it early. Carrot and Pineapple Cake Ingredients For the cake: * 2 cups granulated sugar * 1 1/3 cups vegetable oil * 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature * 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract * 2 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided * 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon * 2 teaspoons baking soda * 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt * 1 cup raisins * 1 cup chopped walnuts * 1 pound carrots, grated * 1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple For the frosting: * 3/4 pound cream cheese, at room temperature * 1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature * 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract * 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted For the decoration: * 1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F...

The Home Garden blog is celebrating Fall by gathering together blog posts that showcase fall color in their areas. I was beginning to think that we would not have any color to boast about this year. It has been a bad year for the garden - bone-dry conditions from drought being the chief culprit. October is usually a gloriously colorful month here in north Alabama. This year, it is late and we've even had a few frosts already.  A lot of leaves have been lost already before they had a chance to change color. However, the last few weeks has brought about a magical change. Last night brought rain (hooray!), so I rushed yesterday to get a few shots of the garden in her coat of many colors. The first two photos were taken from the street (W. Limestone) which borders the north side of our property. Ornamental grass "Adagio" and oakleaf hydrangea "Sikes Dwarf" are planted outside the fence. In the background, you can see the foliage of Japanese Maple "Bo...

This tough little annual is still going strong after two light frosts. It is now a "must have" on my annual list. It blooms non-stop and looks great in containers. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Maple leaves on Colorado Blue Spruce Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Earlier this year, I posted about the Memphis Hydrangea Tour sponsored by the Mid-South Hydrangea Society. One of the gardens on the tour is Brad Dantone's whose striking pot arbor attracted a lot of attention. Several of you commented about it and asked for directions on how to create one. Brad graciously sent me the directions and I'm just now getting around to  posting them (sorry to be so slow!). Here is Brad next to his pot arbor - Here are his instructions on how he did it: {{{ This project is easier if two people work together.  Rebar must be small enough to fit through the hole in the bottom of the pots.Cement the rebar 2 feet into the ground.  Start the pots through the rebar and put mortar on the bottom side of each pot.  Put the next pot on top of the previous pot.  Every pot has the mortar to hold to the next pot as they are treaded through the rebar. Cement the Post in the ground in the center. Get a large 2 gallon container, cut the bottom ou...

Irene Fowler is an artist, as anyone might guess while strolling through her exquisite woodland garden. Like Pam Harper , she is a master at combining plants in striking combinations that accentuate form, texture and color. I had a field day photographing her garden because at every turn I would find perfect visual vignettes. The garden lies in a patch of trees behind the Fowler's house. They also garden in the areas surrounding their house, sunnier areas with less trees, but the woodland garden is an extraordinary treat. The Fowler's garden is often featured on garden tours. If you have the chance to see it, do it! It was well worth the drive (they live in the rural Greenhill community).

A few weeks ago, I had the great opportunity to hear Pamela Harper speak at the Mid-South Hydrangea Society meeting in Memphis. I've been an admirer for many years and her book " Time-Tested Plants: Thirty Years in a Four Season Garden " is one of my gardening bibles. I've found that most of the plants she grows in her Virginia garden do well in north Alabama. About the only difference is her soil is sandy and ours is clay. Here are some of the great plants I've discovered from that book: Climbing Raspberry (Rubus rosifolus "Coronarius") - This thorny vine is compensated by beautiful spring time blooms that look like an old rose. Bleeding Heart Vine (Dicentra scadens) - Gorgeous and dainty, it is tougher than it looks. Planted in dry shade, it always goes dormant by mid-summer but reliably returns each spring. Fatshedera lizei -  The result of a cross between English Ivy and Fatsia. Another winner for dry shade. Michelia Figo (Banana Shrub...