Torch cactus flowers are breathtakingly beautiful and a shock to some people when they see them attached to the plant that bears them.

Sharp thorns protect the plant from animals, thirsty for the water encapsulated in the succulent body of the Trichocereus.

As an added bonus, the thorns provide shade, acting as a natural lath that filters the sun from the plant's exterior.

 

Amazing architecture and beauty…when in bloom.

When not in bloom, the Torch cactus looks menacing and  uninviting and is easily passed over by the gardener in search of pretty flowers.

 

The thick, cylindrical body of the Torch cactus grows to approximately 15"-inches tall by 12"-inches in diameter and has many offsets or "pups."

Multiple flowers emerge from along the top and body of the stem.

 

 

Although the Trichocereus is drought tolerant when established, more consistent watering is needed for a new plant.

After one month, taper watering as needed when soil is dry to the touch.

Protect from frost and set is in a sunny spot where it can enjoy the spotlight and flower from spring and through the warmer weather!

 

I've learned to appreciate the rugged beauty of cacti from my many visits to Joshua Tree, California.

The high desert holds an enormous attraction to me, especially when the plants are in bloom there.

 

Anyone love this plant or collect cacti or succulents?

Would love for you to share more information about it.

 

 

I presented at the "Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival" this year and brought back many beautiful  garden design ideas  to share with you!

Take a look.

 

Container Garden Ideas

A simple planter filled with a combination of magenta and purple colored pansies gains dimension by adding terracotta pots filled with annuals.

I see pink geraniums and nicotianas in pink and red cascading from the containers. 

These containers are made in Siena, Italy from a distinct clay that imparts the orange color to the vessels.

 

I was captivated by the sea of pink geraniums dotted with white alyssum.

Fluted terracotta pots rise above the floral mass and contain the same combination.

Notice the added style when containers are incorporated into the planters.

 

One of the most practical secondary uses for cement blocks are as planters!

Cement blocks can be stacked to create vertical gardens that take up little floor space.

I would stack a few blocks and spread them out in different parts of the landscape to separate and mark different areas.

The blocks are filled with sedums, kalanchoe, agaves and echevarias.

This is more contemporary in style than the terracotta gardens which lean towards antique and rustic in feel.

 

Planting Schemes

This "bird garden" designed by nature experts at the National Audobon Society is full of jewel-toned annuals.

I've never been much of an "annual color" gardener but this display garden attracted so many birds and butterflies, that I was won over!

Birds houses, bird baths and nesting material provide an added attraction for our feathered and winged friends.

Plants include magenta dianthus, blue and purple pansies, white alyssum, sunflowers, nicotianas and more.

 

The goal is to reduce the size of the lawn but be aware that some of these annuals require regular watering until established.

 

Large-scaled planting like the flower tapestry at Epcot is commonplace at Walt Disney World and no one does it better!

Sections of the patterned garden beds are drawn on the ground with chalk or string and filled in with different annuals.

This particular garden is changed at least two times during the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival starting with cool-season plants  transitioning to warm season annuals around April or May.

 

Red, glass poppies shimmer above the garden bed near the "Land of Oz" display at Epcot.

From a distance, I was curious as to what these large flowers were, not thinking that they were glass flower sculptures!

I was inspired to add glass sculpture to my garden, just have to find the right one now!

 

Lastly, a river of yellow pansies evokes a feeling of movement in an otherwise static garden.

Get away from planting your annuals in straight lines or uninspired blocks of color, if that is your custom.

I'm going to experiment with interesting patterns and start painting with plants!

 

Have you attended the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival before?

What inspired you most in the garden?

 

 

 

There's nothing more satisfying than designing a garden makeover for a deck when it's empty, like the one at the "Home & Family Show."

Clean slates are under-rated!

 

 

Deck Makeover Segment Assigned

The Home & Family Show producer who was in charge of the deck makeover segment is one very determined guy named Nick Birren.

 

Nick may look like a "romantic lead actor" but he's clearly channeled all his energy into being a top-notch producer behind the camera!

 

I got a call from Nick a few days before we were to tape a segment on designing a composting system.

The plans for the composting system were ready to go and I had my bag of food discards packed in my truck.

 

There was a last minute change- no composting segment, instead, a deck makeover was ordered.

 

I take my television garden makeovers seriously.

They must meet professional standards which translates to, "no installation shortcuts or planting of plants that look pretty for camera but die a few days later."

I had to measure, assess the site for irrigation, check the grading, soil conditions, sun exposure, etc.

This was a real landscaping job with a super short deadline, high expectations and a camera in your face!

 

Left side planting strip. Measures two-feet deep, 13-feet wide and one-foot tall.

 

Right-side planting strip. Measures the same as left side except it's one-foot wider. Take a look at that tall, ugly wall!

 

Fortunately, the planting areas were restricted to two planting strips located between the deck perimeter and the house.

My challenge was to design a dynamic garden that could serve as a "backdrop" for segments taped on the deck, while reserving deck space for production needs.

At the same time, I had design issues that needed to be mitigated such as tall, gray walls, an unattractive roofline, horrible soil, and the instructions not to install any pergolas or overhead structures!

With limited floor space, I padded the design with vertical garden features such as a trellis against the wall, a window box, wall planters and a trio of three-tiered plant towers- obelisks.

 

Preparing For the Deck Makeover

It was a rare day in Los Angeles because it was raining.

This meant that the nurseries were probably closed.

The clock was ticking and I was 24-hours away from installation and still had to source, buy, pick up and deliver the plants, soils, containers and garden decor for the deck.

 

To make matters more difficult, one of my design decisions ended up being a hassle to fullfil.

Instead of planting directly in the ground, I decided to recess plant liners in the small planting areas in order to better control the soil and planting environment.

My problem was, I couldn't find any planters that fit in this specific space!

 

I had to visit three different Lowes garden centers in order to buy 16 liners!

None of the stores had enough on hand.

After rustling up the liners, my energy turned towards finding plants.

 

I called my friends at Armstrong Garden Centers and asked if they would be interested in supplying the plants for the deck and help me pull plants in the rain.

Armstrong agreed, and on my way to the Sherman Oaks store, the rain dissipated.

That was a hopeful sign.

 

 

My next call was to Kellogg Garden Products, the soils company that supplied my television show, "Garden Police."

"I need a lot of organic potting soil for my TV segment," I cried.

"No problem Shirley," the marketing director responded, "we'll set up a pick up for you!"

 

"All hands on deck!" Producer Nick and assistant Will unload soil for the garden project.

 

Oh, to have friends in the gardening industry!

Thank you!!!

 

Installing the Deck Garden

 

Subscribe to EdenMakers Blog to be notified of Part 2: "The Reveal!"

Read and see more photos related to the Deck Makeover Project on Shirley's other website, Garden Center TV!

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Friends,

I invite you to watch my gardening segment on the Hallmark Channel show, "Home & Family" airing on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013 at 10AM EST.

Have you ever wanted to make a "string garden" but didn't know how to do it?

I'll be demonstrating the basics on the show and writing a step by step blog post later this week for you to enjoy.

 

 

String gardens are "no-container" hanging plants and are also known as "kokedama" planting arragements.

These unique hanging plants are expensive when bought but very inexpensive to make!

 

Set your recorders for the "Home & Family" show, and if you like what you see, please post a comment on the Hallmark Channel discussion forum!

Check your local listings for broadcast time in your area.

 

 

The Home & Family show is a unique talk show centered on home and family topics!

Hosts, Cristina Ferrare and Mark Steines welcome experts from every facet of lifestyle including cooking, crafts, design, gardening, relationships, celebrities, fashion and more!

Let the producers know how much you appreciate seeing gardening segments on the show.

Look for Home & Family on Facebook too!

 

Thanks!

Shirley

 

 

You can make a vertical herb garden, a "living spice rack" that spins, using a repurposed tomato cage!

Vertical gardens are very popular these days because it allows you to free up your floor space without sacrificing space for gardening.

One of my favorite pasttimes is coming up with ideas to repurpose materials in the garden that most gardeners already have.

This is the case with my "Living Spice Rack" design.

 

Materials For Shirley Bovshow's Living Spice Rack

I imagined a lightweight, portable, and affordable vertical garden system to grow lots of herbs indoors, during the winter, or outdoors yearlong in mild climate areas.

 

1. Tomato Support Cages

I had to look no further than my metal tomato cage which was on it's way to the garden shed once tomato season was over.

 

The tomato cage with its gridlike design and sturdy composition is the perfect structure to hold a number of metal hanging baskets filled with herbs!

 

If you prefer wood, you can use an inexpensive wood vegetable support trellis like this one- cost $6

 

2. Casters and Plant Dollies

Casters and plant dollies, ($15 +) are the centerpiece of the living spice rack, enabling you to spin and move the rack as needed!

 

Buy some metal planting baskets and cocoa liner and fill them with your favorite herbs before attaching to the tomato cage with gardening tape.

The baskets should wedge into the tomato cage openings, mine are snug.

Make sure to select the right size metal planter by checking to see that it isn't too large or small for the opening.

That's it!

 

Watch Video: "Vertical Herb Garden That Spins and Functions Like a "Living Spice Rack!"

Watch the videos of the Living Spice Rack that I did for my "Way to Grow" show on Digs channel and take a look at the segment I did for the Home & Family Show on

the Hallmark channel recently!

 

Tips:

• If using indoors, make sure to place a saucer underneath the large, main planter to catch draining water.
• Water your living spice rack starting at the top so that the overflow water will drain onto the planters underneath it.
• Select a large container to hold the tomato cage. It should be wide so that the rack is not top heavy and topples.
• Spin your herb rack every few days for even sunlight exposure.
• Enjoy!

 

??

Winter Herbs and Greens for Your Living Spice Rack

• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Chives
• Sage
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Arugula
• Radicchio
• Lettuce varieties
• Kale
• Swiss Chard
• Rosemary

Fairy gardening, as well as miniature gardening has opened up a new world of creativity for me as a landscape designer!

Although I've  created miniature container gardens for many years, I've never had so many people request them as they do now.

Fairy and miniature gardens are a huge TREND!

What a wonderful way to dive into the wonderful world of plants, especially small plants.

 

Shirley Bovshow presents "Fairy Gardening" on the Home & Family Show!

I shared some of my fairy garden designs on the Home & Family show, (Hallmark channel) today  I'm posting photos for a closer view.

 

Miniature and Fairy Gardens

My mini gardens are full landscapes scaled down to a container!

The best part of fairy and miniature gardens is that you can tell a "story" by mixing in props with your plants.

A mini garden can look like a "real" landscape with walkways, arches, statues, houses and stone walls.

The most memorable mini gardens are "themed" with interesting characters and settings that making them conversation starters.

 

 

I mixed accessories bought at a specialty store, such as Wholesale Fairy Gardens, and materials that I have at home.

Think outside the box for accessories- use your kid's toys, a ceramic cookie jar, anything that won't be damaged by water.

 

 

Shirley's Miniature and Fairy Gardens Before and After

Many of my miniature gardens feature materials destined for the trash that I upcycle into planters and accessories.

 

Before: Broken Clay Garden Finial

I never cry over broken garden accessories, including this adorable finial that split in two!

From it, I was able to create two new planters for miniature gardens.

 

AFTER: Miniature Garden with Succulent Cuttings

The top part of the finial is now a petite planter for succulent cuttings.

Everything about this garden is free, including the shell that props up the planter on one side!

Do you see it?

 

AFTER: Miniature Garden: "Fairy Sitting on Swing"

The large section of the broken finial is now a whimsical miniature garden planter with staked ceramic fairy swing and fairy from Wholesale Fairy Gardens.

The swing support is made from parts of a plastic plant hanger that were clipped at the top and adorned with a sign that reads, "Believe."

Do you "BELIEVE?"

 

After: Close up of Miniature Fairy Garden with Swing

Hanging a swing from a planter that offers nothing to hang from took some ingenuity.

I was able to create a "tepee" support system by cutting off parts of a plastic plant hanger and crossing them at the top.

 

Before- Wood Crate Turned Miniature Garden Planter

We received glassware as a  Christmas gift that was boxed in this rustic wood shipping crate.

I knew the moment I laid eyes on the wood crate that it was destined to be a wood planter!

 

Before- Broken Hanging Candle Lantern

Wait till you see what I did with this broken hanging lantern!

 

After- Rustic Painted Wood Planter and "Glass House" for Miniature Garden

This is one of the mini gardens I presented on the "Home and Family" show.

 

The theme of this garden is "Motherhood." 

"A cautious mother-bird keeps watch over her eggs as a cat, sitting on a chair, waits for an opportunity."

 

I'm not expecting this wood planter to last forever, water will slowly cause it to decompose.

I drilled holes at the bottom of the crate for drainage and then painted the wood in two colors, brown with sage green trim.

Perfection was not necessary.

 

There's another recycled material in this miniature garden.

Notice the "glass house" where the little bird is sitting with her eggs?

That used to be a hanging candle lantern.

It's filled with moss, ceramic eggs, a bird figure, and a succulent plant that spills from inside!

 

I Use Plant Cuttings To Save Money!

All the plants in this miniature garden are cuttings from containers.

I spent no money to make this.

I had all the materials at home!

The mini pond and chair were given to me.

You can do the same.

Start looking around!

 

Before- $4 Dollar Plastic Cement-Mixing Trough 

YUCK!

I would never use an ugly plastic container like this one, "as is!"

Plastic is challenging to paint, so I used a primer called "Bin" as a base coat so that the paint adheres to the plastic. 

I also drilled holes for drainage and then painted with acrylic paints in brown and sage green.

The large opening makes this an ideal "tabletop" size to create a larger miniature garden like the "Good Neighbor" themed garden I made with it.

 

Miniature Garden Houses- Two Sources

 

I had a pretty cookie jar that I bought at a garage sale for $1 dollar that matched the size of an "official" miniature garden house.

Putting them together was a natural.

 

The cookie jar read, "The Old Sweet Shop" so I made a sign for the other house that read "Ye Old Dentist."

The name of this miniature garden is "Good Neighbors!"

Take a look at the details including miniature hardscape and layout.

 

After- Large, Wide Planter for a Miniature Garden "Village!"

The paint is rustic but effective!

 

Infuse a little humor into your mini gardens.

"Good Neighbors" theme is funny when one house is a candy store and the other is the dentist office!

 

Fairy Garden Sphere- Where Fairies Live!

This is the fairy garden orb I made on the Home and Family Show.

A moss-clad, grapevine orb is an ideal "fairy hideout!"

Cascading wire vine softens the edges of the planter and artistic stepping stones lead to the hideout.

 

Succulent Roof, Edible Miniature Garden

Many of the plants in this garden are edible including the Swiss chard, chives, oregano and pansies!

The succulent on the roof are cuttings from my garden.

 

Fairy garden close up.

Fairy oversees the garden perched on a stone wall above the golden sedum lawn, stone walkway and succulent roof house!

 

The wheel barrel and small garden tools lets the onlooker know that this fairy is a gardener!

 

I hope you enjoyed some of my fairy and miniature garden  design designs.

If you want to see  step by step video instructions for making a fairy garden, watch my video from the "Way to Grow" series on Youtube.

"Make Your First Fairy Garden and Miniature Garden"

 

 

 

Can I answer any questions for you?

Shirley