An old fashioned favorite! The snapdragons come in so many colorful combinations – orange, pink, purple, red and white. They will grow best in full sun in well-drained soil.

You can use them to brighten your flower bed or use as a garden border. There are many varieties of snapdragons, including dwarf, intermediate and tall. Heights may reach up to 3 feet tall or be as short as 6 inches. The tall varieties may need support.

They are called snapdragons because of the flowered resemblance to the face of a dragon that opens and closes its mouth when it is squeezed.

In her book, “Vegetables Love Flowers”, Lisa Ziegler suggests planting them near your tomatoes. She says that the bumblebees you want for your tomatoes adore snapdragons.

When you first plant the snapdragons, pinch off the tops to encourage better branching. You can harvest snapdragons about twice a week. Cut low when you harvest to encourage strong stems with a more bushy plant. Keep them well watered.

Snapdragons are great for cutting! The blooms usually last about 7-10 days in a vase. Use an assortment of snapdragons to create a beautiful arrangement for your table or to share. Enjoy!!!!

I love it when the daffodils and tulips start peeking out of the ground, it is a sure sign that spring is just around the corner and warmer weather is on the way! I planted these beautiful yellow and red tulips a couple of years ago and they are just gorgeous this year! I can’t remember the name, but the color combination really compliments the daffodils and grape hyacinths in our garden.

Spring flowers on parade – love the colors!

Tulips are so pretty in all stages from bud to full bloom. These are lovely in a vase, so bring some into your home to enjoy!

Bright colorful blooms!

These are inspiring me to plan ahead and order bulbs to plant in the fall. I recently took photos of our gardens so I will know where to plant the bulbs when they arrive at the end of summer.

If you like take garden photos – or other photos – you might want to try the Photo Room app. This is the photo above with a white background. The Photo Room app easily erases the background of a photo on your phone and gives you so many options to add a variety of backgrounds and text. Have fun playing in the dirt, in your garden and on your phone! Enjoy!

National Gardening Day was yesterday, April 14th – but you can celebrate whenever you have a chance! My Grandma Steinhauser loved gardening and she taught me so much. Not only about the planting and tending to the garden and flower beds, but how to really enjoy gardening. She loved to walk around her gardens and just look at her beautiful flowers and to tell us about them. So many happy memories. My sister remembers that Grandma would always hold our hands as she talked to us about her gardens.

This time of year is when we can start planning our gardens. No matter what space you have, there is somewhere you can do a bit of gardening and play in the dirt! My daughter had this little garden in her loft apartment. She started the plants from seeds and then she shared many of them later with me and I planted them in my garden.

A pot on your patio can be used to plant some of your favorites – including herbs, tomatoes or flowers. I loved having these herbs right outside by back door so I could just run out and clip a few while I was preparing a meal. I love walking through the plant nurseries and greenhouses this time of year – so many beautiful plants – and that wonderful smell of spring!

You can use a fence as a background for flowers, sunflowers are another of my favorites.

Borders can be so gorgeous. I really like these double knock-out roses that border our sidewalk in front of our house.

I had one little patch of yard that I had to get the push mower out for – so I tilled it up and turned it into an herb and flower garden.

Growing up we had huge gardens, but now I have a small garden- so I can have fun playing. I love being outside, the sunshine is good for our souls. And you get physical exercise when you dig, hoe, plant and weed.

You are never to young to enjoy playing in the dirt! My daughter gave our grandson, Berkley, his first little garden. I hope you enjoy your gardening adventures as much as he does.

So plant some seeds, plan your garden, buy some plants, visit a greenhouse, or just enjoy all the spring flowers and trees as you take a walk or a drive. Enjoy the Spring and Happy Gardening!