Linda Robson's Garden

My passion for gardening came, quite honestly, from my Dad. He grew up on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania. He chose engineering over farming, but growing plants was in his blood. When I was growing up, my Dad would always plant the most wonderful vegetable garden. It took up one third of our backyard. We always had enough vegetables to eat, can and give to neighbors. My sisters, brothers and I would be my Dad's helpers. The first house I lived in, after I got married, was in Sunset Hills. I wanted to have the best yard in the neighborhood. I made a lot of mistakes during the first two years. I would buy plants that looked pretty and plant them anywhere in the yard. I never took into consideration their growth requirements. After killing a few hundreds of dollars worth of plants, I decided it might be smart to take some continuing education gardening classes. We moved to Town and Country eight years ago, into a beautiful house with a yard that needed a lot of work. Now eight years later, I almost have my perfect yard. I have come to think of my plants as my babies. I still get excited every spring when they first poke their heads out and later get their first blooms. I have found gardening to be the most satisfying hobby, because I can see the results of my hard work daily. I hope that I have instilled in my own children a love for plants and protecting our environment for their children to come. My favorite perennials are : balloon flowers, coreopsis, hostas, and loosestrife. My favorite annuals: zinnias, verbena, portulaca, coleus and lantana. My favorite nurseries are Weithops for annuals and their one dollar perennials, Sherwood Forest for shrubs and trees, and I order a lot of plants from Springhill and Jackson & Perkins catalogs. My only tip to keep deer away from my plants, is spraying Deer Off on the plants when they first emerge from the ground and then reapply it once a month.