Ahh yes, Norwegian summer. It's actually what you would call the "perfect" weather day here in NC. It's not too hot, not too cold. Not humid, with a little bit of a breeze. The sun warms your face, instead of burning it in five seconds. It is truly the perfect day for both humans and flowering annuals. Now, the last two summers I visited Northern Europe, I got lucky with the weather. Typically, it's more rainy. Regular rain does have its advantages, especially when it comes t

It's that time of year again in the South, fall flowers! Planting pansies and violas is a great way to get all-season color. Unlike snapdragons and dianthus, pansies/violas will bloom throughout the winter, giving you color all season long. Throughout this blog, I will use the word "pansies" to refer to both violas and pansies since the care is the same for both. Those who move here from the northern parts of the US, where they have "real" winter, are often surprised to see m