How to Propagate Some Pretty, Poppin', Pow! with Portulaca.

Could your garden stand to use a little more “pop?” How about some “pow?” And a whole lot of “pretty?” Well, here’s a way to sneak all three into your garden. If you’ve never been introduced to Portulaca, then get ready for one of my favorite garden plants; it’ll knock your socks off!

Portulaca, or more commonly known as moss rose, “is a prostrate, trailing, multi-branchedannual with semi-succulent stems and leaves. It reaches about 6 in tall with aspread of 12 in. The reddish stems and the bright green leaves are thick andsoft and juicy. The leaves are cylindrical, about an inch long, and pointed onthe tips. The roselike flowers are about an inch across and come in brightcolors like rose pink, red, yellow, white, and orange. Some are striped orspotted with contrasting colors. The flowers are borne on the stem tips, andthey open only during bright sunlight, closing at night and on cloudy days.”

So are you convinced that this is a must-have plant for all your sunny garden spots? Get ready for more because this plant just keeps on giving – literally! Once you have portulaca growing in your garden, it is super easy to collect and distribute seed. This is a “self-seeding” plant, which means that you can leave it alone and it will drop seed, providing for more future plants. If you are more ambitious like me, you can collect the seed, save it, and plant in different locations for the next growing season. I love to sneak it into little bare spots in my garden that need a little “Pop!” It’s also great in containers, as long as they contain proper drainage.

Here’s how to collect the seeds:

First, you will want to grab a small jar, envelope or sandwich bag to capture and contain your seeds.

Next, locate the seed head. Seed heads form wherever a flower is/was blooming. It will look like a miniature brown paper sack with the top twisted closed.

Once you’ve located the seed head, hold your container underneath the seed head. Pinch the twisted top of the seed head and pull it off.

This will reveal a little “cup” filled with extremely tiny black poppy-seed like seeds. Tilt the “cup” and shake the seeds into your container. You may have to use your fingernail to scratch the seeds out of the “cup,” depending on how moist or dry they are.

Sometimes when you pull the twisted seed head, it reveals a green or reddish cap. This means that the seed head is not dried out enough. Leave it, giving the seed head another day or two to finish drying.

Portulaca produces a million-ga-gillion seeds; really it does! One purchased plant has the potential to fill up your garden in one year’s time, if you collect and redistribute the seed. If you are a patient gardener, you will definitely reap the benefits of this pretty plant. To read up on specific seed planting instructions and soil and moisture requirements, I prefer this version. You will also find that Portulaca can really stick it out during brutal summer heat. It can also tolerate transplanting, as long as you water it in. Portulaca comes in many beautiful colors, giving a rich color palette to the ground plane.

So, now you must be convinced that this is a must-have plant for all your sunny garden spots, right? Do you have any success stories with reseeding plants that you'd like to share? What is your favorite reseeding plant? Let me know in the comments below.

All images and graphics created by Artful I Design Studio. Please do not reproduce images without permission.

It's Going to Be 104 Degrees Today - This Landscape's On Fire!

It's a super hot week here in the South! What better time to start thinking about that firepit for the cooler, fall weather? A friend of mine asked me to create a digital makeover for a new patio that he installed.
Here's the existing patio:

And here's the patio with a digital makeover:

The completed version includes a stone firepit with grill top and a matching stone seatwall. I also added some ornamental grasses to give it a "home" in the turf grass setting and to help transition the look with the existing woodland landscape beyond.

This is going to be a great hangout spot when the weather turns cool! It will definitely be THE go-to spot for listening to the big game, roasting hotdogs and s'mores, or just snuggling with your honey-bunny! These firepits are available as kits, are very customizable, and appeal to a variety of price ranges. They are a great investment, and most importantly, will help you transform your landscape into your lifescape! Call or email me to find out more about this design service.