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Gardening fashion is turning toward retro plants. Most Baby Boomers recall from their childhood years going to their grandparents’ homes and seeing a gorgeous, bountiful flower garden of colorful blossoms. Sometimes, on a sunny summer day, Grandma probably gave you scissors and allowed you to cut a bouquet.

A time came that perfectly manicured shrubs were the rage in gardening fashion and annual [flower gardens] were much less popular. Just like pin-striped suits and bellbottoms, the plants of childhood were no longer in fashion. Just like clothing fashion has revisited styles of years gone by, gardening fashion is turning to the beauty and simplicity of retro plants.

Retro plants offer a comforting feel of nostalgia and most are very easy to grow. Let’s look at some of the great retro plants that are coming back into gardening fashion:

Sunflowers: Huge, Mammoth varieties provide huge blossoms a foot or more across. But if you want less height and drama, you can find sunflowers in smaller varieties and even color variations now. If you want to feed the wild birds in winter or roast sunflower seeds for your family, choose the large Mammoths and allow the seeds to mature. Sunflowers are a great choice for a child’s first gardening adventure because the large, colorful blossoms offer such satisfaction after the growing period. Nothing is more dramatic on a table than two or three large sunflower blossoms in a simple vase.

Zinnias: Zinnias offer a bounty of color and blossoms and are easy to grow, making them perfect for the busy modern family. The wide range of colors available allows the retro garden to have brightness and the blossoms make great cut flowers. There are even green blossoms available now; that variety is aptly named ‘Envy’. These, too, are great starter-flowers for young gardeners.

Marigolds: Want an easy to grow plant which will also help repel unwanted insects from the garden? Then marigolds are for you. You’ll find a range of colors and even plant sizes so there is a variety sure to fit into your retro garden perfectly.

Ferns: Ferns never really go out of style, but recently they have become all the rage for hanging baskets as well as ground plantings. For an elegant front porch look that is inviting, hang Boston ferns long the front of the porch. While these ferns are not the easiest to grow, a little care will go a long way in maintaining their beauty. On trick with the Boston fern is that all too often it is seriously root bound when purchased and will thrive when one crowded pot is divided into two. Asparagus fern can be lush and gorgeous, but use care when choosing where to plant this tuberous, spreading fern or it can get out of hand. Great for ground cover in front of taller plants or in baskets. Watch out when trimming because many of these ferns have small thorns hidden in their beautiful, deep green foliage.

Coleus: For a variety of color, coleus is a great choice. Colors range from light, pale green to deepest purple and many varieties are variegated. Easy to grow, this plant loves moisture and can even be grown in deep shade. In fact, it requires shade at least a good portion of the day to thrive.

You can create a welcoming entrance to your home for Thanksgiving quite easily by using the bounty of your lawn and garden for decorating. As the seasonal color scheme changes with the advent of fall, you will find that your landscape provides you with a wealth of ideas and color to include in decorating your doorsteps, front porch, walkway or driveway to welcome guests as they arrive for holiday get-togethers.

If you happen to have grapevines in your garden, you can harvest these and, while they are pliable, weave them into shapes for wreaths. Simply twist the vines into the desired shape; add a few twist ties or pieces of florist wire to secure the vines if needed. Circular or oval wreaths are the easiest shapes to create, but you can get as creative as you wish. While weaving grapevines, you might want to create one or more to use as a candle ring or to decorate the base of a Thanksgiving centerpiece. If you do not have grapevines, you can purchase pre-made wreaths easily.

Using Colorful Leaves

Shortly before the Thanksgiving holiday, harvest some colorful leaves from your landscape to decorate your wreaths. Use a selection of various shapes and colors and simply hot glue or wire them into position on your grapevine wreath. Add a colorful bow, either purchased or one you tie yourself, to the wreath and hang on the front door or porch railing.

If you saved dried straw flowers from summertime gardening, you can add these to your wreath for another beautiful addition. These can also be used to create garlands along a porch railing, enhance greenery displays, and to include in your indoor Thanksgiving decorating.

Potted chrysanthemums in appropriately-sized pots can be used to place on each side of the front door or along the driveway or walkway. These beautiful flowering plants are available in an array of colors so choose some which compliment your Thanksgiving decorating color palette. Yellow, orange, and even maroon bring fall's colors into your welcoming entranceway.

Boughs of holly with its red berries can be draped along the porch or stair railing. You could also add boughs along window sills. Another great choice for draping greenery along the front walkway is asparagus fern. This hardy greenery holds up very well when cut for several days, making it perfect for the entire Thanksgiving holiday.

Pumpkins and Gourds

Pumpkins and gourds can be harvested and placed on your door steps, beside your front door, along the walkway, or as a [decoration] at the base of an outdoor post lamp. They also look wonderful when used as a border feature along your eave garden. Simply select ones that have appealing shapes and place them in the design desired. Add some colorful leaves or greenery to complete the look.

Add some of Thanksgiving's bounty outdoors for the birds to enjoy. Simply place a birdfeeder and suet racks in good locations so your outdoor friends can come to visit and delight your holiday guests.

You do not have to spend fortunate purchasing ready-made decorations for Thanksgiving. It is more fun to make them from the items grown in your own garden and landscape. This can become a family tradition and bring everyone closer together as they enjoy the bounty of nature and realize that Thanksgiving is all about being thankful to have such beauty to enjoy.

It's amazing with all the hard work that you put into fertilizing, nurturing and growing tomatoes .

Then some guy comes along sticks a bunch of cherry tomato plants into a pile of garbage and presto you have a mountain of beautiful humongous cherry tomatoes waiting to be harvested and added to your favorite salad or pasta dish.

Thing is would you eat the [tomatoes] being produced from this garbage pile ? Here is a little food for thought next time you harvest your tomato plants. Enjoy