Some plants rise above the rest with their extraordinarily brilliant blooms and foliage that are so distinctive that you can instantly identify them from a distance. We call them 55mph varieties – plants that turn heads even when you’re speeding past them down the highway. They make great flowers for front yards. If flashy flower
Are you tired of replanting all of your patio and porch pots every year? What if some of them contained plants that returned for several years? Though non-hardy annuals are traditionally used in patio and porch containers, the palette of available plant material increases exponentially when you add hardy perennials and shrubs into the mix.
As pretty as they are all on their own, you can enhance the beauty of your hydrangeas by pairing them with complementary plants that accentuate their best traits. Companion plants can also bring color and texture to the space when your hydrangeas aren’t in bloom. Let’s take a look at all six types of hydrangea
#1 – The Entertainer’s Garden If you love to entertain outdoors, focus your energy on sprucing up your outdoor living and dining spaces. A little hardscaping, like the pergola you see here, helps to define livable “rooms” in the yard while providing filtered shade above the patio table. Surround the area with vibrant red, yellow,
Lots of people who like to garden also like to collect plants. We find irresistible plants everywhere we go and one by one, our gardens grow. And grow. And grow! While it’s perfectly OK (and fun!) to collect lots of different kinds of plants, we need to get smarter about which ones we allow into
As with most things in life, gardening is more fun when you are faced with fewer challenges like clay soil, hungry deer or full shade—that is, until you know how to meet and defeat those challenges. It takes some practice, but in time, you will learn which kinds of plants you can grow without any
The beauty of gardening in containers is that it can be done anywhere. Since you control the soil and water, plus you can decide what amount of sun to set the planter in, you know your plants will thrive. Sometimes, we just need to see ideas to inspire us on how to select coordinating colors
One rose. It was the only plant the former owners of my Michigan home asked to take with them when I moved in around May 2005. The rose had once belonged to his mother and now it was moving halfway across the country to find a new place in their Idaho garden. That left precisely
As a 20+ year veteran of the horticulture industry, I am privy to some “behind the scenes” information that helps me understand why things work the way they do in this business. I am also a consummate skeptic. When most businesses tell me to Order today!, an audible “humph” can be heard under my breath.
Come see what’s new this year as we describe our top 15 favorite new varieties of annuals, perennials and shrubs for the new season. We’ll share our experience in trialing these plants and describe exactly why we loved them. When shopping for new plants this season, this is the place to start.