Ever wonder how professional garden designers put together color combinations and create perfect textural contrast in the landscape? By following a few basic principles, you can do it yourself! Here’s a quick visual study of how it’s done. The Color Wheel Artists, interior decorators and garden designers alike all use the same color wheel when
As someone who gardens primarily in shade, I’ve learned over the years to appreciate the value of plants with interesting foliage even more than those with pretty blossoms. Flowers are temporary in shade, but fantastic foliage lasts all season. I’ve chosen ten plants here that are grown more for their leaves than their flowers, even
Don’t let those huge blooms fool you! It is easy to grow hibiscus with dinner plate-sized flowers if you follow a few simple tips. Yours will be the envy of the neighborhood every summer if you treat them right! Hibiscus Summerific® ‘Evening Rose’ The tropical flair that perennial hibiscus exudes may fool you into
Here are a few of my favorite things… #1 – Decadence® ‘Cherries Jubilee’ False Indigo (Baptisia) There are so many cool things to tell you about this plant—where do I begin? Let’s start with its historical roots. Baptisia is an ancient perennial that was once used to make dyes and was the first-ever subsidized agricultural
Red, white and blue is a popular color theme for gardens at summer cottages where patio containers overflow with red geraniums, white alyssum and blue lobelia. If you select your perennials and shrubs with the patriotic theme in mind, you can also have a landscape filled with red, white and blue flowers that are blooming
We all want to have a beautiful landscape to enhance our home and improve the curbside view. If you find yourself with little time to be out in the garden but still need your landscape to have a tidy appearance, consider growing these low-maintenance shrubs in your home’s foundation beds. All of the plants described
If you’ve ever wondered where new plants come from, you’ll enjoy this story behind the Decadence® Baptisia series, developed by renowned plant hybridizer Hans Hansen. Baptisia, commonly known as false indigo, is quite literally an ancient plant that dates back to the time of the Ancient Egyptians. It’s also a prolific native prairie plant here
Each year, Proven Winners® names a very select group of their most outstanding plants to be the National Plants of the Year. We’ve grown them all and have to agree—these are amazing plants we can easily recommend to our customers. ANNUAL OF THE YEAR – Diamond Collection Euphorbia Diamond Frost – Diamond Mountain – Diamond
What would our gardens be without shrubs to bring structure and a sense of order to the space? We are continually amazed at the ingenuity of plant breeders who bring us new shrubs with traits we never even imagined possible. We love growing shrubs and it was incredibly tough to pick just ten favorites from
Incredible advancements are made in perennials every year, so they are easier to grow and more beautiful for us to enjoy in our gardens. We’ve rounded up a group of ten new perennials for sun and shade we think you’ll love as much as we do, including four unique newcomers for shade. Let’s dive in
New options for shade? Yes, please! Let me tell you about three new varieties of my favorite shade perennials that are available for the first time this year. Even gardeners who struggle with deer and rabbits can enjoy these beauties. For most of the growing season, mature red oaks and sugar maples cast a glimmering
Peonies, roses and lilacs are classic flowers that carry beautiful memories for many people. Which plants evoke a sense of nostalgia for you? I’ll help jog your memory by sharing a few of mine with you in today’s blog.