Author: Robert F. Polomski

Shearing hedges into cubes, globes, and squares is a form of architectural pruning that balances appearance with shrub health. This balancing act is most evident in the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden in...

Do your flowering shrubs need a makeover? Perhaps it’s the overgrown shrub that craves your contact whenever you use the front door or carport. Maybe it’s an old shrub that lost its vitality and...

I’ve made it clear in this blog that Winter is my least favorite season. Therefore, I always seek winter-blooming flowers to raise my spirits. However, before the yellow-flowered daffodils bloom to...

While the Christmas tree takes the front-and-center stage during this holiday season, supported by a cast of poinsettias, cyclamens, kalanchoes, Christmas cactuses, and amaryllises, hollies often...

I have always been enamored with shrubs and trees that bloom during the fall months. Partly for the pollinators in search of sustenance during this season, but mostly for me who can’t accept the...

When it comes to choosing landscape trees, I look for trees that have multi-season interest.  I’ve seen too many fleeting beauties that bear a fireworks display of flowers in the spring that lasts...

Summer heat and humidity cause folks to think about escaping to swimming pools, lakes, mountain retreats, and beaches. If your home is your sanctuary, then find refuge in your garden with our native...

Water is like gasoline: you don’t miss it until it’s gone. Benjamin Franklin succinctly stated it this way: “When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” So, while you may not be contemplating...

Whenever I encounter an introverted gardener, I engage them in conversation with this question: What wisteria do you recommend for my backyard? Expect to hear either one of these perspectives. On...

Wild or false indigo (Baptisia species) is the perfect Mother’s Day gift, whether your Mom is a newbie, seasoned green-thumber, or someone who simply enjoys flowers that come back year after year...