Deutzia
Slender deutzia (Deuzia gracilis) is a fantastic, but underused deciduous shrub for the sunny to partly sunny landscape. There are several cultivars of Deutzia available, and most produce a...
Category: In the Garden
Square Foot Gardening
When planting a traditional garden with conventional rows, approximately 100 square feet per crop per individual are necessary to provide fresh food for a season. An additional 100 square feet per...
Interesting Summer Annuals
Tired of planting the same old marigolds, petunias, and begonias? Try some different annuals in your garden this year. Many provide pollen and nectar for pollinating insects and attract...
Banana Shrub
Banana shrubs (Magnolia figo; formerly Michelia figo) are drought tolerant, evergreen shrubs with beautiful, creamy yellow flowers, which are edged in purple and look like miniature Southern...
Weed of the Month – Red Sorrel
Red sorrel (Rumex acetosella) is a perennial weed that is easily identified by its red flowers and spade-shaped leaves. It is a member of the buckwheat family and native to Europe. The plant...
Earth Stars
Earth stars (Cryptanthus species) are different from most bromeliads. They are terrestrial which means they are grown in rich, organic soil. Cryptanthus means “hidden flower” in Greek because the...
Forget-Me-Nots
A few years ago a friend, who was a native Alaskan, gave us a seed packet of alpine forget-me-nots (Myosotis alpestris) that she purchased on a visit back to her home state. We really didn’t think...
Plantings for Pond Shorelines
Are eroding shorelines interrupting your picturesque pond view? Shoreline erosion can be a significant pond maintenance issue because it contributes to infill of ponds, water quality issues, and can...
Bulbs in the Landscape
Spring bulbs will soon fade, and the foliage of hardy summer bulbs will start to emerge. Even though it may be tempting, do not remove foliage from the faded spring bulbs that have past their prime....
Elevated Gardening
Is the thought of preparing and planting an in-ground or raised bed garden becoming a little overwhelming this year? Is bending down to the ground getting a bit tough on the lower back these days?...
Bearded Iris
Bearded irises (Iris germanica) are some of the easiest and most beautiful perennials to include in your landscape. The name of this genus comes from Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, because...
Weed of the Month – Henbit
Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) is a winter annual, broadleaf weed. It germinates in the fall and actively starts to grow in the cool spring weather when adequate soil moisture is present. Henbit is...