Garden Articles
Crazy for Coneflowers
Beautiful and dependable, Echinacea purpurea, or purple coneflower, is the crowning glory of the summer perennial garden. A member of the Aster family, all Echinacea species are native to North America. The genus Echinacea is derived from the Greek ‘echino’ meaning hedgehog, a reference to the spiny center disc flowers.
Daylilies… Easy to Grow, Fun to Collect!
Few perennials can match the daylily (Hemerocallis) for versatility and durability. One of the most popular perennials, daylilies have become a collector plant for novice and experienced gardeners alike.
Perennial Flowering Vines
Vines are valuable and versatile plants that provide a remarkable vertical display while using minimal ground space. Offering an extensive mixture of decorative foliage, flowers, fruits and fragrance, vines are generally fast-growing, relatively pest-free and require minimal maintenance.
Summer Lavenders
Do you enjoy making herbal or floral bouquets and wands to scent the house? Maybe you're into the lavender cooking trend or like to infuse playful summer drinks with a floral touch. Perhaps you recognize the aromatherapy or medicinal qualities of lavender.
Versatile Hydrangeas
Tall or short, red, pink, purple, blue, white and shades in between, few shrubs provide the versatility of hydrangeas. Generations of gardeners have loved and designed their gardens using these showy shrubs as summer privacy screens, landscape focal points and beautiful cut flowers. Now, thanks to new hydrangea introductions, there are even more ways to use them.
All About Agastache
Agastache, commonly known as hyssop or hummingbird mint, is a delightful genus of perennial herbs and shrubs that belong to the mint family. With their striking spikes of flowers, aromatic foliage, and attractiveness to pollinators, Agastache plants have become increasingly popular among gardeners seeking low maintenance yet visually stunning additions to their gardens. Benefits of […]
Transitioning Traditional Lawns to Native Landscapes
Lush, green, well-manicured lawns… Americans are obsessed… or have been. But change is in the air. The American Obsession What is America’s obsession with lawns? It can be attributed to both historical and cultural factors. Lawns hold a fascinating and ancient history. Who knew? As far back as 3000 BCE, in Mesopotamia, the concept of […]
Winter Houseplant Care
With programmable thermostats, double-paned windows, and other tricks, we are able to keep our homes at the same climatic comfort level year-round. Indoor houseplants, however, can be sensitive to subtle seasonal changes. Even in a balanced home environment, proper winter houseplant care is essential to help plants thrive through this challenging season. Winter Changes in […]
Fall Mulching Pros and Cons
Mulch can add a protective layer to any fall garden, flowerbeds, or shrubs, but is it best for your landscape? Understanding the pros and cons of fall mulching can help you better prepare all your plants for the changing season. Benefits of Fall Mulching There’s no denying that when done properly, mulching in fall can […]
Protecting Trees From Drought Stress
Summer can be the most stressful time of year for landscape plants with heat and drought being the main offenders. When not receiving sufficient moisture, plants are much more susceptible to insect and disease damage.
Dealing With Drought
Because plants require moisture to grow and thrive, your garden will probably suffer during periods of low rainfall and intense heat. Insufficient soil moisture will result in smaller flowers and fruit, stunted plant growth, decreased root development and increased plant disease and insect damage. Fortunately, there are many things that you can do to minimize the impact of drought on your garden.
Bringing Butterflies to the Backyard
In spring, female butterflies will be mostly concerned with finding their species’ specific host plants on which to lay fertilized eggs. Instinctively, they know they must find plants to ensure that their caterpillars will have appropriate food for survival after hatching. Both male and female butterflies will be looking for flowers with nectar for their own survival.
Summer Watering Tips
As the days heat up, watering can become a dreaded garden chore and too many gardeners use wasteful techniques that use plenty of water but don't give their plants the moisture they really need. Make watering plants easier and more efficient with the proper practices and tools...
Shrubs for Summer Color
Many gardeners assume that the brightest flowers are only seen in spring, but there are many stunning shrubs that have great color all through the summer. Some feature outstanding blooms while others have equally showy foliage and can brighten up any yard. But which will look best in your yard?
Protecting Our Pollinators
Every garden requires pollinators, and bees are among the finest. Without them there would be limited flowers and far fewer fruits and vegetables. Did you know that about 30 percent of the food we eat depends on the pollination of bees, including onions, cashews, coffee, carrots, chocolate and vanilla? If we don’t protect these prolific […]
