Plant Profile: White Forsythia (Abeliophyllum distichum)
Karen Native to a small area in central Korea, this deciduous shrub is considered “critically endangered’ in the wild but is a popular garden plant in cultivation. It produces clusters of…
Ornamental Grass Used for Screen or Hedge
Tall ornamental grasses can be utilized as screens or hedges. Some can even be effective as windbreaks. They come in different heights, colors, and textures so can fit into a…
Plant Profile: Rosa ‘Mme Zoetmans’
Carried singly or in clusters up to five, the flowers of ‘Mme Zoetmans’ are at first pink or cream but fade to pure white and have a rosette form. The…
Book Review: Quiet Beauty: The Japanese Gardens of North America
Many different Japanese-style gardens can be found in North America where they are enjoyed for their serenity and tranquility. They have many features in common but also have many differences…
Stewartias for the Garden
Stewartias are a beautiful group of flowering trees and shrubs that come into bloom right after the spring flush of flowers by other plants but before summer settles in. Most…
Plant Profile: Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum)
A native of Greece and western Asia, the opium poppy is the oldest poppy in cultivation, dating back to ancient Sumerian times, 4000 BC. The ancient Minoans, 2000-1450 BC, made…
Easy Hybrid Tea Roses for the Garden
Hybrid tea roses have a reputation for being difficult to grow, requiring great attention to fertilizing, application of pesticides, and pruning. Inspired by the Earth-Kind Program which focuses on shrub…
Plant Profile: Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum)
A native of north America, this rhizomaceous perennial wildflower forms mounds of gray-green fern-like leaves that are pinnately divided into seven to nine narrow toothed leaflets. The plant is soft…
Book Review: How Do You Know It’s Summer?
A picture of children in bathing suits eating watermelon introduces young children to summer in Lisa Herrington’s book, How Do You Know It’s Summer? A picture of the same tree…
Plant Combination: Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) ‘Magnus’ and Ornamental Oregano (Origanum x ‘Rotkugel)’
Take a popular garden plant like purple coneflower ‘Magnus’ and combine it with a lesser known plant like ornamental oregano and you have a unique combination. These two herbaceous perennials…