Monarda, commonly known as Bee Balm, has been a popular garden perennial for many years. Most of the modern hybrids come from two species native to the eastern United States. Today’s cultivars come in a range of colors, including…
Celebrate Summerific Week
Evolution Coneflowers - They Just Keep Getting Better & Better
Over the last 10 years I have written several times about the attributes of our North American native, Echinacea purpurea, or what we commonly refer to as a coneflower. These tough perennials mix well with Ornamental Grasses, Sedums, Lavender, Black-eyed Susan Daisies and really, just about any summer blooming perennial that likes a hot, dry, location. And while they have been a staple on most gardens…
Westcountry Lupines Are To Die For
All Hail To The Lowly "Pigsqueak"
Over my lifetime as a horticulturist, I have found myself enamored with different genera of plants to the point that I have gone out of my way to collect as many variations of the same genus, simply because I thought they were “really cool”. The genus “Bergenia” is a typical example and for me it all started when I was quite young…
Hardy Fuchsias Are A Blooming Machine!
Heucheras To Lust After
New & Exciting Ferns From Monrovia Nurseries
Ornamental Grasses - Purveyors of Whimsy & Drama
Every Garden Needs A Bluebeard In It
Last week I pontificated about the merits of the genus Hibiscus and the fact that it is among the very few shrubs that bloom late into the summer. There are a handful of other summer-blooming choices that don’t come in quite so many variations but are just as reliable and dare I say, essential to creating that all illusive “year ‘round interest” in our gardens. Bluebeard is one such plant that will add late season interest in the sunny border with not a lot of fuss…
Although we have a few weeks until the official onset of winter, it is always a good idea to think ahead and prepare in the world of gardening. In our climate we never quite know when that first hard frost will happen. Some people got…