2023 Perennial of the Year Rudbeckia American Gold Rush

Rudbeckia ‘American Gold Rush’ stole the show for its beauty, hardiness, ease of growing, and benefit to pollinators!  It is the 2023 Perennial of the Year (voted on by those in the green industry), was also crowned the 2020 All-America Selections National Winner, and The National Gardening Bureau named 2023 The Year of Rudbeckia in its perennial class, a tip of…

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Metasequoia Soul Fire and Amsonia String Theory

Metasequoia g. ‘Soul Fire’  Dwarf Dawn Redwood. Love at first sight! My friend and very talented gardener, Marie, was giving me a tour of her stunning gardens when I stopped in my tracks. A majestic line of 3 brilliant golden Dawn Redwoods planted along the road captured my attention. I have always wanted Dawn Redwood but…

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American Meadows at Your Service

Last fall I was helping a client design a spacious garden for her amazing property. The garden bed had been prepped earlier that year. I stopped in my tracks when I saw a grand display of colorful annuals and a swarm of butterflies and other pollinators dancing above the flowers. Juliet explained that she had…

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The Last Blooms in the Garden

The last plants to finish blooming in my Maine garden this year was a powerhouse rose called ‘Ringo’ (I took this picture on November 11th after multiple nights in the 20’s) and a nonstop blooming Heuchera called ‘Timeless Night’. ‘Ringo’ has been decorated with many awards, world-wide. The single petaled flowers start out bright yellow with…

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Hydrangea Tuff Stuff is a WINNER

If I had a penny for every time someone comes into the garden center where I work (Estabrook’s) and asks me why their big-leaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), such as ‘Endless Summer’, isn’t blooming, I would be a wealthy lady. But let me clarify – this common frustration is primarily isolated to hardiness Zones 5 and…

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CONEFLOWERS REMAIN TOP SELLERS

Coneflowers (Echinacea) continue to rise in popularity. There are 9 species native to North America. The demand for the ‘next best coneflower’ has resulted in a surge of new introductions annually. But are these “debutantes” all they are marketed to be? Mt. Cuba Center, a botanical garden dedicated to native plants and located in Hockessis,…

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A CASCADING HYDRANGEA

Holy Moly!  A cascading Hydrangea?  Yup.  ‘Fairytrail Bride’ is a new Hydrangea hybrid with a horizontal growth habit and trialing stems that are adorned with white lacy flowers through the summer.  It would make a spectacular display in a container or cascading over a retaining wall – or frankly ANYWHERE! ‘Fairytrial Bride’ gets 4’ tall…

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Weigela ‘Golden Jackpot’

Grab your sunglasses – you will need them when you look at this new Weigela cultivar. Perhaps the brightest Weigela yet, its dazzling golden leaves hold their color all season long, undaunted by summer sun. If that isn’t enough excitement, velvety red buds open to deep pink blooms for almost four weeks starting in mid-spring.…

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Hellebores That Go the Extra Mile

As many of you know, I’m always looking for striking plants that provide month after month of color – not just from lovely flowers, but also as a result of captivating leaves, seed heads, bark, or form. Spring blooming Hellebores have risen to incredible popularity due to their lovely flowers, deer and rabbit resistance, and…

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Award-Winning Annuals

My winter newsletter featured some award-winning perennials in the All-America Selections collection. Now let’s take a peek at some rockstar annuals with the coveted AAS National title. One of the 2021 winners is Zinnia Profusions Red Yellow BiColor. I’ve always been a fan of the Profusion series for non-stop blooms, tidy habit, and resistance to…

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