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Butterfly Weed and Heucherella are top perennial picks
Asclepias tuberosa Asclepias tuberosa is the 2017 Perennial of the Year. This perennial, commonly called butterfly weed or milkweed, asks so little of gardeners but gives so much in return. It is highly drought and heat tolerant, requires no fertilizer, produces shimmering orange flowers in the summer, attractive fall seed pods, is deer resistant and…
Read MoreBrent and Becky’s Bulbs Offers More than Just Bulbs!
Spring, summer and fall blooming bulbs are such an easy way to add a dash of color to the landscape. One of my FAVORITE companies for ordering bulbs is Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, a fourth generation family business based in Gloucester, VA. Brent and Becky are highly respected horticulturists in the green industry. They are…
Read MoreBeauty and Brawn Perennials
As a garden designer and popular lecturer, I get feedback from thousands – no, tens of thousands – of gardeners who crave high-impact, low-maintenance gardens. They want ‘drop-dead’ gorgeous plants that also benefit pollinators without requiring a lot of water, fertilizer or handholding….and that don’t drop dead after being planted. Here are some of my…
Read MoreNon-stop blooming Houseplant – Cape Primrose
Tropical-looking Cape Primrose is the perfect antidote for bitter winter weather. Whenever I feel a winter blues moment coming on, I turn my gaze to cheerful Streptocarpus near the window sill. Sweet relief! (photo right: ‘Party Pinafore’ Logee’s) My go-to winter flowering houseplants had always been African violet, Christmas cactus, Cyclamen and Kalanchoe. I’m not…
Read MoreRosemary Christmas Trees
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Tis the season for adorable rosemary Christmas trees. These are the rage– multitasking as holiday décor, air fresheners, and seasoning for yummy dishes. The price point is hard to beat – with prices ranging around $10 for a foot or taller specimen in many stores. (photo Jackson and Perkins) So how did…
Read MoreAlluring Alliums and Seven-Son Flower
Allium senescens ‘Glaucum’ Great foliage and flowers combine to make this cute perennial impressive spring through fall. Personally it’s the leaves that I really adore. Twisting, swirling, blue-green foliage create fun ‘corsages’ that stay low to the ground. Round, lilac-pink flowers spring forth in late summer and are soon covered by happy butterflies. At 6”-12”…
Read MoreGetting mophead Hydrangeas to bloom
I finally cracked the secret for having lush blue or pink mophead hydrangeas in Zones 5 and 6 – and I’m not talking silk flowers. I had to downsize my expectations – not about size or number of flowers but the mature height of the hydrangea. So instead of varieties like ‘Endless Summer’ and ‘Nikko…
Read MoreSpectacular Plants, including Angelonia and Blue Asters
Angelonia ANGELFACE ‘Perfectly Pink’. This new annual from Proven Winners (available in 2017) has me speechless. I’ve been trialing it this year to evaluate its blooming habit. I planted it in containers in May and it has bloomed nonstop – with zero deadheading. Even at the end of August, it still had robust blooms, despite…
Read MoreEye-Lash Grass
Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’ Blue Grama Grass turns heads! I’ve seen this fascinating grass several times over the past year, most recently at the Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association’s annual conference. ‘Blonde Ambition’ was discovered and introduced by David Salman of High Country Gardens. This native grass won the 2011 Plant…
Read MorePerennial and Flowering Shrub Collections for sale
My condominium HOA asked that I relocate one of my garden beds (GRRRRRRRRR) and as a result I have some flowering shrubs and perennials that need a new home. I was also FINED by the association for the ‘misplacement’ of the garden bed. The sale of these two collections will go towards the fine (double…
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