Step Aside Sedum Autumn Joy

Step Aside Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ The demand for low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plants that provide three, if not four seasons of interest, has generated a surge of new Sedum cultivars that are taking center stage. Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ is probably the most well-known Sedum BUT this ‘king of the hill’ status is about to be toppled. I…

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Beauty 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…

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Proven Winners Annuals Shine in Evaluation Trials

The Massachusetts Horticultural Society manages a diverse plant evaluation program at The Gardens at Elm Bank in Wellesley, MA. As noted earlier in this newsletter, I was there for a fall conference which also provided a chance to walk through these spectacular trial beds. The New England Trial Garden was established in 1996 as a…

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Weed-Smoothering Floral Tapestries

Sound intriguing? Easy-peasy. Simply imagine a jaw-dropping, dazzling quilt or tapestry and then envision it sweeping over a section of your landscape. Maybe it is a hard to mow area, a slope, or a lawn alternative. For the most low-maintenance, high-impact designs, select perennials, woody plants, bulbs and annuals that are drought resistant and don’t…

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Rock’N Grow Sedum is a Thriller

Sedum has always been a mainstay for fall color – in the garden as well as containers.  Rightly so.  The succulent, broccoli-like foliage jazzes up gardens as soon as it emerges in spring and continues the excitement through fall.   Add to these kudos that it is highly drought tolerant, is beloved by butterflies, provides winter…

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Proven Winner’s New 2016 Annuals

Each year I have the incredible opportunity to trial plants that Proven Winners will be introducing to the market the following season. When the big brown box thumps down on my front porch, I feel like it’s Christmas morning! I plant the sweet little things in both the gardens and containers to see how they…

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