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Flowering & Foliage Plants

The first of the spring blooming bulb catalogues landed in my mailbox yesterday. That means it’s time to start seriously planning for those early bursts of color. Ten years ago that simply meant deciding which new variety of tulip to buy and whether to plant single or double cupped daffodils. Now my choices aren’t quite so clear cut; the best selections have to not only add beauty, but also nurture early appearing pollinators.

Last week we promised you a look at some of our favorite fluttering beauties. After some serious thought and lively discussion, here are our top ten choices...and one runner up. 

In the best of times, keeping a summer garden fresh and appealing is a challenge. This year, with half of the lower forty-eight states experiencing unusual heat patterns and moderate to severe drought, the challenges are even greater.  There are, however, environmentally friendly ways to keep your garden blooming throughout the dog days of summer. 

My garden is bursting with color right now. Hundreds of daffodils in shades of yellow are all in bloom, filling the beds and weaving through the grass like bright ribbons. It makes me happy to just sit and look at them, and after all of the stresses of last year, every sliver of joy is a gift to be treasured and a solid faith in the future.

The experts at Pantone must have recognized the importance and universality of those feelings. For only the second time in its 21 year history, two different colors share the stage as Pantone’s Color of the Year. Reflecting on the global upheavals of 2020, the panel of forecasters paired the joyful, upbeat yellow Illuminating with the strong, dependable Ultimate Grey.  According to the Pantone Color Institute’s Executive Director Liatrice Eiseman, “...this is a color combination that gives us resilience and hope.  We need to feel encouraged and uplifted; this is essential to the human spirit.”

If the term RAIN GARDEN brings an image of a weedy bog teeming with scores of mosquitoes and other unpleasant flying insects to your mind, then it’s time to update and edit that picture! 

To bring both vitality and tranquility to a garden, motion has to be an intentional element of the design.

Early spring is a great time to turn a hum-drum landscape into the masterpiece of your dreams. Often, adding a few well-chosen and well-placed shrubs to the existing plant palette can make all the difference in the world. 

In winter everything gets stripped down to its very essence and becomes sculptural. Details and views hidden by summer leaves are revealed. Structure, form and the quality of light and atmosphere become the stars of the show. By using the cues that nature gives us, we can fill our yards with winter beauty. “