Who's Showing Off Today?
Let’s welcome an unfamiliar face to the fall color spectacular! Diervilla is a native shrub that seems to have it all. This non-invasive 3 to 4 foot deciduous shrub will thrive in sunny or shady conditions, is drought tolerant and deer resistant. It sports yellow flower clusters all summer long and has superb …
Design Principles for Shade Gardens
Ask five “weekend gardeners” to name the plants they would put in a shade garden and you will most likely get a series of sighs and shrugged shoulders and then five variations of hosta, ferns, impatiens and begonias, with possibly a few caladiums thrown into the mix. The overall attitude usually implies that …
What's Your Style?
Designing a shade garden that is inviting and interesting throughout the entire year takes serious research and planning. As we have previously discussed, you have to thoroughly understand everything about your site — everything from its ecoregion and soil, climate and native plant communities to the specific types of shade and their locations. Once …
What's In Bloom Today?
Those cheerful plants that typically announce the coming of spring are also great for fall planting. Although we tend to think of them as annual bedding plants, pansies are actually short-lived evergreen perennials that can overwinter here in the Midwest. Pansies prefer cool weather and grow easily in rich, moist well-drained soil with morning …
Right Plant, Right Place
We went from a yard that had rich, loamy soil and the perfect amount of gentle morning sun to living on top of a defunct rock quarry that sits in deep shade for most of the day until it roasts in the worst hours of the midwest afternoon sun. Finding plants that survive in …
What's In Bloom Today?
Shrub roses are celebrating fall with a big burst of end of the season color right now! The American Rose Society describes shrub roses as “A class of hardy, easy-care plants that…..do not fit in any other category of rose bush.” They come in a variety of colors, have single or double blooms, …
What's In Bloom Today?
Ornamental grasses are at their best in the fall and Dwarf Fountain Grass is no exception. At it’s best in the full sun, dwarf fountain grass is easy to grow in average, moist soil. It will tolerate part shade, but may not flower well. The 2 1/2 foot to 3 foot clumps have …
What's In Bloom Today?
The bees and the butterflies are ecstatic! Asters are in full bloom. An easy to grow native perennial, New England asters are a cheerful addition to the front of the fall border, in a rain garden or as a naturalized area. Asters love full sun and moist, rich soils, but will also …
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