Establish A Community -- Part 3: Design Principles - The Layered Look
The technique of planting in layers is neither new or revolutionary. For years, designers have considered the front, middle and back as layers in residential bed design, making sure that the three layers work together harmoniously. Rainer and West, co-authors of the book Planting in a Post Wild World, add an additional dimension to …
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 …
What's In Bloom Today?
Whether you know it as Wandflower. Whirling Butterfly or Gaura, this native wildflower is a must for the garden. Another low maintenance choice, this long blooming, (August through October) clumping herbaceous perennial grows best in a full sun location with sandy, well-drained soil. It tolerates heat, humidity and drought. Wiry stems, which can range …
What Is A "Sense of Place"?
Last week I promised that we would explore the principles of designing a shade garden using the concept of a designed plant community. And we will be doing that — just not today. Today I want to answer a question that was posed to me after last week’s blog. A reader contacted me and …
What's In Bloom Today?
Blue Mist Spireas , or bluebeards, are stealing the show right now. Bees, butterflies and other pollinators flock to this lightly fragrant but always showy deciduous shrub throughout its lengthy fall bloom period. Caryopteris is easy to grow in a full sun, well-drained location, but does not like wet feet! It …
Establish A Community -- In Your Shade Garden Part 1: What Is A Plant Community?
I love lush beds of hostas! I love the variety of colors and shapes and sizes and bloom stalks. I love how hardy they are and how little maintenance they need. Unfortunately, our neighborhood deer love them as much as I do. After losing plant after plant to their voracious appetites, I knew I had …
What's In Bloom Today?
The often mistakenly maligned perennial, Goldenrod (Solidago ) is beginning its annual fall show. Goldenrod is a stunning, easy to grow herbaceous perennial that is often falsely accused of causing hay fever. The truth is, wind-blown pollen from plants like ragweed (pictured below) are actually the offenders. Depending on the specific species, bright yellow blooms …
What's in Bloom Today?
The native Missouri wildflower commonly called Black-eyed Susan is in full bloom right now. Known for their bursts of bright, yellow to yellow-orange blooms, black-eyed Susans, or Rudbeckia hirta, are favorites of butterflies but avoided by deer and rabbits because of their hairy foliage. They are biennials or short-lived perennials and will easily …
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