Annuals for the cutting garden/Photo: Julie Hove Anderson Photography
As a landscape designer, I’m well versed in perennials and the kind of annuals you buy from a nursery. But when it comes to growing annuals from seeds, my experience lies mainly with zinnias. So recently, I was delighted to attend a webinar hosted by ButterBee Farm owner Laura Beth Resnick on the top annuals she grows for her cutting gardens. Continue reading
I always smile when the redbuds start blooming in my area. Flowering with reckless abandon, the magenta-colored trees instantly invigorate the landscape. One of my friends shouts out REDBUD! when her own dazzling specimen bursts into bloom. That seems to me the perfect way to describe the electric flowering of this upbeat, ornamental tree.
Indeed, redbud’s blossoms are hard to ignore. Oversized and fluffy, they envelop the tree’s branches, even covering the trunk. Their effect is fresh, bold and a little bit jaunty.
It turns out that you can have your flowers and eat them, too! Or so says Melissa Siegel, gifted chef and expert on edible flowers. See below if one or more of these delicious blooms might make the cut in your own garden. Continue reading
They said it couldn’t be done, but finally, there’s a new kind of lavender that looks good all winter. Appropriately dubbed ‘Phenomenal’, it’s so good that it’s now being used for municipal plantings. To understand the hype, I purchased a few plants for a trial run. What I discovered was nothing short of, well, phenomenal. Continue reading
Last week, I was vacationing in Canada when an interesting commercial appeared on the TV. It was an ad for the sweetener, stevia, featuring enthusiastic consumers growing plants at home. Needless to say, it caught my attention. I had heard that stevia extract came from a ‘natural’ source. But I’d never stopped to consider what that meant from a gardening perspective.
I decided to dig deeper. Continue reading
Every year is different when it comes to Christmas. But in my home, there is one thing that remains constant. When I shop for a tree, I always head straight for the Fraser firs. These are the trees I grew up with, and their fragrance reminds me of my childhood. And as we all know, memory is a key component in any holiday décor. Continue reading
Lespedeza. Judging by the sound of it, you’d think it was an island off the coast of Italy. The plant that bears its name certainly looks Mediterranean. Yet, I had never heard of this magnificent, fall-blooming shrub until a client of mine showed me a pair in her garden. Here’s why I’ve been a fan ever since. Continue reading
Are you searching for a dependable plant for your late-summer garden? Then look no further than sedum ‘Autumn Joy.’ Come August, its flowers are just starting to adopt a rosy pink hue. Moreover, the blooms last for weeks, eventually turning a dusty red that’s the perfect compliment to fall. Continue reading
If you’re a homeowner, there’s nothing good about forest fires. But it may come as a surprise to learn that for some plants, they’re essential. And one among them is the flagpole-shaped tree known as the Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine. Continue reading
‘There are always flowers for those who want to see them’ – Henri Matisse
For most of my life, I’ve been more attracted to ornamentals than to wildflowers. Even though I’ve noticed many beautiful species in the landscape, I’ve never really taken the time to observe them. You might say, I’ve been wildflower blind. Continue reading
