Plant Profile: Dwarf Black Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Moudry’)
Karen A small mound of glossy, bright green foliage begins to grow in the spring; by August the mound is a couple of feet tall, cascading, and has long black foxtails…
Plant Profile: Bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandonensis)
Bluebeard seems to be the most frequently used common name but two others are blue spirea or blue mist, both of which seem more descriptive. Whatever you call it, this…
Five Bold Perennials for Specimen Planting
Sometimes you want a spectacular plant to make a statement, serve as a focal point, or add uniqueness to the border. The plant must be outstanding in some way; the…
Five Fabulous Perennials to Get Rid of the Summer Blahs
By the time August rolls around my garden usually looks like it needs a new lease on life. The heat and humidity have taken their toil, the insects, fungi, and…
What is the Difference Between an Annual, Perennial, or Biennial?
admin When spring comes and the urge to buy seeds and plants envelops the gardener, one of the first things to consider is the life cycle of the plant involved; is…
Plant Profile: Gay Feather (Liatris spicata) ‘Kobold’
Also called blazing star, this clump-forming herbaceous perennial is native to eastern US and is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow, and lettuce. Corms…
Plant Profile: Red Valerian/Jupiter’s Beard (Centranthus ruber)
If you like the look of flowering plants growing out of old walls or brickwork you will probably like Red Valerian. It is drought tolerant and a lime lover and…
Plant Profile: Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ )
Native to Japan, this delicate perennial is a member of the grass family, Poaceae, that also includes corn, rice, and bamboo. It forms loose cascading mounds of gold variegated leaves…
Plant Profile: Cranebill (Geranium sanguineum var.striata ‘Lancastriense’ or Prostratum’)
With over 200 species the genus Geranium has a lot to offer. One of my favorites is ‘Lancastriense’ with its diminutive mound of foliage and delicate pink flowers. Standing at…
Plant Profile: Fan Columbine (Aquilegia flabellata)
I find columbine flowers very intriguing. They are composed of 5 petals plus a short broad tube in front and 5 sepals (modified leaves) projecting backward forming spurs. The sepals…