Late Spring to Early summer Perennials for the Cottage Garden
Karen As spring moves into summer more and more perennials begin to bloom and can take over the job of providing color in the garden. As the bulbs begin to fade…
Five Spring Perennials for the Cottage Garden
Spring means renewed growth in the garden with bulbs and flowering trees contributing splashes of color all over the landscape. Perennials are not usually in full force during this time…
Plant Profile: Creeping Jenny (Lysamachia nummularia ‘Aurea’)
This fast growing groundcover can quickly spread all over the garden and even into the lawn. It is not to everyone’s liking but I find it very attractive and useful…
Plant Profile: Hosta ‘Patriot’
‘Patriot’ has had a prominent place in my garden for over 10 years and I never fail to enjoy it. The outstanding characteristic of this “Hosta of the Year” for…
Plant Profile: Hosta ‘First Frost’
Chuck Hostas come in many shades of green, blue, white, yellow and blends of these. ‘First Frost’ combines them all with blue-green leaves edged with gold that turns white later in…
Plant Profile: Caladium (Caladium bicolor)
The large showy leaves of caladiums are always a big draw especially if you have a shady area that needs color. The plant grows 12-20″ tall and has leaves that…
Plant Profile: Siberian Bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla)
The small sky-blue flowers of Brunnera are one of the most endearing sights in the spring garden. They look like the flowers of forget-me-nots with their yellow eyes and are…
Plant Profile: Weeping Leucothoe (Leucothoe fontanesiana)
Leucothoe is one of the rare plants that really loves the shade and is beautiful growing with azaleas, rhododendrons, and other ericaceous plants with its graceful arching stems, leathery shiny…
Five Favorite Ferns for the Shade Garden
The hot days of summer make the sight of soft green ferns especially appealing. The green color together with the light airiness of the fronds dispels the effects of the…
Plant Profile: Dwarf Chinese Astilbe (Astilbe chinensis var. pumila)
I used to think of astilbes in general as needing shade and moisture until I met this one. It thrives in shade and moist soil but it tolerates considerably more…