Designer Tricks: Creating a Dramatic, Long-Lasting Summer Container
By Karen Chapman, Le jardinet One of the secrets to [...]
Mission Impossible? Petunia Conversion!
"Oh boy," was my less-than-enthusiastic reaction when I opened [...]
Let’s Make A Garden
Imagine. After months of searching, you’re buying your first [...]
Let’s try something new with flowering shrubs
You’ve probably got some flowering shrubs planted in your [...]
Winter.
by Jane Beggs-Joles After a deceptively mild December, winter showed up with a vengeance in January. Freezing cold, plenty of snow, and some ice mixed in for good measure. February brought more of the same. When you’re not thinking about how much you don’t want to shovel yet again you’re likely thinking about the promise of spring. You know what that means: a trip to the garden center. After all, shopping for the spring garden is a lot more fun than shopping for spring clothes. Unlike 
Decadent Arrangements
by Rochelle Greayer Soft and Sweet: Decadence® 'Vanilla Cream' Baptisia, Fishnet Stockings Solenostemon scutellarioides (Coleus), Light Pink Peony Ombre and Drama: Decadence® 'Dutch Chocolate' Baptisia, Mariposa™ Solenostemon scutellarioides (Coleus), Magenta Peony Have you ever ‘weeded’ out a plant – sure that it was a nuisance only to realize later that it was something you intended? I have. About 5 years ago I inadvertently massacred about eight Baptisia australis that I planted the
‘Marching’ To More Beautiful Gardens
by Kerry Ann Mendez Spring is around the corner and many have a bad case of spring fever. Here are a few timely tricks to jump-start our flower gardens. A well balanced snack can make a huge difference. As spring temperatures rise, plants surge into new growth, relying on energy stored in roots. A granular fertilizer, in the neighborhood of 5-5-5, can generate head-turning results. The fastest and easiest method for applying fertilizer is with a spreader, or hand casting, right before it
A Shamrock (Oxalis) Rainbow
by Rochelle Greayer Left to Right: Charmed® Velvet Shamrock Oxalis, Zinfandel™ Oxalis vulcanicola, Charmed® Jade Oxalis, Molten Lava™ Oxalis vulcanicola, Cottage Pink (Wood Sorrel) Oxalis, Charmed® Wine Oxalis I’m finding the ever-increasing variety of oxalis (commonly called Shamrocks or Wood Sorrel) available to gardeners very inspiring. In the last decade (or so) it seems like the color and shape choices have exploded – there is – literally – a whole rainbow of elegant and
Spring Inspiration
by Rochelle Greayer I am headed to the airport shortly to hop a plane to Seattle. I haven’t been to Seattle since a couple of weeks before I was married. I remember three things about that trip: 1. We dropped the transmission of our car on one of the most remote of the San Juan Islands and had to be rescued by the car rental company. 2. That is where I was when Princess Diana died – I first read it on the front page of a newspaper someone was reading at the next table while we had
Autumn Container Garden Recipe: Feathery Fall Fireworks
by Rochelle Greayer Texture features large in this loosely planted arrangement that I am dubbing ‘Feathery Fall Fireworks’. Once again, I hope this inspires you beyond the typical container garden planting of mums for this fall season. My personal preference for container gardens is for plants that aren’t quite so dense and allow for a little bit of movement. I started with the cuphea Vermillionaire™ – this tough as nails plant was still alive, blooming, and quite pretty despite the last many