Behnke Nurseries’ Perennial Department features Dianthus “Firewitch”. (Officially and properly Dianthus gratianopolitanus ‘Feuerhexe’, we are using the translation “Firewitch” to sound more user-friendly.) This was the 2006 Perennial Plant Association Perennial of the Year, and a terrific writeup may be…
Creeping Phlox, Phlox subulata, is one of our most popular species of perennials. It’s a Behnke Baysafe Native Plant, native to sandy and rocky areas of Maryland. Growing low to the ground, it’s a nice ground cover for small-scale situations…
Soil and Planting Bed Preparation You may be one of the few fortunate homeowners that already has a loamy, well-drained soil, but for the rest of us it is necessary to add soil amendments to assure your new plants have…
Plenty of rain, warmer temperatures, and the inevitable passage of March into April has plants bursting into bloom. Don’t you wish you had actually planted all those daffodils you bought last fall? Meanwhile, in the wonderful world of perennials, a…
Perennial season is well under way, with both of our garden centers continuing to bring in plants as the weather warms. We know that for many of our customers, browsing by Deer is a problem. To address that, we have…
With the cold, dry winter this year, you may have noticed more winter-burn on your broadleaved evergreens and evergreen perennials than you might normally see. Winter damage appears as drying along the edges of the leaves, the entire leaf, the…
This was written several years ago, so certain references like “lack of snow cover” may sound a little odd. Overall, the information is still good. [Editor] The warm weather of the previous weekend perked up both the garden and the…
Few people know that Eva Cassidy worked full or part-time at Behnke Nurseries for fourteen years at our Largo, Maryland nursery, between 1981 and 1995.
Witchhazel Through the gray and somber wood Against the dusk of fir and pine Last of their floral sisterhood The hazel’s yellow blossoms shine. -John G. Whittier (The Hoosier poet…) Sadly, most American gardeners are more likely to know Witchhazel…
The Easter lily, Lilium longiflorum, is a symbol of the Easter observance all around the world. Well, actually, as it turns out, it’s more of an American tradition. And here is how it came to be. Lilium longiflorum is native…
Many times I have been asked this question – why did my parents, Rose and Albert Behnke, decide to specialize in African Violets? The answer takes me back to the mid 1940’s when I was in elementary school. Every day,…
There was a man who lived by the side of the road and he sold hot dogs. He was hard of hearing, so he had no radio. He had trouble with his eyes, so he read no newspapers. But, he…