Have you ever noticed a “Sandy’s Plants” label on one of your new perennials? Well, meet grower Sandy McDougle and her wholesale-retail growing facility on 35 acres just east of Richmond, VA. If you’re in the area it’s definitely worth…
Are you getting tired of the “one nice day in a row” weather we’ve been having so far this spring? I know I am. It feels like the coast of Washington State instead of the ‘burbs of Washington, DC. That…
Plants that multiply are great for filling up gardens without busting the budget, so I asked Larry Hurley to recommend some for our blog readers. But because self-seeding plants CAN be a headache (or worse), Larry asks us to first…
My favorite season is autumn. The weather is cooler, the sun shines abundantly, and I love the autumn colors of red, yellow and orange… and blue, purple and pink. Yes, that’s right, blue, purple and pink, and you can add to that magenta, rose, red-purple, royal blue, lavender and sky blue. These are all the true colors of autumn here in the United States due to one of our most glorious and prolific wildflowers, the aster.
Once called Anemone japonica, Anemone tomentosa, and a few other species, the various plants offered in horticulture are now considered to be hybrids of several species, and the official name for most of them is Anemone x hybrida, followed by some catchy cultivar name like ‘Honorine Jobert’.
Nothing says ”fall is here” better than a couple of mums at your front door, although you will have to bend over and listen closely to hear them.
There are many more native grasses to choose from. All are unique and offer exciting and appealing characteristics to the fall garden. Be sure to check out the Baysafe tags when shopping and pick out a variety of native grasses. They are all worthwhile garden plants which are easy to care for. But most of all, these grasses care for our native wildlife and will bring you new butterflies and birds to your yard.
One of my favorite aspects of summer is seeing all the butterflies, like exquisitely colorful silk tapestries, fluttering throughout my garden.
I’m not sure if you have noticed, but it’s been a hot summer. (As a horticulturist, I am always planting; just now I planted my tongue firmly in my cheek.) Last year, July was cooler and wetter than normal, this year just the opposite. Long hot spells with few breaks in temperatures, and the occasional severe thunderstorm to keep it interesting.
By mid-summer, much of your garden is feeling a little dragged out. Hot days and warm nights are tough on plants as well as people. A little pruning back can be just the ticket to rejuvenate annuals and perennials.
Most people are familiar with milkweed as the host plant for the Monarch butterfly. However, milkweed is so much more than just a butterfly plant. Milkweeds are one of our most stunning and attractive native wildflowers.
I cannot tell you how often I hear people say that they would love to have a beautiful garden but all they have is shade. My suggestion is always the same – add height, texture, movement, and stronger variations of leaf color. Trust me, with a few new additions, you will never see shade as a dark, lifeless place again.