Beautiful Flowers, Wrong Season
By Larry Hodgson Question: My magnolia is blooming again in the middle of summer! There must be at least twenty newContinue Reading
Category: Shrubs
Trees and Shrubs That Sucker
By Larry Hodgson Most trees produce only a single trunk over their entire life. The average shrub, too, produces allContinue Reading
Cold Climate Woes: Dieback on a Smoketree
By Larry Hodgson Question: I don’t know how to take care of my smoke tree. What I find on the InternetContinue Reading
Starting a Witch-Hazel Off on the Right Foot
American witch-hazel is one of the few witch-hazels that blooms in the fall rather than the spring. Photo: kiefernursery.com Question: MyContinue Reading
Sages and Salvias: So Much to Discover (Part 2)
Some examples of sages and salvias. Clockwise from top left corner: Gregg’s sage (Salvia greggii) ‘Furman’s Red’, gentian sage (Salvia patens) ‘PatioContinue Reading
Weird Growth on a Wintercreeper
Crown gall on a wintercreeper euonymus (Euonymus fortunei). Photo: Therese Houde Question: I’m attaching a photo taken in my flower bed.Continue Reading
Is Pruning Shrubs After They Bloom Really Necessary?
Before you prune a shrub, make sure there is a good reason for doing so. Ill.: www.wannapik.com. Question: Is it reallyContinue Reading
American Witch-Hazel: A Forgotten Fall Beauty
The fall bloom of American witch-hazel. Photo: mailordernatives.com More and more gardeners in temperate climates are tuned in to theContinue Reading
Fall is the Perfect Time to Plant Shrubs
Shrubs are some of the most reliable and hardworking plants in the garden. They are long-lived, big enough to makeContinue Reading
Peeling Bark Doesn’t Always Mean Disaster
Pearlbush has beautiful white flowers in the spring… and older specimens show attractive bark in the winter. Photo: www.pepiniere-bretagne.fr &Continue Reading