Black Flowers for a Goth Garden
It seems particularly appropriate to write about black flowers at Halloween. Given the lugubrious nature of the fete, the mostContinue Reading
Category: Shrubs
Growing Trees From Nuts and Acorns
Start a tree from nuts* or acorns? The idea may seem far-fetched to beginning gardeners. After all, won’t these nutsContinue Reading
Make Life Easy: Choose a Shrub that Fits Your Space
Why prune again and again to keep a shrub in check? It’s so much easier to simply choose a shrub that willContinue Reading
Why I Don’t Grow Gardenias
No, I don’t grow gardenias (Gardenia jasminoides, syn. G. augusta et G. grandiflora), sometimes called crape jasmine or cape jessamine.Continue Reading
How to Plant a Tree without Digging
It’s not easy to plant a tree, a shrub or evergreen in ground where it’s difficult to dig, as inContinue Reading
Plant Trees without Amending the Soil
Forget the old technique for planting shrubs and trees, the one I learned when I was a kid. We were toldContinue Reading
New Plants From the GWA Conference
Every year for over 25 years, I’ve attended the Garden Writers Association Conference and Exposition, one of the rare opportunitiesContinue Reading
Soggier Than Thou: Plants That Tolerate Wet Soil
Ideally, good garden soil would be both moist and well drained. Any surplus moisture would then drain away rapidly, allowingContinue Reading
Finally! Japanese Maples for Cold Climates!
Who doesn’t like Japanese maples (Acer palmatum), with their lacy foliage and oriental look? They’re on pretty much every gardener’sContinue Reading
Plant Well So You Can Prune Less
The need some gardeners seem to feel to prune everything in sight is difficult for the laidback gardener to understand.Continue Reading