PLATYCODON GRANDIFLORUS Balloon flower, or Platycodon grandiflorus, is a native of the Russian Far East, China, Japan, and Korea that has become a garden sensation in the United States. A ...
Easy-Care Coreopsis Rewards with Beautiful Blooms
COREOPSIS Because it has so many redeeming qualities, we’re willing to overlook the origin of tickseed’s scientific name, coreopsis. It comes from combination of two Greek words: “koris,” ...
Grow Echinacea, A Native American Favorite
ECHINACEA Coneflower (Echinacea) is an attractive plant indigenous to the North American plains that is well-loved not only for its beauty and its ability to attract butterflies, but also for its ...
Easy Landscaping with Ornamental Grasses: Simple Tips for Carefree Success
How does your garden grow? Well, we know that trees and shrubs are the “bones” of a garden – they provide a framework around which we can create an overall structure or theme. Perennials are ...
The Complete Guide to Dividing Perennials
It’s easy to get caught up in the splash and flash of annuals. They’re usually in bloom when you go to the nursery. And their siren’s song of color, form, and fragrance has a mighty appeal for ...
Add a Touch of “Jurassic Park” to Your Garden: How to Grow Ferns
Many of us think of “Jurassic Park” when we think of ferns (Pteridophytes) — abundant, spiky greenery thrashing about as huge dinosaurs crash through the forest in pursuit of human intruders. At ...
Alliums Transform Your Yard for Weeks
Alliums are beautiful bulb flowers that are actually ornamental onions, and the blooms are absolutely gorgeous. The bloom typically consists of a perfect sphere of hundreds of tiny flowers, and each ...
Columbine: Ephemeral Harbinger of Spring
AQUILEGIA Columbine, or Aquilegia, is an intriguing member of the Ranunculaceae family and a relative of the buttercup. The petals of aquilegia are exquisite. Often two-toned, flowers perch ...
Annuals and Perennials: What’s the Difference?
Annuals are plants whose natural life cycle is one season: they sprout, they bloom, they set seed, they die. Most annuals are propagated by seed. Perennials, on the other hand, live for several ...
Grow Colorful, Fragrant Honeysuckle
Curtains of color and fragrance, exuberant Honeysuckle gives a lavish display of delicate blooms on a tough, trouble-free climber. The vines climb by twining and winding their stems around ...