It’s been almost 3 years since my wife and I moved into our new house, just 2 miles from the nursery. In the first year we did nothing to the yard, but the second year (2020)…

First off, let me just say that lawns, in and of themselves, are not the Evil Empire that some people would like us to believe. If cared for in an environmentally responsible manner, they are actually a benefit in that they act as a bio-filter, can minimize erosion, and will reduce the temperature around our […]

Let me get straight to the point. Fall is an excellent time of the year for planting trees and shrubs, as well as continuing to introduce annuals, perennials, and ornamental grasses to our gardens. It’s a fact…

As we wrap up the end of August, we should for the most part be able to simply sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labor. Yes, there are still beans to pick, cucumbers to pickle, zucchini to put on the neighbor’s front porch when they are at work, flowers to harvest for dining […]

I was in the nursery the other weekend looking for some ideas for my next column, when it occurred to me: “What is it that draws shoppers into the garden center this time of year?”. Considering that there is nary a shy bone in my body, I thought, why not ask a few customers why […]

Monarda, commonly known as Bee Balm, has been a popular garden perennial for many years. Most of the modern hybrids come from two species native to the eastern United States. Today’s cultivars come in a range of colors, including…

Every year during the first full week of August… we celebrate the perennial Hibiscus moscheutos and its many cultivars… An incredibly durable North American native that can sport blooms the size of your face in late summer when lots of other plants have pooped out…

Summer wouldn’t be what it is if it wasn’t for the hot, passionate side of the color spectrum that contains red, orange, and yellow. It makes the long slog through the wet and grey days of spring all worth it…

This happens to me every spring and it drives me crazy… I am perfectly happy with the plants I have in my garden until I see the “new and improved” versions out on the market. They all have these fancy new features that make them irresistible, and all of a sudden, my established plants start […]

I have always been drawn to begonias. Growing up in southern California, they were a staple in the landscape and every public park had masses of them bedded out in grand displays. The most commonly used varieties were…