buckwheat Common Name: Buckwheat Botanical Name: Fagopyrum esculentum Hardiness Zones: Annual — all zones Height: 2-4 feet Spread: Varies by seeding density Foliage: Heart-shaped green leaves, red stems Bloom: Small white flowers, mid to late summer Growth Rate: Very fast — germinates in 3-5 days Light: Full sun to partial shade Soil: Poor to average, […]
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crimson clover Common Name: Crimson Clover Botanical Name: Trifolium incarnatum Hardiness Zones: Annual — all zones Height: 12-36 inches Spread: Spreading mound Foliage: Bright trifoliate leaves, soft texture Bloom: Deep crimson flower spikes, spring through summer Growth Rate: Fast Light: Full sun Soil: Poor to average, well-drained; fixes nitrogen Water: Low to moderate Opening Observation
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Opening Observation Astilbe has followed me for years, in catalogs, garden centers, other people’s yards, but somehow never home with me. I have put them in my online cart more times than I can count, only to trim them out at the last minute. Not yet, I would think. No good place for them. This
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Opening Observation When I started researching cover crops and natural ways to reclaim the back beds, Alpine Strawberry kept appearing on every list. It was usually framed as a charming option, a ground-hugging perennial that covers soil quickly, suppresses weeds, and offers the unexpected delight of tiny, edible fruit. It caught my attention, if only
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Opening Observation I found Clethra while looking for something else. I had a list of reliable evergreens—Sweet Box, Pieris ‘Little Heath,’ a few other steady choices meant to hold shape and color year-round. Summersweet was only on the list as an option, a maybe. But the moment I saw it, compact and quietly elegant, I
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Opening Observation I am still deciding how I feel about Wine & Roses Weigela. I like the idea of it more than the current reality. The deep purple foliage is striking, and I love the way it plays off the purple tones of the bigleaf hydrangea nearby. On paper, it is exactly the contrast I
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