A neighbor posted in a local mom’s group asking for help with landscape planning. She was hoping to surprise her parents with a refreshed front yard while they were away. She would do the planting herself, she just needed someone to tell her what to plant, how to lay it out, and how to make […]
Bedside Manners: A Shade Garden Design with Surprise and Purpose Read More »
inkberry holly Common Name: Inkberry Holly (Shamrock) Botanical Name: Ilex glabra ‘Shamrock’ Hardiness Zones: 4-9 Height: 3-4 feet Spread: 3-4 feet Foliage: Dense, glossy, small smooth-edged leaves; stays green year-round Bloom: Tiny white flowers spring; black berries persist into winter Growth Rate: Slow to moderate Light: Part shade preferred; tolerates morning sun Soil: Acidic, evenly
Plant Profile: Inkberry Read More »
heuchera Common Name: Heuchera (Coral Bells) Botanical Name: Heuchera spp. Hardiness Zones: 4-9 Height: 8-18 inches Spread: 8-18 inches Foliage: Mounding; copper, caramel, plum, silver, chartreuse depending on variety Bloom: Tiny bell-shaped flowers on slender stems, late spring to early summer Growth Rate: Moderate Light: Partial shade; morning sun preferred Soil: Well-drained, organic, slightly acidic
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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 I first learned about Tuff Stuff while designing a shade garden for a neighbor who wanted to surprise her parents with something beautiful, fragrant, and low-maintenance. She sent me inspiration photos filled with layered, flower-heavy beds, the kind that look lush and lived-in. Hydrangeas were everywhere in her examples, but the space she
Plant Profile: Mountain Hydrangea ‘Tuff Stuff’ Read More »
Opening Observation I had admired panicle hydrangeas for years without realizing what they were. From a distance, the cone-shaped blooms looked like a cross between hydrangea and lilac, familiar but not quite. I would see them in the neighborhood, pale and upright, some bright white, some tinged green, some fading to pink, and think they
Plant Profile: Hydrangea ‘Berry White’ Read More »
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
Plant Profile: Clethra alnifolia ‘Hummingbird’ (Summersweet) Read More »