Category Archives: Articles
Holiday “Cactus” (Schlumbergera varieties)
Have you noticed the odd-looking plants with neon bright flowers blooming since Halloween? You may know them as Thanksgiving cactus, Christmas cactus or Crab Cactus. Whatever you call them, they're certainly bright and cheerful, and bring a bold bloom of color indoors during the winter months.
Forcing Bulbs for the Holidays and Beyond
Blooming baskets and pots of brightly colored forced bulbs make a fabulous holiday or winter gift for others and ourselves. What better way to dress up the holiday home or cheer up a long, cold winter, reminding us of impending spring?
Outdoor Ornamentation
Do you miss the vibrancy of your flowerbeds and the rich, lush colors of your landscape once winter sets in? With warm weather pots, window boxes and hanging baskets already in place, decorating the outside of your house this winter will be a cinch!
Tulip Time
It’s finally here, that time of year that we’ve all been anticipating – fall! And, you know what fall means? Tulip time! The cooler days of fall entice us back into the garden that the August heat forced us to abandon. This is when your garden retailer is brimming with fresh, new, seasonal plant material […]
Building A Simple Raised Bed
It’s a bittersweet time of year. Frost has put to rest another growing season. It is a time for endings as we clean up the garden and jot down this year’s successes and failures. It is also a time for new beginnings, such as planning and anticipating next year’s garden. For those who love gardening, […]
Ornamental Cabbage & Kale
Looking to add extra appeal to the fall and winter landscape? This year, try ornamental cabbage and kale! Planted alongside chrysanthemums and winter pansies, ornamental cabbage and kale add distinctive bold texture and vibrant seasonal color to the late-season landscape. Foliage not Flower Frequently called ‘flowering’ cabbage & kale, these fall favorites are not flowers […]
Endless Summer® Hydrangeas
Do you love the look of large, stunning hydrangeas? Do they evoke wistful images of summer and floral nostalgia? Don’t you wish they would last longer in the landscape? Unfortunately, many hydrangeas have relatively short bloom cycles, but there are amazing cultivars you can investigate that provide longer lasting blooms without losing any of their […]
Over-Wintering Container Plants Outdoors
All containerized plants that are considered hardy in your zone can spend the winter outdoors, but you do need to take a little special care to keep them safe and comfortable as temperatures drop. Despite their hardiness, winter is still a challenging season, but it is possible to keep your container plants healthy until the days grow longer and warmer again.
Devil’s Darning Needle
Fall is here and after hiding inside in the cool comfort of our air conditioning through the hottest, driest, buggiest time of the year, our interest in revisiting the outdoors is renewed.
Fall-Blooming Camellias
We love camellias! An Asian native and an old southern standby, they are now a favorite in the northern states as well. In recent years, new varieties have been developed for their increased cold hardiness, giving northern gardeners even more opportunities to enjoy these charming beauties.
Minor Bulbs: Perfect Partners for Early Spring Color
A garden stroll in the early spring offers a great deal of promise but generally little color. You can rectify this with a little planning and planting this fall to ensure bright spring blooms to enjoy.
Kale, the Super Food
Did you know kale is a super food? Kale belongs to the same family as cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. It is a rich source of vitamins C, A, & B6, and is loaded with manganese, calcium, copper and potassium, with no fat or cholesterol. Add it to your garden for a healthy harvest!
Fairy Garden Magic
Do you think your tiny balcony terrace means you can't have a grand garden? Are you looking for a clever and imaginative way to introduce a child to the world of plants? Have you ever dreamed of your own "McGregor's Garden?" One of the newest gardening trends can do all these and a whole lot more!
Choosing a Japanese Maple
We’re certain you’ve heard it numerous times: fall is the best time to buy your Japanese maple. Have you come into the garden center to pick one? Did the varieties overwhelm you? Let us make it easier for you by explaining Japanese maple differences.
Entrance Way Evergreens
Cool and classic or chic and contemporary, no matter what your style, you'll always be proud of an entrance flanked with beautiful containers highlighting just-right evergreens.
Redbud Revelry
Gardeners love the Eastern redbud tree. Native to North America, these hardy, slow-growing, small trees richly deserve their places front and center in the landscape.
Versatile Euonymus
What are your garden's trouble spots? Do you need an evergreen hedge? A tall anchor plant at the back of a deep garden bed? How about an interesting groundcover? Perhaps your garden needs a medium-sized transition plant. Try a euonymus!
Autumn: Why Plant Now?
Although many gardeners plant trees and shrubs in the spring, knowledgeable gardeners plant in the fall to take advantage of all this fabulous season has to offer. But why is fall planting better than spring planting? Stress Reduction Transplanting causes stress as plants are removed from containers, balls or established locations and changed to new […]
Plant a Tree This Fall
There are so many reasons to add a new tree to your landscape this fall that it’s hard to find a reason not to.
King of the Cold: Ornamental Cabbage & Kale
Looking to add interest to the fall and winter landscape? This year, plant ornamental cabbage and kale for bold textures and vibrant colors.
Audition Some Autumn Bloomers
Extend the beauty of your garden with vivid autumn-blooming perennials. When you think of fall-blooming plants, don’t stop at mums – there are many perennials that can add color to your yard at this time of year.
The Fall Vegetable Garden
Fresh vegetables don't have to end as the days grow shorter – fall is a great time to plant an autumn garden to extend the growing season.
Freshen Up for Fall
Transform summer garden pots, planters and window boxes into magical displays this fall. The addition of mums, winter pansies and ornamental cabbage and kale are always excellent choices but you can really spice things up with the inclusion of a few of these colorful, cold-hardy selections. Which ones will look best for your autumn landscape?
Fall in Love with Fall Pansies
Ideal for fall gardens, pansies offer a colorful display for almost six months – in the fall when they are planted, in the winter during a stretch of sunny days and again in spring! Winter pansies may be planted anytime starting in mid-September and continuing through October.
Tulips: Spring Starts Now!
Members of the lily family, tulips are native to central and western Asia. In the 16th century, they were introduced to the Netherlands where most tulip bulbs are grown today.
Birdscaping
As wildlife habitats are threatened by development, the creation of a bird-friendly environment that provides food, water and shelter is crucial to the existence of our wild bird population. Caring for our feathered-friends is an educational and enjoyable activity for the entire family that brings beauty and song to our lives.
