Plants

Grow edibles and ornamentals successfully—here’s how.

Surefire Begonias Bloom All Summer in Shade

June 17, 2014 | Kelsea Daulton | 0

Virtues: Surefire Begonia comes in a red and rose variety. This bedding annual doesn’t require much, if any, pruning, and deer aren’t very fond of it. This plant is colorful throughout the summer and fall, blooms persistently and requires no deadheading. …

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Percy Wiseman Rhododendron Has Color-changing Flowers

June 10, 2014 | Kelsea Daulton | 0

Virtues: Rhododendron ‘Percy Wiseman’ is easy on the eyes with the creamy pinks and peaches of its changeable flowers. In late spring, ‘Percy Wiseman’s’ many flowers fade to ivory. This plant serves well as an accent shrub standing at most 4 …

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‘Stairway to Heaven’ Jacob’s Ladder Brings Colorful Texture

June 3, 2014 | Kelsea Daulton | 0

Virtues: Polemonium reptans ‘Stairway to Heaven’ is an herbaceous perennial that thrives in part shade and will tolerate full sun. It’s a variegated selection of a wildflower native to much of eastern North America that pops up in moist woodlands. Continuously …

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Plant Summer Wave Blue Torenia for Lasting Flowers in Shade

May 27, 2014 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: Summer Wave Large Blue torenia is a low-maintenance flowering annual plant that thrives and blooms in the shade and tolerates the heat and humidity of summer. It does not need deadheading, it puts up with drought and it will …

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Sea Heart and Silver Heart Bugloss Stand Up Through Summer

May 20, 2014 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: Siberian bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla) is loved for its textural, variegated leaves that can add color and interest to shade gardens. These two new cultivars, ‘Sea Heart’ (bottom image) and ‘Silver Heart’ (top image) offer improved heat and humidity tolerance. …

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Mascotte Bush Bean Is Perfect for Containers and Small Gardens

April 29, 2014 | Maria Woodie | 0

Virtues: We love ‘Mascotte’ bush bean for its long, slender, stringless pods bursting with refreshing, crisp, tantalizing flavor. The tasty beans grow profusely and rest above the lush, bright green foliage, making an easy and plentiful harvest all season long. …

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Hooker’s Blue Flag Is a Native Iris with Late-Spring Blue Flowers

April 22, 2014 | Maria Woodie | 0

Virtues: We love Iris hookeri for its purplish-blue flowers that bloom atop of upright, slim stems in late spring or early summer. Long, narrow, gray-green blades of foliage create a nice backdrop for blooms.

Plant These Annual Vines to Make a Garden Tipi

April 22, 2014 | Maria Woodie | 0

I want to make a tipi in my yard for my kids to use as a kind of fort. What are some plants that will quickly cover the teepee framework I’ve made out of long poles?

Plant Sparkle White Guara for Delicate Color and Movement

April 15, 2014 | Maria Woodie | 0

Virtues: We love Gaura lindheimeri ‘Sparkle White’ for its stunning, star-shaped, long-lived flowers tinged elegantly in blush pink. These drought-tolerant perennials bloom from late spring into fall. The tall, well-branched, slender flower stems add movement to the garden when they …

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Grow Arctic Beauty Kiwi Vine for Colorful Heart-shaped Leaves

April 8, 2014 | Maria Woodie | 0

Virtues: We love Actinidia kolomikta ‘Arctic Beauty’ for its brightly variegated heart-shaped foliage, splashed in pink, white and green. In early summer, tiny, fragrant creamy-white flowers bloom, potentially followed by grape-size fruits that resemble a miniature kiwi and taste just …

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Red Malabar Spinach Tolerates Heat and Won’t Bolt

April 8, 2014 | Gardening Jones | 0

Although technically not a true spinach, Red Malabar is a delightful choice for anyone who has issues with spinach bolting. Because this cultivar was brought to us from India, it has developed a tolerance to heat and does wonderfully well …

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