An Alaskan gardener's thoughts on this classic, flower.

Look past the familiar bedding annuals for a host of exciting options

My notion of the perfect flower garden was formed early in life. I took it directly from a fanciful illustration of an English cottage garden in my nursery-rhyme book.  I recall being enchanted by the towering spires of blue blooms—probably delphiniums, but possibly ladybells—before which Mistress Mary flounced contrarily down her garden path...

Today we have available from nurseries a number of other species and their hybrids that offer not only sweet-smelling blooms but splendid habit and leaves that stay fresh and healthy all summer. Some of them also color handsomely in autumn...

Right now a visit to my favorite garden center sits high on my agenda. I’m in search of plants that dazzle in the spring, some luscious colors, great foliage, and unusual shapes—a bit of horticultural “bling.” If I choose the right jewels, the garden will look even better next year...

Invasive species alter the structure and function of ecosystems and displace native plants. When we design a landscape, aesthetics often rule our choices, but it is equally important to consider each plant’s potential to invade...

In his series on invasive plants, C. Colston Burrell discusses many plants that can take over the landscape. Here he provides two lists of additional plants to be wary of...

Our quest for plants from around the globe has enriched our gardens and brought us important food plants. At the same time, we have unwittingly created some devastating ecological consequences...

Everything changed for me with the first batch of catalogs I received from the daffodil specialists. To my astonishment, none were from Holland, but instead came from Oregon, Northern Ireland, England, New Zealand, and Tasmania. Unfamiliar with practically every entry, I was immediately taken in by the refinement of form and the expanded range of colors seen in some of their flowers.

Daphne, the first love of Apollo, gave her name to a genus of shrubs as endearing as her flight from his embrace. She was transformed into a laurel tree to escape the god, so we crown champions with laurel (Laurus nobilis) wreaths. But for fragrance alone, there is no single genus of shrubs that I find more indispensable for the garden than Daphne...