‘Radio’ is a gorgeous heirloom pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) that’s easy to grow and very eye-catching.

I know it got cold last night and they called for frost-  And instead of bringing any of my tenders or tropicals in, I decided to go a different route.
I prayed.

In the American Garden Award program, four new flower varieties are planted at participating botanic gardens across the US, and visitors vote on their favorites. Here are the 2010 American Garden Award winners.

I rarely seek to simplify. Indeed, I’m usually looking to muck up my life a little bit more with each passing day.
However, there is now a plant in my life that has made it …

Indian blanket flower (Gaillardia pulchella) is a hot-colored annual that easily tolerates heat and drought.

August is a tough time for garden, it’s too soon for fall faves like Asters, Mums and Kale but the summer stuff is…frankly, pooped.

Instead of starting seeds indoors in winter or sowing them outdoors in spring, try planting them in the garden in the fall. Many types of seed will overwinter in the soil and sprout in spring.

Can you give me some planting ideas and other tips for attracting hummingbirds to my garden?

BY MARTY ROSS/Kansas City, Missouri, Zone 5
I have retired from competition at the local flower show, but there was a time when my annuals were unbeatable. My friend Henry Marder might dispute this, but, as …