Look for Metallic Green Sweat Bees Visiting Your Garden This Fall

Metallic green bees are a genus of bees (Agapostemon) that mate, then overwinter underground and emerge in spring to establish new nests. After finding a new nesting site, females begin collecting pollen and nec

Great Design Plant: Justicia Spicigera Brings In the Hummingbirds

Mexican honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera) is one of those rare plants that will thrive in filtered shade while handling the intense heat of the summer in southern U.S. climates. Its orange, tubular flowers appea

Great Design Plant: Amorpha Nana

Dwarf false indigo (Amorpha nana) is native to the mixed-grass and shortgrass regions of the Great Plains. A relative of lead plant (Amorpha canescens), it has a smaller range due to its preference for dry condi

Herb Garden Essentials: Discover Delicate Chervil

Chervil is somewhat of a rarity in the world of herbs. This annual, which goes by the botanical name Anthriscus cerefolium, prefers partial shade to full sun, wants plenty of moisture rather than drier condition

Great Design Plant: Viburnum Rafinesquianum Colors the Fall Woodland

If you are looking for a versatile, shade-tolerant and extremely reliable native plant for a shady site in your yard, I highly recommend downy arrowwood (Viburnum rafinesquianum). This native shrub tolerates a w

Backyard Birds: Healthy Home Habitats for Northern Flickers

Is that a woodpecker on the ground? It may surprise you to find one there, but yes, northern flickers are woodpeckers that spend most of their time on the ground. As they fly away, the bright white patch on thei

Great Design Plant: Ericameria Laricifolia

The dark green foliage of this Southwestern native creates an attractive backdrop throughout the year. But once the temperatures begin to drop and the days shorten, turpentine bush (Ericameria laricifolia) tran

Great Design Plant: Millettia Reticulata

Evergreen wisteria (Millettia reticulata) has a confusing name, because it is not a true wisteria, nor is it evergreen everywhere that it grows. It is a gorgeous, reliable, fragrant flowering vine that will clim

10 Ways to Use Ornamental Grasses in the Landscape

Water-wise, low-maintenance and available in an impressive range of colors and heights, ornamental grasses have a lot to offer in the landscape. It is critical to choose the right variety for your region (native

Choose Complementary Colors for Dazzling Container Gardens

Complementary colors sit directly opposite each other on the color wheel — red and green, purple and yellow, and blue and orange. When paired in a planting design, complementary colors just feel right. Here’s a

Join Us for a Parade of Pumpkins

Fall is synonymous with pumpkins, squashes and gourds. The orange, green and tan-colored beauties are abundant at local markets and roadside stands and make an ideal decorative accent for tabletop or porch. Thei

An Ode to Autumn in the Garden

October and November are my favorite months. Maybe it’s that primal memory of growing up in Minnesota, where every autumn was a powerhouse of sensory delight: crisp mornings, warm afternoons, breezes that shower

Great Design Plant: Aronia Melanocarpa, a Star for Three Seasons

In low-lying areas where the soil remains moist after a rainfall, or at a pond’s edge, you may want to consider black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa). This native shrub tolerates wet, acidic soil, and it provide

Backyard Birds: Go Owling in October

Shh, can you hear that? As dusk falls across the United States, you may be lucky enough to catch the call of the great horned owl. More Backyard Birds: Warblers | American Goldfinches | Hummingbirds | American

Make This Fall’s Garden the Best Ever

As the heat of summer begins to wane, people venture out from the comfort of their air-conditioned homes to enjoy the cooler temperatures of fall. People aren’t the only ones who enjoy fall temperatures — plant

Great Design Plant: Symphyotrichum Shortii

Short’s aster (Symphyotrichum shortii) is an exceptional native aster I was exposed to after moving from New England to the Mid-Atlantic region. I now see it growing along the roads, in hedgerows and in woodland

Great Design Plant: Andropogon Gerardii

If you’ve ever walked a prairie or meadow remnant in fall, you’re sure to have seen big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), with its fanned-out seed heads forming gorgeous silhouettes against a bright blue sky. Nati

Why Fall Is the Best Time for Planting

Garden centers have us tricked, and we help them trick us. After a long winter of reading magazines full of tantalizing plants and flowers, we itch for the first warm day. Nurseries make most of their annual inc

Your November Garden Checklist

The colors of late fall are inspired by the landscape: flaxen grasses, scarlet maples and sedum. Here in California Im just starting to see the ginkgos go gold and native grapevines turn rust. Sidewalks are litt

Great Design Plant: Cornus Florida Benefits Wildlife

Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) grows native in much of the United States, from Texas to Florida north to Maine. Known for its springtime beauty when in full bloom, it’s a great wildlife plant and a great des