What’s in a Name? See 6 Wildflowers That Aren’t ‘Weeds’ at All

I don’t have many weeds in my garden anymore — there’s too much competition from mature and dense perennials. When I do see something out of place, its fate depends on my mood. Sometimes I yank it out immediatel

This Fly Is One of the Most Beneficial Insects Around

In a pesticide-free garden, many types of beneficial insects help to keep problem insects, such as aphids, in balance. One of the most attractive and interesting of these beneficial insects is the syrphid fly.Sy

Grow a Beautiful Garden in Alkaline Soil

If you live in the western half of the U.S., chances are you have alkaline soil. Alkaline soils are usually found in the arid regions of the West, while acidic soils are typically found in areas that experience

These Hedges Can Add Interest to Your Winter Garden

A wide range of trees and shrubs extend garden interest beyond springtime blooms, but many of them do not provide year-round appeal. When the colors of autumn fade and our garden’s bare bones become stark in win

Great Design Plant: Ratibida Pinnata Flutters in the Breeze

You cannot have a prairie garden without including gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata). A staple in Midwest prairies, this tall, upright perennial is a reliable and carefree plant that thrives in most loca

Great Design Plant: Lobelia Siphilitica Keeps Its Cool

You’re probably quite familiar with red cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), but there’s another version you might not know that’s easier to care for and tends to have a longer perennial lifespan. Great blue lo

Great Design Plant: Low-Maintenance Calliandra Eriophylla

Pink fairy duster (Calliandra eriophylla) pairs the ability to thrive in the hot, dry deserts of the U.S. with delicate, puffy pink flowers. This medium-size shrub takes center stage in spring (and occasionally

Great Design Plant: Cyrtomium Falcatum ‘Rochfordianum’

By late fall much of the woodland garden has gone to sleep until spring. Many ferns show only brown, lifeless remnants of their former seasonal glory, making the few evergreen fern species even more valuable thi

Great Design Plant: Hydrophyllum Virginianum

You may want to try Virginia waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum) if you are looking for a reliable, compact and robust shade-tolerant plant for your garden. With silver-spotted foliage and unfurling, showy clus

Great Design Plant: Cotoneaster Lacteus

Parney cotoneaster (Cotoneaster lacteus) is an informal evergreen shrub that is as attractive to wildlife as it is to gardeners, particularly gardeners in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Calif

Great Design Plant: Simmondsia Chinensis

This Southwestern native shrub is a great choice for those who want a low-maintenance desert plant that looks good growing next to cacti or flowering perennials and can even function as an informal hedge. Jojob

6 Rockin’ Red Plants for Winter Gardens

With a little planning, it’s possible to have bold, beautiful red in the garden year-round. What a difference color makes during the colder months, when there’s little to catch the eye. If you’ve made a New Year

Great Design Plant: Spigelia Marilandica

Many hummingbird plants grow best in full sun or partly sunny sites. Some early spring bloomers will grow under trees, but there aren’t many choices for later in the season, after the shade canopy fills out. Ind

Great Design Plant: Winterberry Rouses Frosty Gardens

Most people have never heard of the deciduous holly called winterberry — evergreen hollies are much better known and more commonly found in residential landscapes. But for gardeners in cold climates, winterberr

Mistletoe Is Coming to Town

For many, mistletoe prompts visions of holiday celebrations — maybe a stolen kiss or two. When it’s not being used as holiday decor, mistletoe is actually a parasitic plant, attaching itself to the branches of

Great Design Plant: Woodland Garden Beauty Polystichum Acrostichoides

The woodland forest can be a study in death and decay during winter as it sleeps deeply until spring. Its floor is strewn with a tapestry of ocher and brown that creates an auditory crunch during a brisk morning

Color Sparks a Winter Landscape

While waiting for spring to arrive, I took a trip to the Joseph A. Witt Winter Garden in Seattles Washington Park Arboretum. Tucked away in a deep green wooded area of this urban arboretum, a winter feast for th

Great Design Plant: Winter Jasmine Gladdens Snowy Gardens

Just when you can’t bear the thought of another gray day, winter jasmine comes to the rescue. Cascading bright green branches are covered with sunny yellow flowers from Thanksgiving to early spring, not missing

Look Beyond Plants for a Wonderful Winter Garden

When designing a landscape for year-round interest, people typically check their plant lists for a selection of evergreen trees and shrubs that offer a pleasing combination of foliage and texture. Frozen grasses

Protect a Precious Resource With a Rain Garden

Rain gardens are a great way of creating beautiful landscapes while protecting one of our most precious resources. They are water features that celebrate natural processes, and theyre constantly changing — growi