Fruit Trees – Sources

My friend Bill Ford, co-owner of Johnson Nursery in Ellijay, has toddled off into retirement! Now where will I send folks who want to buy the best selections of fruit and nut tree varieties? With Bill's inp

Crapemyrtle – Pruning

One of the most confounding arguments I face is whether and how to prune crapemyrtles. They are mercilessly “murdered” by unaware landscapers and homeowners each winter… yet they still bloom in summer. Some

Sowthistle – Control

The spiny leaves make this weed easy to spot. Fortunately, spiny sowthistle is easy to control. You can dig the long taproot with a dandelion fork (click for sources)  or uproot it with a Water Weeder. A spot spr

Wild Lettuce (Prickly Lettuce) – Control

It looks like dandelion leaves at first…..but it makes a tall stem. What could this be? It's wild lettuce…..and it's edible! You can dig the long taproot with a dandelion fork (click for s

Wild Strawberry (Indian Mock Strawberry) – Identification

Indian mock strawberry, Potentilla indica, is a non-native weed only slightly related to “real” strawberry. It’s flowers are yellow while those of edible strawberry are white or pink. The fruit of mock strawberry

Carolina Jessamine – Identification

Note the way this plant's name is spelled: it's not "jasmine" but "jessamine". It's a terrific spring-flowering vine often seen on Southern arbors. It's also spotte

Rain Garden – Designing

Don't beat your head against a wall! If your landscape has a wet area, stop trying to cultivate plants that dislike wet feet. Instead, install a rain garden, using plants that easily tolerate soggy soil. Fi

Purslane – Control

Common purslane, Portulaca oleracea, is a weedy summer annual, invading vegetable gardens, bare areas, low-maintenance lawns, and ornamental plantings. It is particularly well adapted to the warm, moist condition

Crapemyrtle – Fragrant

When Patricia C. saw my web page stating that crapemyrtles are not fragrant, she sent a note saying that her plant certainly does have a distinct perfume. I didn't believe her…but she sent pictures. N

Hydrangea Summer Pruning – Step by Step

The recent summer rains filled the leaves and roots of my hydrangeas with water, making them strong. Now that the flowers have faded in late June I can prune them to the size I want for next year. Look at the pho

Leyland Cypress – Limited Lifespan

Nothing lives forever. Whether plant or animal, living things seem to have typical life spans: some measured in centuries and some in days. Leyland cypress is enormously popular in Southern landscapes. It's

Patio of the Week: Water and Fire Mingle in a Canadian Front Yard

“Would you believe that my husband started out as a plumber? asks Terri Laan, whose husband, Christopher Farner, gave their front patio a modern makeover. He has an amazing sense of balance and style, and over t

10 Creative Fence Designs

Chalkboard walls, bubbled acrylic and perforated copper may not be the first fencing materials homeowners consider, but these bold choices add distinct curb appeal and style to this outdoor necessity. If updatin

Design Icons: Lawrence Halprin

Lawrence Halprin (1916–2009) was a visionary landscape architect who brought modern design to the land, revitalized neglected urban areas and developed ecological conservation measures ahead of their time. Born

8 Ideas From Celebrated Garden Designers

The Chelsea Flower Show is an annual celebration of everything garden held in the grounds of the Chelsea Royal Hospital in London. Aside from its showcase of new plant varieties and various furniture and ornamen

20 Ways to Get the Cottage Garden Look

I am still mourning the loss of one of my favorite magazines of all time, Cottage Living. They always featured the dreamiest little cottage gardens, with yards full of wall-to-wall flowers. Ill try to fill the v

A Splash of Garden Color (Even Without Flowers)

Just about every gardener I know loves colorful flowers. But flowers are seasonal and often fleeting. For year-round color without the maintenance, try adding splashes of color to the landscape using paint and f

Landscape Design: Windows to Your World

Years ago when I first started writing about gardens for a Western regional magazine, I was assigned to cover Arizona. I had a lot to learn about the area since their plant material and garden styles were so uni

Garden Tour: Enchanting Greek Landscape

You know a landscape is good when it appears as if it hasnt been designed at all, but rather just exists as if it has existed there forever. The magnetic quality of the space draws you in to nurture and protect

Houzz Tours: 5-Day Outdoor Makeover

Design Blogger Coco from COCOCOZY learned theres nothing like a last-minute guest to inspire a speedy home makeover. When a good friend who lives in a gorgeous New Orleans Garden District mansion was flying acro