Knock Out roses are the answer for every gardener who loves roses but doesn’t want to hassle with their maintenance. They maintain a continuous show of color from mid-spring to fall, with beautiful foliage almost year round. The plants
Coneflowers (Echinacea species) are native American wildflowers that have found their way into our gardens because of their stunning beauty and hardiness. Originally only available in shades of purple and lavender, coneflowers now come in a
No matter where you live, you can grow the lovely tropical mandevilla. With its glossy green leaves and large, velvety blooms, it is at home in almost any garden setting. In USDA Zones 10 and 11, it will winter beautifully outdoors, but we
In the summertime, when the weather is hot, heat-loving annuals will dazzle your gardens with vibrant colors. They are the sun-bathing beauties of any garden. With so many different flower forms, colors, sizes and foliage shapes, every
You don’t have to live in Kansas to enjoy sunflowers in the garden! Sunflowers are easy and fun to grow. From tall varieties that reach for the sky to dwarf types that are knee-high, there’s a variety to suit every
• When planting a new perennial garden, prepare the soil well at the outset. That may be your only opportunity to loosen the soil, remove rocks, and add organic matter. Be sure to work rock phosphate or some other source of phosphorus down
One of the most beautiful summer-blooming shrubs is the Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus). Also called Althea, it actually isn’t a rose at all, but rather a hardy deciduous hibiscus. From June until mid-autumn it produces large,
One of the most beautiful and fragrant plants one can plant in a home garden is lavender. Native to England, Europe and the Mediterranean all the way down to South Africa, lavenders are now grown throughout the world. They have been valued as
Blooming from mid-spring through early fall, the butterfly bush (buddleia) is particularly prized for its ability to attract butterflies, hummingbirds and songbirds. The most popular species originally hails from China, but buddleias are now
Memorial Day, originally called “Decoration Day,” was first celebrated on May 30th, 1868, to honor those (Union soldiers) who died in the American Civil War (the South had their own memorials at that time). After World War
