Evergreen azaleas are among the most attractive and colorful flowers we can grow in our gardens. It used to be that spring was the season for them, and they brighten our beds and planters as few other plants can. Their rich glowing colors shine out, in a wide range of tones, from pure white, through an infinite set of pink tones, into reds and purples,…

Across the hills of a large part of eastern North America, carpeting the forest floor beneath trees, growing on slopes, or edging streams, grows the mountain laurel. Found all the way from southern Maine to northern Florida, and abundant in New England, it spreads west into Indiana and down to Louisiana. Called by botanists Kalmia angustifolia, settlers called it calico-bush, or spoonwood, because its hard,…

North America is a vast land, and the seasons are very different, depending on what climate zones you are. This seems obvious, but when it comes to gardening, that variation means making different choices from among the often-bewildering range of plants available. For new gardener’s this is especially troublesome, so to help you make the best choices, avoid wasting money, and end up with a…

Lilacs hold a special place in gardens, and in the hearts of garden lovers. Praised by poets, they spell ‘home’ to many of us, with their old-fashioned charm and their association with older gardens, perhaps of a grandparent or older relative. That doesn’t mean they don’t have a place in the modern garden – not at all. Their reliability in colder climates and their profuse…

One of the best features of Japanese Maples is their fall color, but after that there is not so much to see, and during winter many are brown or perhaps green. The idea of making each plant valuable for four seasons is a great guide when choosing plants, so why not add a fourth season to your Japanese Maple trees too? By making the right…

Most gardens look their best in spring and early summer. That is when the majority of plants flower, so is easy to have flowers then, and if you don’t plan your planting, you will pretty much automatically end up with a garden blooming in those seasons. But the last time I checked there are four seasons to the year, and a great garden has something…