As more and more of us live in towns and cities, gardens get smaller. For many, a balcony or terrace is all the outdoor space we have available to grow plants and get closer to nature. Many traditional garden plants grow too large for these smaller spaces, so we need new plants – smaller, easy to care for, but still vibrant and colorful. Hydrangeas have…

Boxwood plants – as hedges or clipped specimens – are a classic. They bring a look of calm, organization and structure to any garden space, and with older homes they give just the right ‘period’ look, while they can look modern and minimalist too, in the right setting. They have been used for centuries in this way, even the ancient Romans grew them, and they…

I remember well the first time I saw a red Fringe Flower bush. Even as a pretty knowledgeable gardener I was blown away, so I understand why this plant has become such a hot ‘must have’ for so many gardeners in warmer zones. Maybe you too just saw one for the first time, and of course thought, “I want that in my garden!” Who wouldn’t?…

Using shrubs in planters and pots is a great idea, and widely suggested, not just for anyone with limited garden space, but also in larger gardens, to decorate terraces, frame garage doors, or along driveway. They look great, and they really add a whole extra dimension to your garden, so its really is a wonderful gardening trend. You enjoyed them all summer, but with the…

Old-time gardeners think of September as the start of the gardening year, not the end of it. This might seem odd if you are a summer gardener who sees their garden as ‘resting’ in winter, and you aren’t alone – plant sales and interest always rockets in spring to a peak and then are much lower the rest of the year. But really, if you…

Boxwood bushes are garden standards – evergreen bushes with many uses, from the traditional boxwood hedge to less formal shrubs in modern gardens. Because they have such a well-known name, new gardeners can easily think they are all the same, and that one boxwood is just like any other, so why not just grab the cheapest thing at a big-box store? In fact, boxwoods are…