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Winter is a time when the garden is quiet. Few shrubs or trees bloom, although in warmer areas there are a number that do – the fascinating Paperbush (Edgeworthia) for one. But for the most part our gardens in winter are a place for gentle reflection on the beauty of twigs, and the soft tones […]

When most people think ‘boxwood’, they picture clipped balls or low hedges. But there is so much more to boxwood. This is an ideal time to plant some, so it’s also the perfect moment to think about other ways of using this versatile and attractive evergreen. Leave Boxwood Unclipped Some gardeners avoid boxwood, thinking it […]

The Butterfly Bush, once a favorite plant with children for the hordes of beautiful butterflies it attracts, has had some bad publicity in the last few years. Beautiful as it is, these plants produce a lot of seed, and this will easily spread and grow just about anywhere. In some parts of the country it […]

Planting shrubs is the best way to create form and structure in your garden, and working with a selection of different ones, both evergreen and deciduous, and large and small, is the way to create variety too. Getting the balance right, between mass planting and individual specimens, using different heights, and with different foliage types, […]

Now that spring is behind us, and summer has officially begun, don’t leave the pruning of your spring-flowering shrubs any longer. Ideally it should be done immediately after they flower, so for next year, make a note. However, ‘better late than never’, so if you didn’t do it yet, bring it to the top of […]

Almost every garden has shade – and even if it begins as sunny, once trees and large shrubs develop, shady areas are almost inevitable. We can treat shade in two ways, as a problem, or as an opportunity. Once we see it as an opportunity to grow plants that prefer or even require shade, a […]

At this time of year, we look anxiously for the beginning of spring, especially those of us who live in cold areas, where April is merely the month when all the snow finally disappears. We might take a walk around our neighborhoods and see plants in bloom, but when we come back through the gate […]

The succession of flowering shrubs through the seasons is a large part of the beauty of a garden, bringing interest to every part of the year. Yet in many gardens the shrubs are overgrown, and often flower poorly because of incorrect pruning. A little understanding can go a long way to help that, and it […]

Camellias are the aristocrats of the garden. They stand majestic, wrapped in rich green and glossy leaves all summer, and then when winter comes they burst into bloom, bringing exotic forms and rich colors to the garden when most other flowers have finished blooming. By choosing several varieties, it is possible to have camellias in […]

Let’s be honest, roses have a reputation for being difficult. While most people love those big blooms, especially from the flower shop, growing them in gardens has faded from a high-point reached perhaps 50 years ago. As the world got busier, people had less time for their gardens, less time for the detailed pruning and […]

Hedges are important garden features, for privacy, shelter and appearance. Evergreen hedges are always the most popular, since they give protection 365 days a year, and often the need is greatest in the winter, just when a deciduous hedge is bare and open. That doesn’t mean deciduous hedges are not a good choice in many […]

As the warmer weather arrives, and our plants start to show signs of waking from their winter sleep, we start to wonder how to get the best from them in the coming season. Many flowering shrubs – and trees too – benefit from pruning to stimulate the best display of flowers for our pleasure, but […]

Evergreen azaleas are real beauties of the spring garden, and wherever they can be grown they are immensely popular. There are hundreds if not thousands of varieties available, in all the colors of the rainbow (except for sky blue). They come in a wide range of sizes, so they are suitable for gardens of all […]

Boxwood is undoubtedly the most functional plant in garden history, as well as being attractive and easy to grow in sun or shade, and in a range of soil types. It has endless uses around the garden, but it is especially useful for making geometric shapes and hedges, as it thrives on regular trimming. It […]

If you live in colder parts of the country, where winter is a time of snow and ice, fall and early winter are good times to be thinking about protecting your hedges from the potential ravages of that cold. Most of us grow evergreens as hedges, for year round privacy, and among the most popular […]

The Calla Lily is one of the most distinctive wild flowers, but also one of the least likely to have found fame as a cultivated plant. It only occurs naturally in a quite small area of the world, and one that wasn’t well explored until the mid-19th century. However, our love of flowers has made […]

Many tropical or subtropical plants need a lot of care and attention to grow successfully, but there’s a much easier way to add a hint of the exotic to your home. The spider plant is a striking-looking specimen that does well as an indoor pot plant and has been popular in the USA for decades. […]

Bamboo plants have a special and unique appearance that adds a special touch to the garden. They are also fast-growing plants that can be used for screening, especially in narrow spaces, since some can grow very tall without taking up a lot of room. Because of their unique structure they do need some special care […]

Florida sits across two hardiness zones. The north, and indeed most of the state, is in gentle zone 9, where winter temperatures might reach 20 degrees, meaning 12 degrees Fahrenheit below freezing, but generally stay above that. The south is firmly placed in zone 10, where even a touch of frost is a rare event […]

Gardening Tips: Nellie Stevens Holly When I am sitting on the back porch, the last thing I want is prying neighborly eyes and loud noises from the distant highway. Privacy Screens are an effective way to manage sound and eyesores; though many people prefer fences, I enjoy the natural solitude and privacy of the Nellie […]