Archive for the ‘Container garden’ Category

New Soiree Kawaii® Vincas

Vinca (Catharanthus), also called Madagasar periwinkle, is a popular summer flowering bedding plant. Soiree Kawaii® series of catharanthus hybrids from Suntory (C. roseus) continue among the favorites at California Spring Trials since their introduction three years ago. Vincas start blooming, and continuously thereafter, from spring planting to the first frost in autumn.  Soiree Kawaii vincas perform […]

Getting Rid Of Difficult Weeds

Some aggressive perennials like Chameleon plant (Houttuynia cordata), variegated Bishop’s weed (Aegopodium podagraria), along with many woody briars can be extremely difficult to eliminate from a landscape area or garden bed.  If a weedy garden bed contains no desirable plants, you can over spray weeds with glyphosate, a nonselective herbicide.(Roundup™ is common trade name). This […]

Love in A Mist (Nigella)

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) is a popular cool weather annual. It is also known by several other names including “ragged lady” or “devil in the bush”. Nigella belongs to the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) and is native to southern Europe, North Africa and southwest Asia. In its natural habitat, nigella is found on neglected, damp patches of […]

Growing Crinum Lilies

Crinum Lilies, aka “River lilies”, “Cape Coast lilies”, and “Creole lilies”, are native to Southeast Asia. Crinum lilies are more akin to Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) than true lilies (Lilium). Considered to be an old staple in Southern gardens, crinum lilies are seen growing around old cemeteries, old farmsteads, and in ditches (zones 7-10). Over time long-lasting […]

Growing Japanese Maples In Containers

Many slow-growing and compact cultivars of Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) and full moon forms (A. japonicum) grow for 3-5 years in containers. Japanese maples develop a decorative canopy, and their lacey foliage turns yellow, orange and/or red in autumn. Most Japanese maples perform well in partial to full day sunlight, but not in full shade. […]

Twenty Highly Dependable Small Landscape Trees

In small landscapes, where growing space is limited, a number of outstanding trees may be planted. Several are also examples of great spring or summer flowering trees. U.S. native species are designated N. Additional landscape traits include: Grow under 30 feet in height and underneath power lines). Winter hardiness across the U.S. (USDA hardiness zones […]

Evercolor® Series Of Japanese Sedges

Japanese sedges (Carex oshimensis)  are fine-textured variegated sedges that typically grow in a low, grass-like mounded clump to 10-16” tall and wide. This tough colorful sedge was originally found growing in dry woodlands and rocky slopes throughout Honshu Island, Japan. Brownish flower spikes, mostly inconspicuous, form on triangular stems in spring. Japanese sedge are evergreen […]

Plant Awards Of 2021

For 2021, the National Garden Bureau (NGB), the non-profit organization promoting gardening in North America, has announced the five (5) plant classes that will be featured in the 2021 “Year of the” program. Annual: Year of the Sunflower Vegetable/edible: Year of the Garden Bean Perennial: Year of the Monarda Bulb: Year of the Hyacinth Flowering Shrub: Year of the Hardy […]

Calamint – 2021 Perennial Plant of The Year (PPOY)

Too begin a new gardening year, the Perennial Plant Association has named calamint (Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta) as the 2021 Perennial Plant of the Year. One landscaper designer describes calamint as “a cloud of confetti, tiny white flowers”. Plants are dotted with masses of tiny white (or pale blue) flowers from early summer to fall. […]

Repel Deer And Rabbits

We live at a time that deer population numbers have grown out of control in many areas of the U.S. The internet lists plants that “DEER DON’T EAT”. However, deer have not read these lists, and secondly, a starving deer will eat just about anything. An adult deer may eat 5-6 pounds of plant material […]