Evergreens are plants that hold their foliage from season to season. Evergreen trees are well-suited as privacy plants. They create year-round living walls that can shield a garden or property from outside view. Evergreens can be divided into two classes: conifers or narrow-leaved evergreens and broad-leaved evergreens. Both conifers and broad-leaved evergreen trees can vary […] More
Deciduous trees can be used to create privacy. They can be used along a boundary to protect and enclose a garden or property. Deciduous trees can be used as a wall of green through the warm months of the year; they can still serve as a boundary in the cold time of the year even […] More
A hedge is a continuous and close planting of shrubs, and occasionally trees, along a boundary to protect and enclose a garden or property. A hedge can also be a division line within the garden to set one portion apart from another. The term hedge does not necessarily imply a rigidly pruned and restrained growth, […] More
Seasonally, bulbs are usually divided into two main groups–the first being generally termed “fall bulbs” which means those that are dormant and should be planted in late summer and fall; and the second being called “spring bulbs,” meaning those that are dormant over the winter and must be planted in early spring. Fall bulbs include […] More
Foundation plantings are well-chosen plants that frame a building and tie it to the site and make it appear an intrinsic part of its environment. Foundation plantings are almost always shrubs that remain in the landscape for years. Most often, shrubs that are evergreen are chosen for foundation plantings. Shrubs that do not lose their […] More
Begonia is a large and diverse group. There are more than 1,000 species of begonias. Begonias are prized for their texture, multicolored foliage, and colorful flowers. Most houseplant begonias are fibrous-rooted or rhizomatous, but there are some tuberous varieties. There are begonias that flower year-round; there are shrubby begonias that bloom seasonally, and there are […] More
Trees with colorful autumn foliage are at their best from mid-to-late autumn. Make the most of trees with colorful autumn foliage by planting them where they can be seen from windows in your house or along well-traveled paths or drives. Autumn leaves will be especially brilliant after a hot summer, but after a mild summer, […] More
Some trees are adapted to clay soil. Planting clay-tolerant trees is a start to growing a garden where the soil dense and dry or waterlogged. You can improve less-than-ideal soil by adding organic matter—aged compost, manure, and commercial organic planting mix. Organic matter lightens heavy clay soil by separating dense clay particles. Organic matter improves […] More
There are climbing plants that can tolerate and grow in clay soil. Growing plants in clay soil is a challenge. Clay soil is slow to drain and dense. That makes it hard for plant roots to grow. Choosing plants that can tolerate clay soil is one way to work around the clay soil challenge. Some […] More
Shrubs that can tolerate clay soil are one solution to growing plants in heavy, less than perfect soil. Clay soils commonly have plenty of nutrients but problems from poor aeration and slow drainage. Clays soil particles are flat and dense, not ideal for plant growth. Such soils are described as heavy. Limited aeration and slow […] More
Growing plants in clay soil can be a chore. Clay soil particles are small and flat; they pack so closely that water has trouble draining between them. Clay soil particles are so dense that plant roots have a hard time growing around or between them. Clayey soil is sticky and heavy when wet and hard […] More
Autumn-blooming perennials will keep the garden full of color until frost and cold weather arrive. Though comparatively few in number, autumn blooming perennials offer an abundance of blooms and a brilliance of colors. You could easily devote an entire garden to autumn-blooming perennials. Autumn-blooming perennials are best planted in spring and early summer, but with […] More
Stephen Albert