Every gardener wants a plant that will give them a lot of bright color all summer long without needing a lot of care. We look for that one plant that can survive a challenging place in the garden—baking sun, bad soil, and sometimes being ignored—and still look good. If this sounds like something you’ve heard before, it’s time to meet …
Every garden contains one—that “problem area.” Only the gardener who tends it will know this geography of disappointment; it is a patch of land that seems to actively resist every effort to bring it to life. It may be the sun-baked, compacted clay at the mailbox where the summer heat radiates off the pavement to generate a virtual oven. It …
Most likely, you already know Potentilla. That happy, dependable shrub has become the pillar of contemporary landscaping. You find it flowering its heart out in the parking lot islands of shopping centers, lining manicured park paths, and standing as a devoted, sunny presence in gardens all summer long. Its well-known yellow or lovely pink blossoms are a delight, evidence of …
Whether your garden is few containers on a sunny patio or a large suburban yard, every gardener knows the sensation. Starting in the aisles of a garden center, this is a special fusion of hope and heartache. You see the ideal plant here. Its small tag promises a season of easy beauty; its leaves are rich, its blossoms are vivid. …