Potentilla

RHS says most potentilla shrubs don’t need fertilizer at all. Here’s the exact N-P-K ratio and 2-feed schedule for the ones that actually do.

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 a pillar of contemporary landscaping. You find it flowering its heart out in parking lot islands, lining manicured park paths, and standing as a devoted, sunny presence in gardens all summer long. Its well-known yellow or pink blossoms are a delight — evidence of a plant that just …