Look for the Light

Do you walk through your garden each day? What do you see? I took a leisurely stroll along our quiet country lanes a few days ago and was amazed what a difference just a few days had made. Last week there were fat, tantalizing buds filled with promise, yet the overall palette was still mostly…

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Easy, Budget-Conscious Containers

When it comes to gardening, I'm nothing if not tenacious (although my husband calls it "stubborn…."), and right now that quality is coming in especially handy. Usually at this time of year I'd be anticipating leisurely visits to my favorite nurseries to carefully select an exciting array of shrubs, perennials, annuals, tropicals, and edibles to…

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Move over boxwood – make room for Distylium!

Have you been searching for the perfect shrub? One that is low maintenance evergreen  deer resistant insect resistant disease resistant can be used for hedging, screening, as a foundation plant, groundcover or as part of a mixed border? is tolerant of wet soils, yet also drought tolerant? Maybe something to replace those ailing boxwood that…

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From Hellstrip to Heavenly

We all have challenging areas in our landscapes, but perhaps one of the toughest is the proverbial "hellstrip", that narrow planting bed sandwiched between the road and the sidewalk. To passers-by and visitors alike this appears to be part of YOUR landscape simply by virtue of its proximity. It has to tolerate foot-traffic, swinging car…

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Deer-Resistant Combinations for Hot, Sunny Sites

Deer-resistant garden border

Learning to select plant combinations rather than just individual plants, will immediately transform your garden from the onesy-twosey look to a cohesive design. For those of us who share our gardens with deer it can be especially hard, yet it really is possible. Deer behaviors and tastes vary across the country, so not every suggestion…

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