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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Container Design Challenge: Mix to Match!

sunny front garden

Do you have one of those tricky scenarios like I do: two containers that need to "match" yet have different lighting conditions? The two pots flanking our front door are always a challenge.The one on the right receives more direct sun than the one on the left, and the far left side of that left…

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New and Exciting Foliage to Watch For

My road trip last spring with the National Garden Bureau was a hortiholics adventure of the first order. I was one of four garden writers invited to attend the 2018 California Spring Trials (CAST) as their guest on a week long, plant-peeping extravaganza. CAST is the opportunity for plant breeders across the country to showcase…

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Deer-Resistant Containers: Before & After

I thought you might like to see how some of my summer container designs have grown in. All three designs are planted in full sun, are deer resistant, and low maintenance. The "After" images are approximately 6-7 weeks after planting. They all had Osmocote added as a slow release fertilizer when first planted but have…

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Mission Impossible? Petunia Conversion!

"Oh boy," was my less-than-enthusiastic reaction when I opened the box of plants to trial from Proven Winners and saw several petunias. PINK petunias at that. I can't stand petunias. They get sticky, messy, don't deadhead politely, get covered in aphids, don't tolerate rain – and pink is NOT my color… As I donned my…

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