Shrubs Ideas, Tips & Guides

Want to make hummingbirds see red? Plant a firebush in your garden. Also called scarlet bush, it is not only among the easiest of plants to grow, but it also stays in bloom throughout the growing season with clusters of tubular red buds and flowers. Because the Southern growing season overlaps the spring and fall migration times of the ruby-throated hummingbird, and red is by far their favorite color, these blossoms will summon them to your garden.

A Softer Palette for Fall Flower Beds Mix annuals with late-blooming shrubs and perennials for colorful fall flower borders. Try fall flowers in cool shades

When it comes to first impressions, a healthy and robust garden is critical to judging how grand a home is! The classic boxwood shrub leads the way in creative landscaping ideas that indisputably boost curb appeal and lend structure and flair to any space. Let’s explore!

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Deter Garden Pests with Thorny Rose Canes Do you deal with critters tracking through your winter garden? Try this smart reader tip that utilizes rose canes to keep them out. Use thorny rose canes to deter pests in the garden

Don’t put away your gardening tools just yet! Once the weather moderates, there’s still plenty of time to plant. In fact, fall actually is an ideal time for adding new perennials and shrubs to your garden to add beauty, privacy, andpollinator-friendly plants.

Boxwood shrubs are simply the best for garden borders, hedges, and fences. Evergreen, adaptable, and lending solid design and symmetry—what could go wrong? With time and neglect, these plants can grow too huge for you to handle! So, what do you do with overgrown boxwood? Relax, we’ve got you!

Is Your Husband a Gardening Ninja?

Fall color doesn't have to mean a bunch of blowing and raking. With these tidy bushes, you can complement the foliage already in your yard with new bursts of seasonal hues—and without the raining down of spent leaves. Though we can't deny the magic of bright red foliage pouring from a maple in peak season. If you're looking to add even more fall color to your yard, stop looking up and start maximizing the greenspace at ground level.

Last Sunday we treated ourselves to a visit to David Austin Roses, the ‘royal’ We that is, as the Golfer was happy enough to tag along wherever I planned to go. Although only about 35 miles away, I prefer to be as economical as possible with such trips and combine them with something else,  or include them en route to a more distant location, which is what we did, staying one night on the Staffordshire/Shropshire border and visiting other places too. The gardens are attached to the nursery and are open all year round at no cost, with over 700 different roses planted within the two acre rose garden, divided into smaller themed areas divided by neat hedges. The roses are complemented by a range of perennials, with sculptures by the late Pat Austin dotted throughout the gardens.

Boxwood (Buxus) are slow-growing shrubs that lend year-round evergreen symmetry and structure to a space. Popular as hedges and topiaries, poor practices like over-shearing have made it unviable and vulnerable to disease. Here are the best alternatives to the quintessential boxwood, which is likely more manageable and natural to your setting!

Rock gardens are an attractive way of displaying a variety of small plants including alpines, dwarf shrubs and low-growing perennials. They can be adapted to suit any space – an alpine trough, old stone wall or sunny border can all be used to create a form of rock garden. One of the first rock gardens was built at the Chelsea Physic Garden in London in the late 1770s, and they became a popular feature in Victorian and Edwardian gardens, providing a way to display alpine plants from around the world.

Other than a gradual reduction in blooms and the appearance of seasonal orb spiders and Cyclamen hederifolium I hadn’t really noticed how close autumn is until Pauline of Lead Up the Garden Path talked last week about signs of autumn in her garden. I duly looked UP here, instead of down or straight ahead and, my goodness, the leaves are indeed beginning to turn! Overnight temperatures are now cooler too, down to 7°C in recent days, with a monthly maximum of 29°C. It has been a fairly dry month (and the driest of the year), with around 29mm of rain which has been typical of August here of late. Although the garden would certainly welcome some rainfall, the main thing I noticed when I took this month’s photographs is the amount of foliage, the result of lush growth earlier in the year when rainfall was plentiful.

When it comes to pruning your garden as well as shrubs and trees around your yard, it can be a bit intimidating, especially if you haven't done it before. Especially with the fall season, it can be tricky dealing with unexpected weather and more. Fortunately, it's not as complicated as you may think. Just make sure to avoid these pruning mistakes this upcoming fall season.

How to Grow and Care for Weigela Shrubs Weigela spp.

Florida’s climate is one of its most important assets. Nicknamed the “Sunshine State,” Florida boasts a humid subtropical climate in the north and central sections along with a tropical climate throughout a majority of the south. The state's native plants are already well suited for its climate and soil conditions, so they can usually thrive without additional irrigation or fertilization.

Summer pruning is an often overlooked task, but if anything, it’s just as important as chopping plants back when they are dormant in winter. Cutting back plants in summer has a host of benefits, not least in helping to restrict the size of your plants and stopping them outgrowing their allotted space. It can also promote future flowering and fruiting.

Pruning plants in summer is just as important for some plants as winter pruning. By pruning in summer, you can reap the rewards of better displays from ornamental plants. You’ll also encourage bigger crops from fruit trees and bushes. Removing new summer growth before it turns woody reduces growth-promoting nitrogen, allowing potassium to build up – and more potassium means more flowers and fruit. You’ll also keep plants, such as shrubs, climbers and rambling roses, within bounds and maintain an attractive shape.

As the crisp air of autumn approaches, it’s the perfect time to take advantage of nature’s generosity by expanding your garden without spending a penny. During this season, many common garden plants and shrubs enter a stage of growth that makes them ideal for propagation. By taking semi-hardwood stem cuttings, you can easily root a variety of plants, such as weigela, hydrangea, and daphne. This simple gardening technique can help you cultivate a flourishing garden with minimal cost. Why Autumn is Perfect for Plant Cutting

Who wouldn't want the best looking house on the block? We're sharing smart tips and expert-approved advice for boosting your home's curb appeal all year long.

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Fortunately, Hurricane Debby blew through South Carolina, but she left behind standing water, damaged trees, and other landscape issues. After the storm, homeowners can be left with a real mess to clean up in their yards. The Clemson Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) has compiled some answers to the most commonly asked questions we receive regarding saltwater intrusion and storm damage to landscapes affected.

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This small woody shrub belonging to the mint family is grown for its fragrant, edible, and medicinal leaves and flowers. Growing hyssop has a host of health benefits and is also useful in maintaining a thriving, pest-free garden. Let’s dig in!

Taking summer cuttings is easy to do and can be done with so many plants. Early summer is a great time to give it a go as the plants are actively growing, so your cuttings will root easily. If you’re growing tender plants, taking cuttings is also a good way to make sure you have extra plants in case of a harsh winter.

Cunila origanoides

Susan Calhoun’s garden in Poulsbo, Washington started out as an ugly patch of lawn that stretched along a property line. It was close to the shoreline and extremely close to a neighboring house. She craved privacy and four-season appeal but didn’t want to install a heavy line of shrubs or trees and create a claustrophobic “garden room.” Always having been a big fan of ornamental grasses and their undeniable texture, Susan decided to build a double border with grasses as the backbone. To that foundation, she added colorful plants that shine in different seasons, ensuring that this garden always looks good. Susan insists that designing this type of magical garden was easy; it just took the right planning and plants. The following are some of the main areas of this enchanting space, and the perennials, grasses, trees, and shrubs that help it shine.

How to Grow and Care for Heavenly Bamboo Nandina domestica

These assassins of the plant kingdom are so toxic that a nibble can be the last thing you taste! This article will help you identify and steer clear of fatal flowers that can even kill a human.

Many modern landscapes are small. The amount of space we have to garden is shrinking, as people want the blend of suburban life along with the conveniences of city living.

All Natives!

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is a deciduous shrub in the olive or Elaeagnaceae family. It grows naturally in Asia and Europe, including Britain where it’s considered native to the sand dunes of the east coast. It’s been introduced elsewhere in the country, often to stabilise dunes, but has spread and become invasive. It retains its foliage until late into autumn and tends to shade out other plants. This is a particular problem in the UK on sand dunes, where thickets of sea buckthorn can outcompete the local flora. As a nitrogen-fixing plant, sea buckthorn also enriches the soil in dunes, making it less suitable for other dune species that have evolved to grow in soil conditions with low nutrients.

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Pruning, which involves shaping and thinning a tree or shrub by selectively cutting branches, is an essential gardening practice. It's the key to healthy plants that produce more blooms—and in the case of fruit trees, bear more fruit. Yet for beginners, it can be intimidating to know how and where to properly start.

Plants need a certain amount of specific nutrients to grow well. Most of the time, garden and houseplants do fine without any help from you. But fertilizing actually gives plants a boost that helps them flourish. “Photosynthesis is how plants make food,” says Stacey Hirvela, horticulturalist withSpring Meadow Nursery andProven Winners Color Choice Shrubs. “But fertilizer is like giving them vitamins.”

Years ago, I was introduced to honeyberries (known to me as haskap berries) via a delicious jam from the province of Saskatchewan. Little did I know back then that growing honeberries is pretty easy. Though it’s not a fruit commonly known in North America, the shrubs thrive in most of the U.S. and Canada—even Alaska—and make a beautiful garden addition. Once established, the plants can produce for 30 years or more. With a flavor that can be described as a cross between a blueberry and a raspberry—with a bit of a zing—honeyberries are versatil