21 of the Best Septic Field Plants

We aren’t all blessed with acres and acres of land. Most of us have to make do with a smal

When I first started exploring roses, I thought myself to be pretty educated once I knew the difference between a David Austin and a Knock Out. And then I discovered a whole new world of

No other plant native to South Carolina has such fragrant and beautiful spring blooms and stunning fall color as the witch-alders. Fothergilla was named after Dr. John Fothergill, an English physician and gardener who funded the travels of John Bartram through the Carolinas in the 1700’s. These beautiful shrubs have been planted in both American and English gardens for over 200 years, including gardens of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

E. palustris, as its species name reveals, is a marsh-type plant, so wet and heavy soils are no problem for it (though it doesn’t seem to require them). Most spurges are finicky about such conditions. Not this one. It gets to between 2 and 3 feet tall and at least as wide.I grow seven or eight other Euphorbias, including the basic polychroma, its newer, red-foliage variant called ‘Bonfire,’ and the fiery-colored one called E. griffithii ‘Dixter’ [above]. In California, mail-order Digging Dog Nursery has a good list of spurges, but not palustris. I swore I got my most recent generation of plants at Forestfarm, but I don’t see it in their current list. Hmmm….how about Annie’s Annuals?The hardest thing about growing spurges is cutting them back,

When you go through as much garlic as I do, it’s wise to set aside some garden space to grow your own bulbs.And I always plant a few extras wit

When you spot its ethereal plumes swaying in the wind, it’s clear why pampas grass has rocketed to the top of everyone’s wish list.I nearly passed out when I saw how much a couple of dried stal

Jasmine is enchanting. The white flowers cloak the vines like a blanket of stars, but it’s the scent that holds us in its thrall.Infusing perfumes, candles, and soaps,

We don’t usually grow roses for the foliage. It’s nice and all, but it’s those flowers that we really want. But that doesn’t mean we don’t mind if the leaves start to rain down off the plant like raindrops in a spring storm.Even if they aren’t as beautiful as the bl

Not so long ago, the idea of shipping roses across the country was almost unheard of. If you wanted a particular type, you bought it locally or you couldn’t buy it all.While I’m all for supporting local businesses, this

Chances are you’ve seen juniper shrubs growing all over the place, from the carefully sculpted topiaries flanking the doorway of a home, to the wild plants thriving in the unlikeliest of places.Junipers grow in a massive range of environmental c

While one dumb cane is good, two (or three, or four…) are even better.But if you’re like me, you’d rather spend your hard-earned

Nothing says summer like a large harvest of homegrown zucchini.And as much as you enjoy the freshly-plucked f