The gardens at Great Dixter.
27.06.2023 - 09:21 / awaytogarden.com
I’M CRAZY ABOUT pineapple lilies, bulbs in the genus Eucomis. And though in my zone 5 garden, they aren’t hardy, I can’t imagine a growing season without pots full of them. In his South Carolina garden and the ones he makes for design clients, Jenks Farmer can use them even more lavishly as perennials and beds and even meadows, so Eucomis (no matter where you garden) were the subject of our latest conversation.Jenks Farmer, a longtime horticulturist and garden designer, is also a writer with several books to his credit and a Substack newsletter that I’m really enjoying and more to come. He’s founder of Jenks Farmer, Plantsman, which makes gardens for clients and is also a mail-order nursery specializing in unusual bulbs.
Read along as you listen to the May 15, 2023 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).
Quick note: Because the longtime local radio-station engineer who records and edits my podcasts has been ill, this one has some little bloopers where Jenks and I interrupt each other and such … hopefully those won’t spoil anything for you. Thanks for understanding!
eucomis, with jenks farmerMargaret Roach: Hi, Jenks. I’m so glad to talk to you again as always. How are you?
Jenks Farmer: Hey, Margaret. I am great. I’m happy to be here and especially to talk about Eucomis.
When we started this kind of running conversation that we’ve had about Eucomis, I really thought, “I don’t know that there’s enough about Eucomis.” They’re pretty simple. But it’s been fun to delve into them and to hear a lot about how you grow them as container plants.
Margaret: And so you’re what,
The gardens at Great Dixter.
Foundation plantings often are overlooked and underappreciated, but they don’t have to be utilitarian and boring. The right foundation plants can add instant curb appeal by providing color, texture and structure. A combination of evergreens and deciduous plants including small shrubs,perennials, andgroundcovers, keeps your foundation planting bed interesting.
Characterized by warm to hot temperatures and a long growing season, USDA Zone 8 includes the Lower South and affords almost year-round opportunities for gardening. It is one of the warmest zones in the United States. Enjoying typically mild winters, some Zone 8 plants experience multiple blooming and fruiting seasons. These perennials, evergreens, vines, shrubs, and trees will thrive in your Zone 8 garden.
Marty Baldwin
If you are reading this article, you are probably facing one of the two scenarios: You closed your above ground pool for the winter season and now that the weather is getting warmer, you are ready to go swimming again. The thing is, you have never had to open the pool after closing it in the winter before. The second case is that you have a new pool, but you do not have the experience to open the above ground pool yourself.
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Better Homes & Gardens
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