Small Shrubs with Big Impact

HAVE YOU DONE your bulb shopping yet? It’s ordering time both for fall-blooming treats like Colchicum, which you can only buy now if you hurry, and for the ever-wider assortment of fall-planted, spring-into-summer blooming species.

One of the secrets to producing big, bushy basil plants is trimming. Many gardeners are shy about harvesting from their herbs and don’t want to cut them back in case it damages the plants or reduces yield. I’m the opposite, constantly trimming herbs like basil to use fresh, or preserve by drying or freezing. Not only does it promote bushier growth it also increases stem and leaf production. Are you ready to learn how to trim your basil plants for maximum yield? When it comes to pruning basil, it doesn’t matter if you’re growing basil in containers or garden beds. It doesn’t matter if you’

La Marca

I WAS SCROLLING through Instagram the other day—yes, sometimes I just can’t help myself—when I saw a post by Matt Mattus about Christmas cactus. So even though it’s still high summer, it made me long for one of my own.

It’s August already, and the holiday season is just around the corner! If you want your Christmas cactus to bloom extra pretty during the festive season, now’s the time to act. As summer peaks, this is the prime time to coax your cactus into producing more flowers. Here’s what you do!

Dog-Friendly Garden with Rustic Charm Meander through the paths of Bonnie Duma's beautiful — and dog-friendly! — garden filled with upcycled treasures. Creating a rustic & pet-friendly backyard garden

I SUSPECT I’m not alone when I say that weather extremes in recent growing seasons have made me feel a bit like a stranger in a strange land in my own garden, wondering what will bloom when and when to do what. And most of all, wondering what madness is coming next.

A new TikTok trend is making the rounds, and you aren't going to want to miss out on this one! TikTok users are now obsessed with minimalism—especially when it comes to home decor and cleaning. And for good reason!

Geranium macrorrhizum, or big root geranium, is one of my all-time favorite perennials for its ease of cultivation, attractive foliage, pretty summer blooms, and incredible vigor. It’s perfect at the front of a perennial or shrub bed, along a pathway, or as a groundcover under shrubs. Big root geranium spreads and forms a dense carpet of foliage, but it’s not so aggressive that it becomes invasive. In this article you’ll learn all about planting, growing, and caring for this stunning plant. Get to know Geranium macrorrhizum Also called big root cranesbill, Geranium macrorrhizum is a perennial plant hardy

Panayoti Kelaidis is the senior curator and director of outreach at Denver Botanic Gardens , a founding member and collaborator with the Plant Select plant introduction program, and an active member and past president of the North American Rock Garden Society .  

For those of us who garden in small spaces, container gardening strikes an ideal balance between structure and flexibility. Potted plants can be rearranged as often as necessary, which makes it easy to accommodate new additions and to ensure that each plant gets the sunlight or shade it requires. Compared to traditional in-ground beds, container gardens also give us a bit more control over factors such as water, weeds, and pests. I’ve spent the past few decades creating designs for roof decks, balconies, courtyards, and patios in San Francisco. Through this work I have discovered that the key to container gardening success is always the same: finding a mix of appealing plants that are well suited to each garden’s specific climate and light conditions. Using my home garden as a testing ground, I’ve developed some strategies that anyone can use to create lush urban jungle and cohesive container displays that truly stand out from the crowd. 

Although redbuds usually get the most attention in spring when a plethora of magenta-pink blooms burst out of every stem before the leaves emerge, this new cultivar has more to offer. Midnight Express®, a nativar that sports velvety purple leaves, fills out much faster and maintains a denser habit than the similar, more familiar ‘Forest Pansy’. As summer gives way to autumn, the interior heart-shaped leaves shift to a golden yellow-orange, while the outer ones stay burgundy. This gives the small tree the appearance of being on fi re. Silvery, ghostlike bark carries the interest into winter, making this plant a worthy year-round investment.