We’re in Northridge, California today, visiting with Terry Sanders:
29.12.2023 - 09:18 / finegardening.com / Fine Gardening editors
Alright, one last wishlist post from me, your GPOD editor… This time I’m looking past flowers to foliage that I want to add to the garden. Everyone knows that foliage is the heart of a well-designed garden as it lasts so much longer than flowers. BUT I’m very guilty of being seduced by pretty flowers, so I need to really focus on stepping up my foliage game this year.
What are your favorite foliage plants? Send in photos, we’d love to see them!
This conifer is Pinus contorta ‘Chief Joseph’ (Zone 5 – 8). In the summer, it looks perfectly normal. But in the winter, the needles turn this brilliant yellow. It is slow growing, and needs some protection from direct sun in the winter to keep from burning, but wow, what a color! The burlap behind it in this photo is to give it a bit of shade. I took this photo at Hidden Lake Gardens in Michigan.
Another favorite with yellow foliage… Aralia ‘Sun King’ (Zone 4 – 8). Hard to beat that color! I actually planted one of these last year, but it is still small… it takes time to build up to this huge specimen I saw in a garden in Virginia.
I took this photo of a dahlia at Chicago Botanic Gardens, I just loved the rich dark color of the foliage contrasting with the bright yellow flowers! Unfortunately, I neglected to take a picture of the label, so I’m trying to figure out the variety. I THINK it might be ‘Happy Days Yellow’.
Begonia grandis (Zone 5 – 9) is probably the most cold hardy begonia out there. The small pink flowers are pretty, but the foliage is really the star, I love how the backs of the leaves are red.
Bowman’s root (Porteranthus trifoliatus, Zone 4 – 8) is a wonderful perennial native to eastern North America. I’ve always enjoyed is pretty white flowers in the spring, but
We’re in Northridge, California today, visiting with Terry Sanders:
Pots and containers offer the gardener great versatility and are a fantastic way to experiment with planting and design. From short-term bedding displays to permanent features of small trees and topiary, planting in pots adds another dimension to the garden, softening corners, brightening dull spots and providing instant, yet easily changeable, results.
Creating a stunning garden display doesn’t always require vast expanses of space at ground level. You can bring the thrill of vertical greenery right to your doorstep with climbing plants for pots.
After all the fun and festivities of the holidays, your kitchen cabinets are likely due for a major refresh. If you have pots and pans tumbling out every time you open them, chances are, they need some serious organization.
IF YOU THINK nothing’s on the to-do list in winter, fellow gardeners—that we’re all meant to be dormant, like the cannas in the cellar and the herbaceous perennials outside and the flower beds—well, think again.
How to Grow and Care for Aztec Lilies Sprekelia formosissima
Living deep in the Irish countryside as I do, surrounded by a centuries-old patchwork of farm fields, hedgerows and leafy pockets of ancient native woodland, a clear winter night sky is a thing of profound beauty. It is filled with the otherworldly shimmer of a host of constellations, familiar to me from my childhood.
As winter approaches and we’re faced with another year of determining what's for dinner, we're sharing a glimpse at how BHG readers gather for a meal. Welcome to our new series, Dinner Diaries, where we're asking readers to anonymously share how they get dinner on the table including grocery shopping, budgeting, cooking, and their favorite family recipes. Here, a family of four in the Midwest enjoys eating seasonally. Right now, the menu includes hearty casseroles, soups, and homemade bread.
Harvesting and eating homegrown veg is one of life’s joys. Whether it’s picking leaves for a winter salad or harvesting sweetcorn for a summer barbecue, there’s something special about eating veg that you have grown yourself. Not only does it taste so much better than shop-bought, it also couldn’t be fresher or more healthy – or better for the environment, with no packaging or food miles involved. And of course being out in the fresh air and getting your hands in the soil growing your own veg is great for the soul. You don’t need a lot of space either as a container on a sunny doorstep will make a great spot for growing your own tomatoes or chard. Here we share some of our favourite veg to grow. Our choices include recommendations from the Gardeners’ World team and familiar faces from across the gardening industry.
Today’s photos are from Nicki Snoblin in Lake Bluff, Illinois. We’ve visited their garden before (Nicki’s New Garden Project and Fall in Nicki’s Garden ) and today Nicki is sharing some foliage plants that they love.
Check out beautiful setups like the Snake Plant Garden in Vases, Tabletop Centerpieces, and Elegant Display in Glass Bowls. Find out more amazing ideas for adding greenery to your space!
If the start of a new year has you wanting to whip your home into shape, we're here to help. We spoke with professional organizers who share seven key daily habits that will help you maintain a tidy space on the regular, no matter your type of lifestyle.