Sizing Up Coleus
Many years and several hundred seedlings, sports, and cultivars later, I admit that the cold shoulder I tried to give coleus was a hoax. In truth, it was love at first sight. What's not to love about a genus that produces colors from gentle ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Antique Beauties
Unusual and gorgeous, antique dahlias, gladioli, and cannas deserve a place in every modern garden. These time-tested antique bulbs are tough and easy to grow. And like Grandma's quilt, Victorian houses, and 1950s Chevrolets, they connect us with ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Morning Glories and More
If you're in search of a fast return on your springtime ornamental investment, pop in a selection from the genus Any tour of the morning glory kingdom must begin with the dawn-bloomers themselves-the prolific, insouciant vines of Able to scale a ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Designing with annuals
It took several years for Julia Jones to muster up the courage to send an article proposal to With some convincing from her partner, Byron Shutt, Julia eventually submitted an article proposal titled "Eye Candy," along with photos of her garden. [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Capsicum annuum 'Black Pearl'
A 2006 All-America Selections winner, 'Black Pearl' boasts the most dramatically deep purple-black leaves and fruit imaginable. The vigorous, bushy plants grow to 18 inches tall and almost as wide. In a border, 'Black Pearl' makes an outstanding ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Flower-of-an-hour fills gaps with charming form and flowers
Sure, perennials and woody plants provide a garden with lasting structure, but for me, annuals are the mainstays of the summer garden. When it comes to their intense colors, low maintenance, and profusion of blooms, annuals are unmatched. Their ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Old-Fashioned Annuals
One of my early memories of visiting my grandmother was filling my pockets with the large black seeds of the old-fashioned four o'clocks ( For centuries, gardeners have grown brightly hued annuals from seed, since seed is reliable, easy to ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Scented Pelargoniums Charm the Senses
Subtlety has its place, but plants that have a knockout scent will always have a home in our garden. Though our greenhouses are cramped and crowded, we simply can't resist adding more scented pelargoniums. We are not alone in our obsession with ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Flowering Tobaccos Light Up the Garden
I quit smoking years ago, but I still don't plan to give up tobacco. Not flowering tobacco, anyway. This hard-working genus ( Most species nicotianas are short-lived tender perennials easily grown as hardy annuals. They add bold architectural ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Cool-Season Annuals
When I first started gardening, I was long on ambition and plant lust, but woefully short on cash. It didn't take me long to figure out that I could quench my desire for new flowers easily and inexpensively by starting them from seed. And ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Morning Glories and Moonflowers
Every spring, without fail, I press fat 'Heavenly Blue' morning glory ( When I return in the evening, I'm welcomed home by the ethereal scent and sight of the moonflowers. The 6-inch blooms of this white-flowered sweetie unfold mid- to ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Annuals Pep Up Perennial Borders
I think of myself as a purist, so when I started my perennial border some years ago, I wanted nothing but perennials. After all, I reasoned, a perennial border should contain only perennials, shouldn't it? But, as time went by, I added several ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
