Give a summer patio an appealing view
While our pool was being installed, I turned my attention to the landscape. I pictured a long perennial border running along one side of the pool, which would camouflage an obtrusive fence and offer a delightful view that we could enjoy as we ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Big Flowers from Bigleaf Hydrangeas
Two words to remember when it comes to hydrangeas that refuse to flower are "too much." Bigleaf hydrangeas grow well in the shade in most areas of the United States; however, too much shade can result in gorgeous leaves and no flowers. The high [... more]
Fine Gardening |
A Bold Border of Trees and Shrubs
When I began working with one of my landscape clients, in 1988, he had been building his collection of trees and shrubs for many years. They had been assembled with little rhyme or reason, so he asked me to give the collection a sense of composition. [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Viburnums are Versatile Shrubs
It can be risky for a nursery owner to go out on a limb about naming his favorite plants. But I have absolutely no qualms about saying that viburnums are my pick for the most versatile and gardenworthy genus of shrubs. Besides having attractive ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Fundamentals of Foundation Plantings
It was love and frustration that propelled me into landscape design. My love of gardening is a legacy from my grandparents. My frustration came about as a practicing architect when I observed many landscape plantings that were insensitive to a ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Landscaping with Antique Roses
For the last 100 years, breeders have put all their efforts into perfecting the rose's flower. Brightly colored blooms, strong stems, and high-centered buds that unfurl into multipetaled flowers have been the rewards. But all this "progress" [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Train Roses to Produce More Flowers
Gardeners often say they don't plant climbing roses or large shrub roses because they're difficult to keep under control and they take up too much space, especially if the garden is small. This may be true, but the problem is easily solved. ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Witch Hazels
February is typically regarded as the month when anxious gardeners look to the likes of Punxsutawney Phil for pronouncements on spring's arrival. Despite the fanfare surrounding this furry forecaster, I think the loosening of Old Man Winter's icy ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Tree Peonies Blossom in Dappled Shade
I first met Kasha at a dinner party I had for a few friends back in the early 1980s. At the end of the party, I offered her a tree peony blossom from my modest garden, hoping it might cast a romantic spell. It did. And not too long afterward, we ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Shrubs for Slopes
Whenever I'm driving down the road and see a gnarly, out-of-control slope or a barren, mulch-laden incline pitted with washouts, my heart goes out to the person tending that piece of land. Without a doubt, gardening on an exposed slope can be an ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Cotoneaster 'Tom Thumb'
This tidy, virtuous cotoneaster grows low to the ground and is self-rooting, making it a useful underplanting or ground cover. Unlike most cotoneasters, it doesn't gobble up space. Instead, the aptly named 'Tom Thumb' remains compact at 8 to 12 ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
Making More Shrubs
One of the easiest ways to multiply a favorite shrub or tree is through layering: the propagation of woody plants by putting a stem in contact with the soil where the cool, moist, dark environment induces root formation. The technique is simple ... [... more]
Fine Gardening |
