Fine Gardening – Issue 204
-
Gambling on Tulips | Letter from the Editor
Voles and bulbs do not mix well. When I first planted my garden over a decade ago, I didn’t have a vole problem. But in more recent years, my property…
-
Growing Species Tulips for Early Spring Blooms
You are not alone—the yearning for spring is both universal and understandable. And for many of us, spring translates into bulbs. Even more specifically, we think of spring in terms…
-
A Garden Design That Peaks in Spring
Our home, Tigara, is an Arts and Crafts bungalow that was built in 1913 and overlooks the Salish Sea in British Columbia. When we bought the property in 1991, the…
-
The Best Spring Plants to Grow
While our entire garden shines in spring, there are a few standouts that steal the show. Here are some of the spring-blooming plants that we look forward to seeing year…
-
How to Propagate Plants from Cuttings
As a kid, I read that new tomato transplants could be started by breaking off suckers and sticking them into potting soil to make new roots. I tried this, and…
-
Six Simple Steps for Stem-Cutting Success
Keep in mind that different species can root better at different times of the year. So if you fail, try again! You can learn much and be inspired by seeing…
-
Lesser-Known Methods of Propagation Beyond Stem Cuttings
While stem cuttings are the most popular method of propagation, plants can be propagated by other means. Root: Some woodies, such as sassafras (Sassafras albidum, Zones 4–9) and sumac (Rhus…
-
8 Better Perennial Plants to Grow Over the Classic Varieties
Gardeners are a hopeful bunch, and new varieties can be pretty enticing. They can also be disheartening. After planting yet another new coreopsis only to watch it croak, it’s not…
-
3 Tell-Tale Signs of Boxwood Blight
There are many common but less severe diseases of boxwood shrubs, and all are occasionally mistaken for boxwood blight. Learning the following combination of three key symptoms will help you…
-
How to Avoid Getting a Flawed Plant
When a new plant is only trialed in a pot, you can’t truly see how it reacts to real-life garden conditions. Or when all you have to go on as…
-
‘Carolina Primrose’ Is Not Your Grandmother's Gladiola
Many gardeners are familiar with gladiolas. The usual response when asked about glads, however, along with a shaking of the head and a shudder, is “Not me.” No doubt they…
-
A Fantastic, Colorful Vine for Filling Gaps—from the Sunny Susy® Series
Annual flowering vines are indispensable in the summer garden, as they can address a multitude of landscape sins—including structural eyesores, gaping botanical holes, and color voids in hard-to-reach places. The…
-
The New Fairytrail Bride® Hydrangea Offers an Off-the-Charts Performance
A breeding breakthrough, Fairytrail Bride® is the first hydrangea with the ability to produce flowers from every leaf joint, and it has a unique trailing habit to boot. White lacecap…
-
Tips on How to Compost, Plant Seeds, Water, and Weed
Winning Tip: Compost in place My composting bins are at the rear of the property, and I found that dragging everything back to them became a tiresome bore. And the…
-
A Woodland Garden That Takes Inspiration from Nature
Great gardening doesn't usually involve reinventing the wheel. The design strategies, plant combinations, and hardscaping additions that will take your garden from good to great likely already exist in someone…
-
27 Better Ground Covers for Shade to Replace Problematic Plants
“Ground cover” technically refers to the base layer of the four forest levels: ground cover, shrub, understory, and canopy. But in gardening, ground covers are generally considered low-growing or trailing…
-
How to Fight Boxwood Blight
It has now been a full ten years since a mysterious disease affecting 10,000 containerized boxwood (Buxus spp. and cvs., Zones 5–9) shrubs in North Carolina and over 100,000 boxwoods…
-
Your Favorite Plants Improved for California
In Paul Westervelt's article on perennial upgrades, he explains the benefit of stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new versions of tried-and-true plants: "After whiffing a few times,…
-
Your Favorite Plants Improved for the Midwest
In Paul Westervelt's article on perennial upgrades, he explains the benefit of stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new versions of tried-and-true plants: "After whiffing a few times,…
-
Your Favorite Plants Improved for the Mountain West
In Paul Westervelt's article on perennial upgrades, he explains the benefit of stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new versions of tried-and-true plants: "After whiffing a few times,…
-
Your Favorite Plants Improved for the Northeast
In Paul Westervelt's article on perennial upgrades, he explains the benefit of stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new versions of tried-and-true plants: "After whiffing a few times,…
-
Your Favorite Plants Improved for the South
In Paul Westervelt's article on perennial upgrades, he explains the benefit of stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new versions of tried-and-true plants: "After whiffing a few times,…
-
Your Favorite Plants Improved for the Southern Plains
In Paul Westervelt's article on perennial upgrades, he explains the benefit of stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new versions of tried-and-true plants: "After whiffing a few times,…
-
How to Site Your Ground-Cover Plants Right
The further the spacing, the fewer plants that are needed to cover an area. However, this also means it takes more time for bare areas of ground to be covered.…
Featured Articles
-
How to Build a Garden Sanctuary With an Ecological Pond
In her article Building a Backyard Retreat, Sabrena Schweyer shares how she went about transforming a small, ordinary backyard into a place for the homeowners and their guests to connect,…
-
How to Build a Better Backyard Retreat
What could be more satisfying than transforming an unused outdoor space into a sanctuary? Fifteen years ago, Larry Jacobs contacted our sustainable landscape design firm because he wanted to add…
-
New Garden Tools That Make Maintenance Easier on Your Body
As the gardening season starts up again, many of us are going through our sheds and taking inventory of our tools, looking for damage and making mental notes of what…
-
Favorite Plants Improved for Your Region
In Paul Westervelt's article on perennial upgrades, he explains the benefit of stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new versions of tried-and-true plants: "After whiffing a few times,…
-
Your Favorite Plants Improved for the Northwest
In Paul Westervelt's article on perennial upgrades, he explains the benefit of stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new versions of tried-and-true plants: "After whiffing a few times,…
-
The Best Succulents to Grow Inside
Succulents have sparked a lot of interest in recent years, and many people have taken on the hobby of growing them in their homes. As gardeners expand their succulent collections,…
Articles
Fine Gardening Magazine
