Fine Gardening – Issue 220
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End-of-Season Regrets | Letter from the Editor
“I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.” Lucille Ball said this in an interview during the peak of her fame in the 1950s.…
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All About Growing Sedges
There are people who categorize plants as either workhorses or showboats, but wouldn’t we prefer our workhorses to be showboats, and vice versa? Few plants fit that brief quite so…
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A Suburban Cookie-Cutter Landscape Gets a Modern Makeover
From New York City to Chicago to Seattle, you’ll find them—urban cookie-cutter neighborhoods. With the boom of affordable housing in the 1950s postwar era, these practical tract-built homes became an…
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Planting Plan for a Modern Makeover of a Suburban Yard
From coast to coast, you’ll find large swaths of postage-stamp properties, lovingly referred to as cookie-cutter homes, popularized during the 1950s postwar-era housing boom. Located just outside of city centers,…
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6 Questions Garden Designers Ask Before They Plan a New Garden
There are six essential survey questions I ask my clients before beginning any design project. I find that these can help focus priorities and hone in on likes or dislikes—all…
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Planting Plan for an Eco-Friendly Garden
When Jeff Lorenz and Kayla Fell first purchased their small lot in Narberth, Pennsylvania, it was overrun with invasive plants and had major issues with flooding. They transformed this area…
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How to Create Functional Outdoor Family Spaces in an Eco-friendly Landscape
Functionality is a key element to any good garden design. Even a landscape created as a natural and wildlife-friendly ecosystem should still be accessible for gardeners to rest, relax, and…
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Why to Stop Tilling and Grow Your Garden Like a Prairie
In graduate school my research involved comparing the health of soils in remnant native tallgrass prairies to adjacent farmlands. One of the lessons I learned is that we’d all be…
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The Best Keystone Plants for Your Region and Zone
Whether we realize it or not, gardeners are at the forefront of the critical fight to repair Earth’s environmental damage being caused by climate change, and habitat and biodiversity loss due to…
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Native and Keystone Plant Resources for Your Region and Zone
Want to learn more about native and keystone plants? We asked our regional experts for native resources they turn to when they’re looking for additional information. Whether you’re a seasoned…
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Making the Most of a Small Garden
When Dan Pilla envisioned his first home, he saw “acres and acres of land with mature trees, pristine lawns, and lush gardens.” However, when the reality of home prices kicked…
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4 Luck® Red Stripes White Variegated Clover Adds a Little Luck to Your Pots
While many gardeners might label white clover as a weed, this fast-filling, variegated selection is cute as a button in containers. With a mix of 3- and 4-palmate leaves, you’ll…
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Grow ‘Bronze Peacock’ Rodgersia for Striking Foliage and Summer Blooms
I first met ‘Bronze Peacock’ rodgersia while touring private gardens in Portland, Oregon. I was immediately smitten and knew I had to have it. More than a decade (and four…
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How to Grow 'White Cloud’ Muhly Grass, an Adaptable Native Grass
For some time, I’ve felt like Goldilocks in search of the perfect ornamental grass species: something that wasn’t too tall, too short, too colorful, with foliage that was just needle-like…
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Garden Shoes to Keep You Going All Day Long
With a few thoughtful improvements, these are a step up from traditional rubber boots Tested by Matt Mattus The Men’s Harvester Tall Rubber Boots from Muck Boot Company are, first…
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Tips to Help You Squeeze More Out of Your Garden
Winning tip: Keep your hose from harming your delicate plants I find this works perfectly to prevent any injury or damage to my delicate plants when hauling hoses around the…
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The Best House Foundation Plants for Your Region
When it comes to choosing foundation plants for your home, it’s important to pick species that not only enhance your landscape but also thrive in your specific climate. That’s why…
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How an Eco-Friendly Redesign Turned this Uninspired Landscape into a Sustainable Haven
Narberth is one of many neighborhoods on the historic Main Line in Philadelphia’s western suburbs. Known as America’s Garden Capital, this area is home to a variety of public gardens,…
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9 Colorful Conifers That Will Energize Your Winter Landscape
Conifers have come a long way over the last few decades, giving gardeners an astonishing variety of sizes, shapes, and textures to work with, as well as a seemingly endless…
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12 Ways to Help Build a Healthy Ecosystem in Your Home Garden
Thoughtfully selecting what plants you grow in your garden is not the only way to help improve your local ecosystem. How you grow and the inclusion of other garden features…
Fine Gardening Magazine
