Variegated Foliage - Fine Gardening
-
Design
A Variegated Shrub With a Long Season of Interest
I vividly remember my first encounter with Japanese summersweet (Clethra barbinervis, Zones 5–8). The local arboretum had a few large mature specimens that I stumbled across when they were starting…
-
Design
Garden Magic in Minnesota
Trisha Burdick sent in these photos from her garden in Excelsior, Minnesota, which is in the chilly Zone 4. But as they show, a cold climate doesn’t mean you can’t…
-
Design
Plants That Shine in the Shade
Throughout my horticultural life, I have gardened almost exclusively in the shade. While the cool, shady areas have provided me with the opportunity to grow some of my favorite genera,…
-
Article
A Garden Like Heaven
My garden is on a quarter of an acre, and I have planted it for 50 years. Due to massive compost enrichment, I do not spray or fertilize. Last summer…
-
Article
The Tranquillity of Winter
Linda Skyler shared these images of a really incredible garden. She writes: "Although this seems a very uneventful time of year at the Bloedel Reserve, the tranquillity of walking through…
-
Design
Surprising Plants for Shade
I recently designed my third shade garden on as many properties. As my fascination with shade plants grows, I continually look for more variety beyond the plants commonly available in…
-
Plant Guide
‘Old Fashioned’ smokebush
Cotinus coggygria ‘Old Fashioned’Excellent fall coloring and a smaller size set this smokebush apart.
-
Design
The Best of the Best Hostas
STATS Hosta spp. and cvs. USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–9 Conditions: Partial to full shade; moist, rich, well-drained soil Propagation: Division in spring or fall Problems: Deer, slugs, snails Who doesn’t…
-
Design
The Best Japanese Maples
There aren’t many gardeners—beginners or experts—who don’t love a Japanese maple (cultivars of Acer palmatum, A. japonicum, and A. shirasawanum, USDA Hardiness Zones 5–8). They’re some of the most popular…
-
Design
Plants for Property Lines
We have all seen it: the line of arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis and cvs., USDA Hardiness Zones 2–7) marching down the property line, stiff as can be, their heads lopped off…