Flirtatious Flowering Shrubs to Create Old-World Elegance and Charm in Southern Gardens

By Julie Thompson-Adolf for Proven Winners® ColorChoice®

Are Y’All Ready for Romance? Big, beautiful blooms. Lush, flowering borders. Cascading Spanish moss that nearly kisses the ground. While grand-scale romantic southern gardens might make us swoon, the reality of our garden spaces typically proves a little less extravagant. Still, no matter the size of your yard, creating a dreamy, romantic garden is easy with a little planning—and the right plants. Read more

WHAT'S NEW IN MANDEVILLA?

By Delilah Onofrey for Suntory Flowers

Be on the lookout for exciting new colors and forms at your favorite garden retailers. As summer heats up, the garden party is just beginning for gorgeous, tropical mandevillas. Most northern gardeners treat them like annuals, but many do bring them indoors to keep them alive through the winter in a dormant state to move outdoors again in late spring, when temperatures are warmer. Read More

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FIVE TIPS FOR USING RED IN THE GARDEN

By Heather Blackmore for Proven Winners

Photos courtesy of Proven Winners.

Need an attention grabber? Plant red. Want to make a space feel warm and inviting? Red works for that, too. Its “look at me!” qualities can be overpowering, but when done right, it can bring a garden to life. Consider these five ways to use it to best effect. When it comes to red in the garden, a little can go a long way. But in certain situations, a whole lot of red can bring a space to life without feeling overpowering. Here are five ways to use red effectively in the garden. Read more

BICOLOR ECHINECEA ARE HOT!

Dan Heims, Terra Nova Nurseries

Photos courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries

Happy mid-summer, campers! How fun it is to change the floral formula of a mainstay plant like Echinacea. Our breeders have been hard at work massaging the genes of one of America’s number one perennials- the coneflower. Not so many years ago there were two choices of Echinacea, ‘White Swan’ and ‘Magnus.’ White or rose-pink. A year-old plant may have grown three flowers, decent size, but with bare stems and three feet tall. Through the work of Jim Ault, the Saul Brothers, and the Terra Nova Breeding team, the sky’s the limit!  Read more

MAKE THE MOST OUT OF YOUR OUTDOOR LIGHTING

By Alexis Deasy from The Toro Company and Ethan Hauck from Unique Lighting

Photos courtesy of Unique Lighting.

Once you’ve made the decision to enhance your landscape with outdoor lighting, the product choices and design options may seem overwhelming. Working with a professional outdoor lighting installer can not only make the process easier, but it can also help ensure you’ll love the results! Read more

HOW TO REVIVE CUT HYDRANGEA

By Susan Humphrey for Wayside Gardens

Gardening in small spaces can be a delightful challenge, transforming tight spots and containers into lush, thriving gardens. Whether you have a narrow strip by a path, a sunny balcony, or a cozy patio, here are expert tips and plant recommendations. Read more

BEAT THE HEAT WITH HOUSEPLANTS

Justin Hancock, Costa Farms

Photos courtesy of Costa Farms

As a gardener, you're probably accustomed to the rhythms of the seasons. Hot summer weather may leave you longing for a bit of green when the temperatures soar and it’s just too hot and humid to go outside. Here's why houseplants can be a surprisingly rewarding. Read more

HOW TO GROW AND HARVEST GARLIC

By Gardener’s Supply

Photos courtesy of Gardener's Supply

You planted all of your garlic last fall and waited patiently all winter long. Now that spring has arrived, you may be wondering: what is my garlic up to? Garlic is a low maintenance addition to the garden; between planting and harvesting, they really need minimal care. Read more

REVITALIZE YOUR SOIL WITH FALL COVER CROPS

By Ashleigh Smith, True Leaf

Photos courtesy of True Leaf

One of the greatest contributors to a healthy harvest is the overall health of your soil. While you may be focused on harvesting your current crops, consider what will happen with your garden once the fall season sets in. Utilizing the off-season to improve your soil is the best way to prepare for the next growing season.  Read more

NEW BLOOMS IN A COOL GARDEN: LE JARDIN IN SUMMER

Barbara Schneider, Gibbs Gardens

Photos courtesy of Gibbs Gardens

 Le Jardin—Gibbs Gardens newest garden—is all about color, design, texture and shapes. “Visitors to our gardens love color—so I created a very special color garden just for them,” said Jim Gibbs, owner/developer/designer of Gibbs Gardens. “This garden is also special in another way. Le Jardin becomes three very different gardens depending upon the season.” Read more

TOP 49 HEAT TOLERANT FLOWERS

Photos and article courtesy of GrowJoy

If you live in a hot and dry climate, finding flowers that can withstand the heat can be a challenge. But fear not! There are plenty of beautiful and heat-tolerant flowers that will thrive in your garden. From drought-resistant succulents to colorful annuals and perennials, there’s something for every garden style. And this list of the top 49 heat-tolerant flowers is the perfect place to start. Read More

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GREENHOUSE GROWING PROJECTS YOUR GRANDCHILDREN WILL LOVE THIS SUMMER

Matthew Biggs, Hartley Botanic.

Photographs courtesy of Hartley Botanic

You may be sharing the load when it comes to looking after young grandchildren this summer, and with at least three weeks left to fill, Hartley Botanic has shared some Greenhouse growing ideas and inspiration to both keep them entertained and instill a love of gardening that could last a lifetime. Read more

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR OR COLOR COMBINATION IN THE GARDEN?

Article and photographs by Wayside Garden Crew

This month, the Wave Crew asked their Pink Pot Ambassadors about their favorite color combination to use in the garden. Surprise, surprise, the answered: Pink! All shades of pink and light purples. Read more

BEAT THE HEAT WITH A TROPICAL OASIS

By Kathleen Hennessey for Monrovia Nursery

Photo credits: Doreen Wynja, c. Monrovia.com

At any time of the year, our gardens can provide a calming space for relaxation and rejuvenation. Research shows gardening can do so much more than help us wind down. It can actually improve feelings of well-being. A recent survey conducted by Monrovia found that nearly 50% of homeowners think gardening is good for their mental health and well-being. Additionally, 39% of the homeowners strongly agreed with the statement, “planting and working outside makes me feel energized and rejuvenated.” Read more

DON'T STOP NOW! THE PERKS OF SUMMER BIRD FEEDING

By Margaret Collins for Wild Birds Unlimited

If they could read the research, birds would share that having access to a reliable source of supplemental foods, rich in protein, fats and calcium has been documented to facilitate higher nesting success rates. And yes, many birds nest well into late-summer…think bluebirds, goldfinches, cardinals, robins and others. Read more

TOP LANDSCAPING TIP

In this episode of GardenSMART, author and gardener, Pamela Crawford, demonstrates side-planting, which means you actually plant some plants through the sides of the planter to provide extra fullness. Another thing Pamela likes about this planter is it's flat on the bottom instead of being curved. That way, you can put it on top of a deck railing as she did here. Watch the video...

PLANTING AT GIBBS GARDENS FOR YEAR ROUND BLOOMS

In this show we spoke with Jim Gibbs, head of Gibbs Gardens, about selecting the right plant and also, achieve year round interest in the garden. At the very, very top of that objective is making sure the combination of plants we put together is selected for all the right purposes. The first thing we want to think about is selecting plants while remembering if it's a SUN AREA OR SHADE AREA. We should be mindful of selecting plants for sun areas, or if a shade area go for shade plants, if it's going to be sun and shade we select plants that will grow in shade or sun. To learn more, click here.