Photo: Photo (c)2007 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man) (GFDL 1.2, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Photo by and (c)2007 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man) (GFDL 1.2, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Basile Morin (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Few shrubs give as much color for so little effort as the hydrangea. From the huge mophead and lacecap flowers of bigleaf types to the…
Photo: Agnieszka Kwiecieล (Nova) (CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: NasserHalaweh (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Agnieszka Kwiecieล (User:Nova) (CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons) The barren strawberry (Waldsteinia ternata), also called three-leaved golden strawberry, is an underrated yet extremely valuable ground cover for shady to partially shaded spots. With its bright golden-yellow, strawberry-like flowers…
Photo: Avenue (CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Avenue (CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Luvs2Garden (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) A Climber for Every Season Clematis has earned its nickname “queen of climbers” thanks to the sheer range of flower shapes, sizes, and colours available across its hundreds of species and cultivars, from the…
Photo: Chrumps (CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Agnes Monkelbaan (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Dominicus Johannes Bergsma. (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) A Shrub Built for Spring Drama Rhododendrons are among the most rewarding flowering shrubs for a temperate garden, producing dense trusses of trumpet-shaped blooms in shades of pink, purple, red, and…
Photo: Famartin (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Famartin (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Japanese fine prints, pre-1915 (Public domain, Wikimedia Commons) A Spectacular but Demanding Climber Few climbing plants create as dramatic a spring display as wisteria, with its long, pendulous clusters of fragrant purple, blue, pink, or white flowers cascading from a…
Photo: Acabashi (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Bene16 (CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Juan de Vojnรญkov (CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons) Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) has long been a fixture of European garden culture. Its tolerance for shaping, dense evergreen foliage, and remarkable longevity made it the top choice for hedges, borders, and ornamental…
Photo: Acabashi (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Acabashi (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Acabashi (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Climbing roses turn any vertical surface into a romantic floral paradise. Whether on house walls, rose arches, pergolas, or fences, their lush blooms in white, pink, red, and yellow bring height and drama to…
Photo: Abraham (CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Abraham (CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Alexander Roumega (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons) Why Privet Remains a Hedging Favourite Privet (Ligustrum species) has been a go-to hedging plant for well over a century, and for good reason: it grows quickly, tolerates hard clipping, and forms a…
Photo: Joyce Cory on Flickr as docentjoyce (CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Mokkie (CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons) Photo: Mokkie (CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons) Honeysuckle (Lonicera) is one of the most sensuous climbing plants in the garden. Especially in the evening hours, it releases an intoxicatingly sweet fragrance that attracts moths and other…
Few plants capture the feel of a Mediterranean summer quite like lavender. With its silvery foliage, upright purple flower spikes, and unmistakable scent, Lavandula is a staple of sunny borders, gravel gardens, and herb beds alike. It is also one of the best plants for attracting bees and butterflies, remarkably drought-tolerant once established, and useful…
