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Flowering & Foliage Plants

Lily of the Valley: A Must Have For Your Garden

  By Sandra Nelson       Today’s pick is by Shawn Eptig,     Lily of the Valley   I’ve heard it said that this is the fragrance of heaven.       Straight from your grandmother’s garden, the familiar lily of the valley is a hardy ground cover for shady spots. Masses of …

Connect To The Past With Heirloom Plants

By Sandra Nelson      

  My grandmother was famous in our neighborhood for her rambunctiously beautiful flower gardens. To my knowledge, she never purchased a commercially produced seed or plant. Instead, each fall she carefully collected and saved seeds from her favorite flowers, dug summer bulbs and took some cuttings to grow on …

Virginia Sweetspire: A Must Have For Your Garden

By Sandra Nelson   This week’s pick is by Philip Grubb, Horticulturist   Virginia Sweetspire     Graceful in the spring, fragrant in the summer, striking in the fall and structural in the winter, this native deciduous shrub is truly an all-season plant. Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica) is easily grown in moist, well-drained soil, making …

Bloomerang Lilac -- A Must Have For Your Garden

    This week’s pick is by Art Hayzlett, Irrigation Service Manager   Bloomerang Lilac       If you’re longing for the sweet scent of lilacs all summer long, then the reblooming Bloomerang Lilac could be the answer. At only 4 feet tall, this easy to grow variety is suitable for foundation plantings, hedges, …

Bring Nature In -- Let Stress Out

By Sandra Nelson   This article was originally published December 2018.   I have been feeling incredibly stressed lately.  Unfortunately, when I am stressed, I just shut down which, of course, increases my stress level and renders me virtually useless. My “To Do” list gets longer and my “Done” list stays blank.The only way I …

Sweetbay Magnolia -- A Must Have For The Garden

By Sandra Nelson     This week’s pick is by Karl Hying, Landscape Designer   Sweetbay Magnolia   “The Sweetbay Magnolia, with its wonderful fragrance, blooms late May into June, long after other magnolias are done.”     Elegant is the word of choice to describe this fragrant beauty. A striking alternative for a unique …

Ornamental Millet -- A Must Have For The Garden

By Sandra Nelson This week’s pick is by Sandra Nelson,  Blog Writer   Ornamental Millet   “The vibrant color and  strong structure are hard to beat, but watching dozens of goldfinches vying to devour the seed heads in the fall is enchanting.”           What began as one of the world’s oldest …

Experience Spring This Weekend -- Visit A Nearby Botanical Garden

By Sandra Nelson   I am over it!  Six inches Wednesday and another inch or two tonight. Grey skies and more snow expected tomorrow. The trees are drooping under the weight of the snow and my early spring bulbs that were beginning to peek through the ground are once again covered over. I need a …