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Gardeners and their Gardens

This past weekend was the first time in a long time that I was able to sit with a cup of coffee and honestly critique the gardens that I have put in the backyard so far. It was truly depressing! I tried to rationalize that they were still relatively new and that the weather had …

. The Shining Blue Star is indeed a shining star of the garden, featuring clusters of blue flowers in the spring, glossy green leaves throughout the summer and brilliant gold foliage in the fall. Also called Ozark blue star, this native perennial prefers a full sun location but will also bloom well in partial shade. …

  Also called the prairie onion, this late blooming native prefers full sun with some lightly dappled shade in extreme heat. It does well in sandy or rocky soils and will thrive in shallow soil. The green, grass-like leaves, which often disappear before the 12 – 18 inch flower stalks, give off a strong scent of …

After almost two years of fighting a lost cause, we are truly ready to take the plunge. Once the heat of the summer dissipates, we are going to kill off the sorry patch of existing “lawn” we have and start over with an entirely new look.     So far, I’ve had an interesting reaction …

  A perfect plant for use in a rain garden or as a water plant , the copper iris takes its name from its unique reddish-copper color blooms which appear in May and June.Small plants, they typically reach about 2 feet in height. They love full sun, but will tolerate part shade if planted in …

    This diminutive native perennial features fragrant pinkish white blooms, somewhat reminiscent of pincushion flowers, on leafless, upright stems in late spring. A small plant, rarely more than 6 – 8 inches, it is perfect for rock gardens or the front of beds. Barbara’s buttons are drought tolerant, prefer full sun and dry, sandy …

    An incredibly tough native perennial succulent, Rock Pink or Fame Flower is an excellent choice for both rock gardens or container gardens. Being part of the purslanes family (related to portulaca or moss rose), it prefers full sun and dry, rocky soil in areas where it does not have to compete with larger, …

        Joe Pye Weed, long thought of as just a roadside weed, is finally coming into its own! This tall (4 – 7 feet) native thrives in moist to wet soil and full sun to partial shade. Fragrant pinkish-purple blooms which attract dozens of species of butterflies appear in July and continue …