Author's posts
Nov 12
Sweet Box Care
Sweet box is a compact evergreen shrub prized for glossy dark green foliage and remarkably fragrant flowers that appear during winter or very early spring. The flowers themselves are tiny and easy to overlook, but their sweet perfume can travel surprisingly far through the garden at a time when very few other shrubs are blooming. …
Nov 11
Cornelian Cherry Dogwood Care
Cornelian cherry dogwood is a large deciduous shrub or small tree valued for its very early yellow flowers, attractive exfoliating bark, dense foliage, and bright red fruits that ripen in late summer. Botanically known as Cornus mas, it is one of the earliest woody plants to flower, often blooming before forsythia and long before most …
Nov 10
Winter Daphne Care
Winter daphne is an evergreen shrub prized for one of the strongest and sweetest fragrances in the winter garden. Its clusters of pink, rosy-purple, or white flowers often begin opening in late winter, filling the surrounding air with perfume at a time when relatively few other shrubs are blooming. Botanically known as Daphne odora, winter …
Nov 09
Algerian Iris Care
Algerian iris is an unusual evergreen perennial that brings fragrant violet flowers to the garden during winter and very early spring. Botanically known as Iris unguicularis, it is also called winter iris or Algerian winter iris and is native to parts of North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean. Unlike the tall bearded irises that dominate …
Nov 08
Viburnum Care
Viburnums are among the most versatile flowering shrubs for home landscapes. Depending on the species, they can provide fragrant spring flowers, colorful berries, brilliant autumn foliage, evergreen leaves, winter interest, or several of these features on the same plant. Some remain compact enough for a small border, while others mature into large screening shrubs or …
Nov 07
Winter Hazel Care
Winter hazel is a graceful deciduous shrub prized for its dangling clusters of pale yellow flowers that appear on bare branches just as winter begins giving way to spring. Botanically, winter hazels belong to the genus Corylopsis, with buttercup winter hazel (Corylopsis pauciflora) and spike winter hazel (Corylopsis spicata) among the best-known garden species. Despite …
Nov 06
Pussy Willow Care
Pussy willow is a fast-growing deciduous shrub or small tree best known for the soft, silvery catkins that cover its bare branches in late winter and early spring. Botanically known as Salix discolor, the North American pussy willow is native across a large portion of Canada and the northern United States, where it naturally grows …
Jul 20
Thrift Care
Thrift is a compact evergreen perennial prized for its tidy grassy foliage and rounded clusters of pink, rose, lavender, or white flowers. Botanically known as Armeria maritima, it is also commonly called sea thrift or sea pink and is naturally associated with coastal cliffs, sandy ground, rocky slopes, and other exposed places where drainage is …
Jul 17
Dill Care: How to Grow, Harvest & Use Fresh Dill
Dill is a fast-growing annual herb prized for its feathery foliage, yellow flower umbels, aromatic seeds, and unmistakable fresh flavor. Botanically known as Anethum graveolens, dill is easy to grow from seed and can provide both fresh leaves and mature seeds from a relatively small garden space. Unlike many perennial herbs, dill completes its life …
Jun 20
Sunflower Meaning: Symbolism, History & What Sunflowers Represent
Few flowers communicate happiness as instantly as a sunflower. With brilliant yellow petals surrounding a dark center and tall stems that seem to reach toward the sky, sunflowers have become widely associated with optimism, warmth, friendship, loyalty, resilience, and the simple pleasure of turning toward the light. Yet sunflower symbolism is richer than the familiar …
