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April Tree of the Month-Japanese flowering cherry/Kwanzan cherry
A tour around the Japanese Garden (Siewa-en) at Missouri Botanical Garden during spring is a feast for the senses. Azaleas, peonies, and, of course, the Yoshino cherry trees. But one tree that sparks…
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April Perennial of the Month-Siberian bugloss/Brunnera
Few perennials bloom in spring as long as Siberian bugloss or Brunnera. (Brunnera spp. & cvs.) The charming blue flowers are as blue as one can get in the garden, especially in the…
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March Tree of the Month-Star magnolia
Magnolia season is the start of the ‘big show’ in St. Louis regarding spring blooming trees. The first magnolia that takes the spotlight is the star magnolia, Magnolia stellata. Like their other deciduous cousins,…
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March Perennial of the Month-Harry Lauder’s walking stick
Sir Winston Churchill deemed Harry Lauder Scotland’s greatest ambassador, but few in the U.S. know the man our Shrub of the Month was named after. The comedian was born in 1870 in Portobello,…
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March Perennial of the Month-Barrenwort
Dry shade can be a common issue for most gardeners. The same shade that provides relief from the blistering sun for the shade garden can also mean competition from tree roots and, overall,…
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February Shrub of the Month-Cornelian cherry
Branches that can be brought indoors and forced to bloom are welcome when spring is taking too long to arrive. One uncommon shrub that is easy to force indoors for long-lasting blooms is…
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February Tree of the Month-Sycamore
The brilliant contrast of crisp white branches against a deep, true-blue sky is one thing that endears the sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) to many. Sycamores can grow to be giants among their neighboring trees…
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January Tree of the Month-Southern magnolia
When it’s below zero, snowing, sleeting, and just plain miserable outdoors, it might help to conjure visions of the deep South. Warm temps and even warmer Southern Charm are one thing the southern…
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January Shrub of the Month-Yew
When I purchased my current home in 1995, the front yard was a poster child of typical mid-century foundation plantings with a square-shaped yew (Taxus spp.) hedge in the standard position under the front…
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November Tree of the Month-Bald cypress
Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) can be described as the evergreen that really isn’t. In summer, the needles look like other evergreen conifers such as yew or spruce, but come fall, they turn a…
