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January Tree of the Month-Blue Atlas Cedar
Blue Atlas cedar, Cedrus atlantica, is another pretty boy evergreen that breaks my heart, probably more than Cryptomeria. December Tree of the Month-Japanese Cedar I’ve tried a couple of dwarf cultivars (Cedrus atlantica…
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January Shrub of the Month-Boxwood
I once met someone who said she hated “Shrubs.”. Turns out she just hated boxwoods, Buxus spp.. I’ve met quite a few boxwood haters over the years, and it seems that most people,…
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January Perennial of the Month-Elliot’s love grass
Winter is a great time to analyze structure and form in a garden-the “bones” in a sense. Winter interest plants shine this time of year, and one of the top perennials for winter…
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December Tree of the Month-Japanese Cedar
Remember that one handsome boy back in high school? You know the type: great hair and smile. Drove a Mustang. Snappy dresser, outgoing, personable … surrounded by friends and admirers. Most likely, he…
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December Shrub of the Month-Dwarf Japanese Cedar
It’s unique, evergreen, slow-growing, low-maintenance, and, to top it all off, cute. Are you tired of the cookie-cutter evergreens around your foundation? You know those shrubs, the standard yews or boxwoods, perhaps a…
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December Perennial of the Month-English Ivy
The Holly and the Ivy Christmas carol seems to be a bit one-sided in the lyrics. It’s more about the holly, who, according to the lyrics, “…of all the trees that are in…
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November Tree of the Month-Pawpaw
What happens when someone with four paws, finds a pawpaw? The Lewis and Clark expedition first brought pawpaw, Asimina triloba, to the attention of the early European settlers. Historians state the expedition’s famished…
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November Vine of the Month-Boston Ivy
In lieu of a shrub, this month we highlight a woody vine. Want a fun way to spend an entire afternoon? Open Google and type “Are climbing vines good or bad for your…
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November Perennial of the Month-Reed Grass
It’s the time of year when our gardening design focus changes from flowers and succession of blooms to winter interest that will have to last for the next four to five months. (Insert…
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October Tree of the Month-Hardy Orange
My Aunt Grace and Uncle Ab lived in Burbank, California, with a tiny walled garden behind their bungalow. Their two most prized plants in that garden were a lemon tree and an orange…
