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February Shrub of the Month-Bowling Ball Arborvitae
Plants can be beautiful. Plants can be ugly. Plants can be everything in between. Thuja occidentalis ‘Bobozam’ MR. BOWLING BALL, aka Bowling Ball arborvitae, is one shrub that, to some people, goes from…
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February Perennial of the Month-HUSH PUPPY Fountain Grass
The longer you garden, the more “problem plants” you encounter. This is, unfortunately, how most budding gardeners learn. We see a plant that we MUST HAVE, and before we know it, it becomes…
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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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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 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 ANTI-Shrub of the Month-Honeysuckle
Ah, the smell of honeysuckle on a bright spring morning. And those cute little red berries in the fall that the birds love! I met a guy a few years ago who told…