Primrose, cowslip, oxslip — no matter what you call them, these old-fashioned favorites are easy-to-grow early spring bloomers. Here a few to consider for your own shady garden.   >> read article

Alliums or ‘ornamental onions’ come in all sizes and colors—from giant globe-shaped purple spheres to delicate yellow sprays. The best part is that deer, squirrels, voles and rabbits find them foul-tasting. Here are some awe-inspiring alliums to add to your garden this year.   >> read article

Midwestern gardeners have a narrow gap between the cold of winter and heat of summer. But, because of the fickleness of spring weather, there is often a significant gap between the peak of spring bloom (bulbs, roses and early perennials) and the maturity of summer flowers (annuals and summer perennials, such as echinaceas and daylilies). This gap usually becomes apparent throughout late May and early June, when many people’s gardens are green and growing, but with few flowers ...   >> read article

Potting soils are not all the same. It pays (literally) to pay attention to the contents.   >> read article

Here’s my pet theory. All of us gardeners fall into one of two camps: plant lovers or design doyennes. The former waxes eloquent in Latin nomenclature, often with anthropomorphic plant references while using words such as “cultural requirements” and “fastigiated branching.” The design doyennes look for the big picture in the garden and are less concerned with individual plants ...   >> read article