Coreopsis has long been a favorite in the garden with its bright-yellow flowers. New varieties have been released with longer bloom times, some as long as May through October, and in color variations of yellow, orange, maroon and even pink. ‘Creme Brulee’, for example, is an improved form of ‘Moonbeam’, with thread-like leaves and soft-yellow flowers. It easily re-blooms after a light shearing.   >> read article

Mention the name “hen and chicks” and most gardeners will think back to that unimpressive little gray-green patch of succulents that their grandmother grew. Well, be prepared to be impressed with Sempervivum tectorum ‘Jade Rose’. The distinctive rosy red color on the inside of the leaves is the first thing to catch your eye, but it is the delicate hairs at the tips that will make you stop and stare. With sunlight shining on the plant, the red coloration intensifies and the tiny hairs seem to glisten, making it a real showstopper.   >> read article

The dendrobium is an orchid that knows its own mind. Give it what it wants and it will repay you with beautiful blooms. Orchids seem exotic. Expensive. Fussy. In bloom they seem ethereal. But moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) are actually somewhat easy to grow indoors and are widely available.   >> read article

Looking for a tough, forgiving, sun-loving bloomer? Look no further! Once, the coordinator of a rural elementary school’s garden urged me to plant a Russian sage. She applauded Perovskia atriplicifolia for blooming throughout the summer with no care, and it was ignored by persistent deer. Having equal success, I have since included this perennial in all my gardens.   >> read article

If you want an enchanting garden companion who will make everyone around her look more beautiful, try Aster lateriflorus ‘Lady in Black’. I fell in love with her one fall when she flirted with my Physocarpus ‘Coppertina’. They were side-by-side in containers in my “holding-till-I-find-a-home” garden. The Lady’s airy, lavender-blue-flowered stems were weaving themselves into the ninebark’s coppery-leafed, upright branches. I glanced their way, caught my breath and laughed.   >> read article