There’s not much out in the garden that can beat the winter blues like Prunus mume ’Peggy Clarke’, also known as the Japanese flowering apricot tree. When it’s too cold for much else to bloom, this small tree bravely sends out its blossoms on bare limbs in mid to late winter, providing the kind of showy display that most plants set aside for spring. It’s an amazing sight in the dead of winter.   >> read article

What tree does a nursery grower and a garden center manager plant around their landscape? Parrotia (Parrotia persica), aka Persian ironwood, is likely one favorite. Parrotia is a small-to-medium sized, easy-to-grow lawn, patio or street tree. It is native to Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus region. Tree form is vase-shaped, narrow at the base and wide in the canopy ...   >> read article

Cercis canadensis ‘Whitewater’ is a “hot plant” out of North Carolina and a North American native tree too! This small, deciduous tree with beautifully variegated white and green leaves was developed by Dr. Dennis Werner at North Carolina State University. It’s a good choice to incorporate into your garden where contrasting foliage color is desired. Traditional magenta-pink flowers of the redbud emerge in the early spring on bare branches ...   >> read article

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a drought- and heat-tolerant, full-sun perennial native in many states across the country. The plant grows to about 3-4 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide. Starting in summer, orange or orange-red flowers appear, which do a wonderful job of attracting butterflies and other beneficial insects such as bees, although it claims its fame by being one of the important host plants for monarch butterflies.   >> read article

Perk up your flowerbeds and patio this spring and summer with Revolution series gerbera daisies. Praised for its tight compact habit, reliable uniform growth and resilient dark green foliage, this outstanding new series blooms earlier than other cultivars and persists later into Louisiana summers, making it the perfect selection for container color and flowerbed fillers.   >> read article