
If you’ve grown
Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’,
C. rosea, ‘Limerock Ruby’ or
C. grandiflora ‘Sunray’, you might have been disappointed. All are good plants when used within their capabilities, but none are tough, adaptable plants. For that, you need
Coreopsis verticillata Golden Showers ‘Gradiflora’. This plant is durable. It’s little used because of the misfortunes of the others ...
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In the summer, the weeping elm (
Ulmus glabra ‘Camperdownii’) is quite beautiful, with lush green leaves and a graceful, weeping habit. But the full beauty of this tree is really visible when it disrobes in the fall, the leaves dropping away to expose a glorious network of gnarled, curved branches in an intricate, graceful pattern ...
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There are several types of Coleus (
Piectranthus scutellarioides) to choose from at garden centers, so here are a few quick tips. Seed-grown varieties are sold in 4- or 6-packs, and those grown from cuttings are sold in larger, usually individual pots. Seed-grown cultivars are less expensive, but are higher maintenance because they typically bloom quickly ...
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These graceful rounded shrubs have beautiful, large, bold-textured foliage and elegant spikes of white flowers. That is enough to make you love the bottlebrush buckeye right there. Add the fact that it loves shade, resists deer AND blooms in midsummer when most shade gardens are looking a bit dull, and you’ve got yourself an essential plant. Oh, did I mention it is an Eastern U. S. native and has gorgeous yellow fall color? Yeah, you need this shrub. The growth habit is suckering, so it can slowly spread to form a large colony. Or, you can prune to keep it contained if you don’t have the space ...
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If you know Russian olive (
Elaeagnus angustifolia), you probably think of it as the weedy shrub that shows up along roadsides. ‘Quicksilver’ is a hybrid relative of that weed, decked out with astonishingly intense silver foliage that is absolutely breathtaking all summer. Like its weedy relative, it is insanely tough, tolerant of cold, heat and drought, the kind of plant you never need to worry about as long as you can give it a little sun ...
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