A family tradition in botany Story by PJ Gartin Photos by Richard Porcher Dr. Richard Porcher comes from a long line of gentlemen planters who embrace scientific knowledge. His family has been part of the agrarian fabric of Berkeley County, South Carolina, for centuries. However, he doesn’t view his zest for botanical adventure as simply …
‘Prairie Sun’ gloriosa daisy Story and Photos by Norman Winter @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy on Facebook ‘Prairie Sun’, one of the most striking gloriosa daisies ever, was chosen as an All-America Selections Award Winner years ago. This followed on the heels of ‘Indian Summer’, another outstanding selection. Thanks to progressive greenhouse growers and a new generation of landscape …
‘Purple Fountain’ beech Story and Photos by Andrea Dee ‘Purple Fountain’ beech is a standout ornamental tree with a uniquely slender upright form and graceful weeping branches. Smooth dark plum/purple foliage hangs like ornaments draping downward. This handsome specimen provides a dazzling four-season show of color in the landscape: leafing out copper in the spring …
Bat-faced cuphea Story and Photos by Alan Pulley Referred to as “bat-faced” because of its interesting little bat-faced deep purple and bright red blooms, Cuphea llavea has become a favorite summer annual for many gardeners, including myself. Native to Central America and Mexico, bat-face cuphea thrives in full sun and heat. Blooms emerge in late spring and …
Prima donnas of the tropical garden Story and Photos by Karinluise Calasant I am a sucker for heliconias. It seems every year I cannot resist adding one, or two, of these bold, colorful, but elusive, members of the Zingiberales order to an already burgeoning garden. These cousins of gingers and bananas are the prima donnas …
West Palm Beach landscape designer Todd MacLean knows a thing or two about adding texture to a garden Story and Photos by Tom Hewitt Lush vegetation surrounds the Spanish bungalow he shares with real estate agent Geoff Darnell, covering almost 1/3 of an acre. But even though green is the predominant color, it is a …
‘Picasso’s Paintbrush’ croton Story and Photos by Kenny Coogan kennycoogan.com ‘Picasso’s Paintbrush’ croton is a slow-growing plant that is relatively new on the scene. It was a huge focal point at a recent plant show I attended, with many people walking out the gate with them. Small 4-inch plants were selling for around $10, while …
An ongoing series of beautiful container ideas Story and Photo by Diana Sageser Pictured here is a very simple, yet striking container for sunny locations. Using only three plant varieties, but choosing different colors that blend nicely gives this pot the “wow” factor. As the plants mature and begin to drape over the front and …
An ongoing series of beautiful container ideas Story and Photo by Diana Sageser I love travelling. It gives me a chance to walk around neighborhoods to see what other people have planted. Last year, in Kansas, I came across this stunning container located on the north side of a stone-faced house. Although this was in …
Gardeners are constantly looking for ways to make gardening easier and more carefree “Low maintenance” is often the holy grail for most of us. One of the easiest ways to reduce the “work” of gardening is to use plants native to our states. Because they are adapted to our local environmental conditions, they offer a …
