Story and Photos by Clara A. Curtis I’ve written about and gardened with this little-known ground cover for many years, yet I believe Epimedium need a Pied Piper to call attention to their variety and flexibility in garden designs. The genus is not widely known. According to Tony Avent, a well known plant evangelist and …
The scent of gardenia is unmistakable Story by Denise Pugh The fragrance travels on the wind and comes around the corner quite unexpectedly. The month of June is ushered in by the most intoxicating fragrance. The smell is subtle in the breeze, but as one walks closer to the shrub – a gardenia (G. jasminoides) of …
Story and Photos by Peggy Hill “We think Carex ‘Everillo’ is one of the most exciting shade plants of the last decade, and as such we’ve already planted dozens in our own garden.” That is high praise from Tony Avent, proprietor of Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina. After growing it myself, I see …
A profile of ‘Soft Caress’ mahonia Story and Photos by Peggy Hill Many people make the mistake of designing their gardens around flowers. They concentrate on creating pleasing blends of colors and flower shapes. While blooms are important, your focus should be on exciting foliage combinations; the flowers that come and go are merely the …
Story and Photos by David Longron Perhaps nothing frames a home quite as well as pyramidal evergreen hollies gracing the corners or entranceway. The problem is that many popular varieties will eat the entire house if not pruned often and severely. Oakland holly, with its compact and naturally pyramidal growth habit, reduces pruning to a …
Take a peek at this garden of beauty in Bentonville Story by Susan Jasan To wander through the Bentonville garden of Tami Bever is an experience in the magical. Throughout the garden one finds delightful surprises. Tami artistically utilizes plants to frame the whimsical “pictures” she creates. Even the tiniest spaces are brimming with charm. …
Story and Photos by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon There are several species of Callistemon that will grow in Louisiana, but in my opinion the eye-catching lemon bottlebrush is the most tolerant of temperature extremes and poor soil. The large, red, bottlebrush-shaped flowers attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and nectar-feeding songbirds such as orioles and prothonotary warblers. Bottlebrush …
Louisiana landscapes are neither totally bleak nor lifeless during winter By Dan Gill Overall, Louisiana landscapes sleep restlessly over the winter. We certainly don’t see the sound slumber that is typical for gardens in climates that are considerably colder than ours. In cold climates, landscape plants hunker down and hope for a blanket of snow …
Story and Photography by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon As a tea lover, I am pleased to report that the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), which is the source of white, green, black, oolong and also fermented teas, can be grown in Louisiana. The attractive shrub’s dark evergreen leaves and fragrant white flowers do well in the landscape …
