Plants are the lens Jessie views the world through because they’re all-sustaining. (“They feed, clothe, house and heal us. They produce the air we breathe and even make us smell pretty.”) She’s a garden writer and photographer with degrees in both horticulture and plant biology from Purdue and Michigan State Universities. Her degrees were bolstered by internships at Longwood Gardens and the American Horticultural Society. She has since worked for many horticultural institutions and companies and now manages communications for Sun Gro Horticulture, the parent company of Black Gold. Her joy is sharing all things green and lovely with her two daughters.
Angelonia Angelface®Wedgwood Blue, from Proven Winners, is a garden must-have. (Image thanks to Proven Winners®)
Summer gardening is made easier with tough, drought-tolerant annuals, especially where summers are hot and dry. So many popular bedding plants are tender and water-needy, but there are plenty of waterwise, or xeric, annuals that go beyond low-growing succulents. Many are colorful, resilient, and bloom effortlessly all summer long.
When choosing waterwise summer flowers, I pick from plants native to areas with hot, dry climates, like Mexico, dry regions of Africa, the American Southwest, and hot, dry areas of the Mediterranean. Agastache, angelonia, cuphea, autumn sage and hybrids, marigolds, and low-growing zinnias are several excellent choices. Exciting new varieties make it easy to fill the garden with beautiful flowers sure to shine in tough weather.
Hummingbird Mint
‘Rosie Posie’ is an exceptional hummingbird mint with magenta-purple, fragrant flowers. (Image thanks to Walter’s Gardens®)
Hummingbirds visit Agastache’s pretty wands of flowers. Otherwise known as hummingbird mint, the plants bloom through summer and into fall with moderate watering. Because of their reliability, they are a standby in my garden, especially the more colorful varieties.
The compact and floriferous Arizona™ Sunset has lavender and orange flowers and plants reach just one foot high. The 22-inch ‘Rosie Posie’ has even more colorful flowers of magenta-purple and orange. The plants originate from the American Southwest, where heat and drought are common, so expect them to flourish in warm-summer areas.
Angelonia
Summer snapdragon (Angelonia angustifolia) is a nonstop bloomer native to Mexico with distinctive spikes of white, purple, or pink snapdragon-like flowers. The tall (~2.5 feet), large-flowered varieties in the popular Angelface® Series from Proven Winners® are popular and prolific. The warmer the weather, the better they grow. I like the white and violet-blue flowers of Angelface®Wedgwood Blue the most.
Firecracker Plant
Proven Winner’s variety Vermillionaire™ is one of the best firecracker plant varieties available. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)
Heat and drought are never a problem for the firecracker plant (Cuphea ignea), another Mexican native. Try the Proven Winner’s variety Vermillionaire™. Each bushy can reach around 2-feet tall and wide and become loaded with small, orange-red, tubular flowers visited by hummingbirds. A strong tendency to bloom all summer until frost is another reason to grow the superb bedding plant. As advertised, the firecracker plant has a high tolerance to hot, dry weather once established.
Autumn Sage
‘Lipstick’ is a bright-pink-bloomed salvia able to tolerate drought.
From mid to late summer, I always rely on colorful autumn sage (Salvia greggii and hybrids) to add summer garden color. Autumn sage is a busy tender perennial native from West Texas to Central Mexico, and the blooms are very attractive to hummingbirds! Gardeners up north grow the plant as an annual, but further south they will overwinter if planted in well-drained soil. Try the watermelon-pink ‘Lipstick‘. The shrubby, fast-grower can reach 3 feet high and is laden with short flower spikes until frost.
Marigolds
Frilly tall African marigolds can be grown as cut flowers and garden flowers.
Mexican-native marigolds are made for summer with their warm, nonstop blooms. Try the 3-foot-tall Giant Orange African marigold (Tagetes erecta ‘Giant Orange’) with a plethora of 3-inch flowers. The long-stemmed flowers are suitable for cutting and are borne on strong plants less apt to topple over in the wind. Plant them in colorful cut-flower or annual borders.
Narrowleaf Zinnia
‘Crystal White’ is an award-winning tough Zinnia. (Image thanks to AAS Winners)
My garden always contains zinnias. Narrowleaf zinnia (Zinnia angustifolia) is notably tolerant of hot, dry weather, and the flowers are reliably attractive. The award-winning, 1-foot-high ‘Crystal White‘ is a garden mainstay with clear white flowers and narrow, dark green leaves. The foliage of the Mexican native is resistant to powdery mildew and will flower through summer. With good care, they will bloom continually. Occasional removal of the spent blooms is recommended. Bees and butterflies visit the flowers.
Growing Waterwise Annuals
Add these waterwise and heat-wise annuals to your summer garden, and you will thank yourself when the scorching days of summer arrive. Give them moderate care and water, and they will keep blooming. Those planted in the ground appreciate the added organic matter of Fafard® Premium Natural & Organic Compost, and those grown in containers of Fafard® Ultra Container Mix with Extended Feed will grow happily.
Pendulous tuberous begonias make exceptional hanging basket specimens.
Shaded porches and patios are prime spots for hanging baskets. We spend most of our outdoor leisure time in the shade where their beauty is most welcome, but only certain garden flowers will flower and thrive in less light. Planting the right flowers is essential to keep your shaded baskets looking good from spring to fall.
Five Hanging Basket Planting Tips
Plant in spacious hanging baskets with ample root space. I like coco-lined wire baskets within the 12- to 16-inch range. Be sure they are supported by secure hooks and strong chains.
If your potting soil has no supplemental ingredients, consider adding Terra Sorb water-holding crystals and slow-release fertilizer to reduce the need to water and feed as often.
Don’t overplant your baskets. Usually, one to three plants are enough, depending on what you are growing.
Best Hanging Basket Bloomers
1. Bacopa
Proven Winner’s Bacopa Snowstorm®Blue and Pink mingle with white-flowered Euphorbia in a combined basket. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)
Bacopa is most often sold as a container or hanging basket trailer, but the plants look lovely on their own in a basket or among other plants. I often choose the white-flowered MegaCopa™ White variety for my hanging baskets and pots, but Proven Winner’s Snowstorm®Blue and Snowstorm®Rose are newer forms with an added burst of color. One warning for the wise, bacopa doesn’t show drought stress immediately. By the time you learn plants are stressed, they’ll have dropped all of their buds. Plants can take up to two weeks before flowering again, so be sure to water daily, especially in hot weather.
2. Begonias
San Francisco™ Bolivian begonia is a top-notch bloomer known to thrive in summer heat and humidity. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)
A host of specialty begonias are bred for hanging baskets. The trailing bloomers tend to have both attractive leaves and beautiful flowers. Some of the best performing include the Double Delight®begonias (check out Double Delight®Blush Rose) from Proven Winners in addition to their larger-flowered Belleconia™ tuberous hybrids.
Bolivian hybrids are also favorites of mine. The award-winning Rivulet® Bolivian begonia hybrids (blush, deep rose, orange, pink, and double red shades) from Ball Seed® have impressive flowers as does San Francisco™, with its pendulous salmon-pink flowers.
Impatiens
Simple, classic Impatiens look lovely in baskets through summer with regular water and fertilizer.
Classic Impatiens walleriana hybrids require regular water to look their best in hanging baskets, but they will reward you with nonstop flowers until frost. The double-flowered Rockapulco® varieties from Proven Winners have delicate rose-like blooms. Try Rockapulco®Tropical Shades with its profuse guava-pink flowers. Gardeners seeking single-flowered Imatiens should try the seed-grownImara™ XDR Impatiens for their large flowers, vigor, and resistance to downy mildew, a common disease of the plants.
Fuchsia
Fuchsia ‘Dark Eyes’ is a lovely, easy-to-find trailing variety for hanging baskets.
Trailing Fuchsias are ideal hanging basket specimens tolerant of full sunlight but generally happier in full to partial shade. There are hundreds of varieties available in different color combinations–mostly in whites, reds, pinks, and purples. The flowers often have two or more colors, with top petals (actually sepals) in one color, the true inner petals in another shade, and the floral pistil and stamens in yet another color. The dark purple and fuchsia ‘Dark Eyes‘ is an exceptional garden variety as is the white and red ‘Swingtime‘. Fuchsia flowers attract hummingbirds, so place them where you can see both the flowers and possible hummingbird visitors.
Browallia
Loads of Fun is a container garden recipe from Proven Winners containing Browallia Endless™Illumination, Rockapulco® Rose impatiens, and Torenia Catalina® Pink. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)
Browallia
The first time I grew Browallia in the late 1990s, I was impressed by its beautiful flowers and long season of bloom. The tough plants grow beautifully in hot summer weather and prosper in shaded hanging baskets. The most common variety is the violet-blue-flowered Endless™IlluminationBush Violet from Proven Winners. The plants are real garden workhorses. Give them regular water and they will keep flowering until frost without the need to deadhead!
Wishbone Flower
Summer Wave® Trailing Large Blue Torenia is a pretty blue-flowered form to look for at your local garden center.
Trailing or bushy Torenia look beautiful in baskets and are adapted to shade. Summer Wave®Torenias are the standbys and available in lavender-pink, purple, and blue forms. They trail to 12-16 inches with strong, vigorous growth. Varieties in the Catalina® series are a more bushy counterpart reaching 12 x 12 inches. Yellow, white, pink, and purple forms are available. For me, the prettiest of the bunch is Catalina®Grape-o-licious™ with its white flowers with royal purple centers.
Covered porches are a great place to keep plants outdoors through summer.
Houses are often stuffy for plants when the weather is mild and pleasant. Most houseplants thrive in the fresh air, natural sunlight light, humidity, and warm temperatures. For these reasons, it’s smart to bring tender houseplants outdoors in the summer months. But, four precautions must be taken before you take them outdoors and bring them back indoors in the fall.
As a preliminary note, I tend to keep my houseplants on my front porch in the late spring, summer, and fall. There are spots with shade and partial sunlight, and I can control the water they get more readily. If you have a covered spot or porch it is the best outdoor spot for your houseplants. I have a houseplant stand to show them off beautifully through summer.
Steps to Taking Plants Outdoors in the Spring
Place indoor plants in an outdoor spot with comparable light after the threat of frost has passed. Tropical plants should not be placed outdoors until nights have become relatively warm.
Make sure the outdoor temperature will stay warm and night frosts are past. I always check the Almanac’s last frost date to determine the last frost date in my area.
Some tropical plants cannot tolerate temperatures below 45-50 degrees. Therefore, it is important to know the temperature needs of your plants. In general, most tropical houseplants like daytime temperatures between 65 and 75°F (15-24°C) and nighttime temperatures between 60-68°F.
Rootbound plants should be upgraded/repotted before being taken outdoors for summer.
Feed plants at the start of the season. Choose a fertilizer that’s suited to your plant. Specialty fertilizers include those for orchids, succulents, and tropical foliage plants. Be sure to follow the product instructions. For those gardeners seeking an easy option, try using a quality slow-release fertilizer, such as Proven Winners Continuous Release Plant Food.
Wait to place sun-loving houseplants in the direct sun, and all houseplants should be protected from strong winds until they have become more acclimated to outdoor temperatures. In-home conditions are more regulated than outdoor weather, so plants need time to adjust. After a week or two, most plants will be tougher and better able to withstand the greater extremes of outdoor weather.
Plan to water your plants more often as the days become warmer. Plants subjected to wind and higher temperatures tend to need water more often. Check your plants regularly until you have established a rhythm.
A mix of indoor and outdoor plants will brighten up a front or back porch in the warmer months.
Steps to Taking Plants Indoors in the Fall
Clean and treat plants for any potential pests before bringing them back indoors in the fall.
Once again, check to make sure your plants are not rootbound. If their roots fill the pot, then it is time to repot them in quality potting mix like Fafard Professional Potting Mix. The new pot space will allow plants to grow new roots and take up more fertilizer and moisture when brought indoors.
Place plants in an area with comparable light to reduce stress.
Look at your plant’s foliage, and make sure they are pest-free before taking them inside. Foliar pests like spider mites, white flies, and aphids eventually cause leaf drop and plant stress, especially indoors. Wash your houseplant’s leaves under the gentle water of the kitchen sink, and spray them with insecticidal soap before bringing them inside. I also recommend removing and replenishing the top two inches of potting soil to catch any pests hanging out in the upper soil layers, such as fungus gnats. (Click here to read a great overview of common houseplant pests.)
Move them to a location with the same light and humidity indoors that they enjoyed outdoors. Try to replicate the outdoor conditions as much as you can. If not possible, the plants may drop a few leaves as they adjust to the transition.
Keep the soil moist, but not too wet. Outdoor plants lose soil water faster due to higher temperatures and wind. Indoors, they generally need less water.
If your houseplants drop a few leaves in transition, don’t worry. Just clean off the dead leaves, give the plants good care, and they should pop back in no time!
Plants often need extra care after being moved from the outside to the inside. They will adjust after a couple of weeks.
Brides traditionally wear or carry “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” Gardens—whether they are arrays of containers, in-ground beds, or window boxes–often contain those same elements. Agapanthus, sometimes known as “Lily of the Nile”, combines all of those attributes in a single plant. The “something old” is Agapanthus africanus, an ancestor of today’s varieties, which appeared in Europe as early as the seventeenth century, but is native to South Africa. “Something new” describes the many new agapanthus hybrids that feature increased bloom size, a broadened color range, and more compact size. “Something borrowed” is the “Nile” in the common name, which has persisted, though the plants have nothing to do with that great river. The “something blue” refers to the most common flower color.
With all those sterling qualities, plus the ability to flourish equally well in the ground or in containers, agapanthus marries the exotic and the accessible, with beautiful results.
An Onion Cousin
The genus is part of the Alliaceae or onion family, but its growth habit might remind you a little of holiday amaryllis (Hippeastrum), with tall, fleshy stalks and long narrow leaves. Those stalks generally grow between 18 inches and four feet tall, depending on variety, on plants that spread of at least 1 foot. The rounded flowerheads or umbels appear at the tops of the stalks and are made up of scores of trumpet-shaped florets, which appear in shades of blue and blue-purple, as well as white. You can buy varieties of Agapanthus africanus from some vendors, but most commercially available agapanthus plants are hybrids. The number of those hybrid varieties has increased steadily over the years, with new generations of agapanthus hybrids succeeding older ones.
Beautiful Tender Perennial
Agapanthus is a tender perennial that is only marginally hardy in cold winter climates.
Given its origins in the southern hemisphere, it is not a surprise that agapanthus is classed as a tender perennial that is only marginally hardy in cold winter climates. New varieties are more cold-tolerant than older ones, but all can be overwintered successfully. Some varieties feature evergreen leaves.
Blue and White Hues
If you like blue, you can choose a light blue variety like ‘Summer Skies’, which also has the benefit of being cold hardy to USDA plant hardiness Zone 6. For brighter blues, choose tall ‘Blue Yonder,’ or the slightly shorter (24 inches) ‘Kingston Blue’. If you want dramatic dark blues, go for ‘Black Buddhist’, with dark purple buds and dark blue-purple florets, or ‘Back in Black’ with dark flowers and black-streaked stalks. The extremely floriferous ‘Storm Cloud’, also bears umbels of highly saturated blue-purple.
Cool white cultivars include ‘Cold Hardy White’, which is hardy to USDA plant hardiness zone 5, and bears white florets on 12- to 16-inch stalks. Somewhat taller, at over three feet ‘Galaxy White’ is hardy to USDA zone 6,
Double the Fun
There are many white agapanthus varieties from which to choose.
Little ‘rfdd’ Double Diamond grows to only about 12 inches tall but makes up for its short stature with umbels of double or semi-double white blooms. It is not terribly cold-hardy but is eminently suitable for container culture and overwintering in cold winter climates.
Sun and Soil
No matter what variety you choose, plant the rhizomes just below the surface of the soil. If you buy container-grown agapanthus and want to transplant to a decorative pot or tub, make sure the top of the soil surrounding the plant is on level with the top of the soil in the chosen container. Situate your plant in a sunny location with some afternoon shade, if possible.
Agapanthus bloom best when they are slightly potbound, so select an appropriately-sized container. Use a quality potting mix like Fafard Ultra Container Mix with Extended Feed, and make sure the agapanthus has consistent moisture. Fertilize with a balanced plant food, diluted according to manufacturer’s directions, during the spring and summer growth period.
A Long Winter Nap
Cold climate dwellers should bring potted agapanthus indoors to a bright, frost-free location for the winter, watering occasionally. When spring returns, take the plants outdoors and begin watering and fertilizing once again.
Opulence Divided
Brilliant blue or white agapanthus look great as single specimen plants.
Brilliant blue or white agapanthus look great as single specimen plants, and opulent when massed in large tubs. Happy plants will form clumps, and you can increase your supplies by digging, lifting and splitting those clumps (with a sharp spade or garden knife), and replanting the divisions. If you share those agapanthus divisions with the gardeners among your friends or neighbors, they will most likely be grateful for the gifts of “something borrowed” and “something blue” from you.
Compact berries for containers are popular, and more and more varieties are being developed for container culture. Compact blueberries are particularly good for growing in pots, with good care. The northern native berries have specific growing needs. Follow the guidelines here, and you will have bountiful berry pots in no time. The best blueberries for containers are shorter species, such as lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium) rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium ashei), and new compact designer blueberries (Vaccinium hybrids).
Growing Blueberries in Containers
With good care, blueberries will produce berries each year. Plant more than one pot of berries for cross-pollination and best fruiting.
Compact blueberries of all types grow beautifully in spacious pots. With good care, the long-lived shrubs can survive for years, so choose strong, thick, weatherproof ceramic pots big enough for them to grow to maturity–18″ pots or larger depending on the final size of the plant. (click here to read more about the best weatherproof pots)
Blueberries naturally grow best in more acidic soils (pH 4.5-5.5) with good drainage, often sandy soils, so we recommend a peat-based mix amended with some sand and perlite. Of our product line, we recommend Fafard Natural & Organic Potting Mix, which is OMRI Listed for organic gardening and also provides good aeration and porosity. Because blueberries are acid-loving, I like the look of mulching the soil surface with fine, dry white pine needles. They hold moisture, keep weeds down, and look good.
Place your blueberry pots in a location with full to partial sunlight for the best fruiting and growth–more sun is tolerated in areas with milder summers. Blueberries will tolerate shade, but they will not set as much fruit in a shadier site. During the high heat of summer, protect them from the scorching midday sun.
Water blueberries regularly. The soil should be allowed to become slightly dry between watering. Feed blueberries as directed using a fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants. Repotting is necessary every few years and the shrubs should be pruned if they develop dead growth or crossing, ungainly branches.
Pruning Blueberries
Even compact blueberries need occasional pruning. Here are four guidelines to follow when pruning blueberries.
Prune just after berry harvest.
Maintain one strong fruiting cane (branch) for each year of growth, starting in the shrub’s fourth year.
Older canes can be replaced by stronger, newer fruiting canes after the shrubs have reached 8-10 years.
Remove smaller, weaker, lateral branches to encourage stronger fruiting branches.
The Best Blueberries for Containers
Peach Sorbet® blueberry has a beautiful habit, good fall color, and tasty berries. (Image thanks to Bushel and Berry)
The best blueberries for containers are shorter species, such as lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium, USDA Hardiness Zones 2-8) rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium ashei, Zones 7-10), and new compact designer blueberries (Vaccinium hybrids).
Two choice rabbiteye Blueberries are ‘Tifblue’, which has large berries midseason, and ‘Brightwell’, which produces large clusters early to midseason. Bushel and Berry® arguably sell the finest designer Blueberries on the market. Their boxwood-like Blueberry Glaze® and cute, round Jellybean® (Zones 4-8) have delicious fruit, tidy habits, and bright fall color. Finally, Pink Icing® (Zones 5-10) produces loads of tasty fruits on shrubs with pink new growth.
The largest blueberry in the group is the hybrid lowbush blueberry, Northsky®, which forms a tiny round shrub reaching 2-3 feet. The 1-2 foot ‘Tophat‘ is a common favorite. The tidy round bushes product loads of berries once mature and producing.
I encourage blueberry growers to watch the following video to learn more about blueberry cultivation.
Bearberry is a low-growing evergreen shrub for salty ground.
An oceanside garden poses special challenges for plants. The wind-whipped salt-laden air and sandy soil typical of such sites is inhospitable to many sensitive garden favorites, such as border phlox (Phlox paniculata), primroses (Primula spp.), and summersweet (Clethra alnifolia). When faced with these challenging conditions, some gardeners go full denial, erecting barriers to the wind and adding truckloads of humus to the thirsty soil to grow the ungrowable. Such efforts usually end with the realization that defying nature is not a viable gardening strategy.
A more successful approach is to embrace the many rewarding plants that naturally inhabit coastal regions or a streetside garden where winter salt is common. Many of these seaside natives are still not seen in gardens nearly as much as they might be, even in places near the ocean’s roar. They’re also ideally adapted for inland gardens where salt and drought are problems. If sandy soil and salt-happy road crews pose challenges for your garden, coastal natives are among the best answers.
American persimmon fruits are beautiful and delicious when allowed to ripen and added to baked goods.
Trees, shrubs, and shrubby ground covers form the core of any garden, coastal or otherwise. Here we highlight 11 of the best such plants that hail from North American seaside habitats. Most offer the added bonus of being favorites of pollinators and other wildlife. As you’d expect, all are happiest in full sun but will tolerate light shade in some cases. Sandy or otherwise well-drained soil is best, with a light mulch of Fafard Organic Compost to help buffer the soil from extreme conditions.
The spring flowers of Nantucket serviceberry develop into edible summer fruits.
Most gardeners know serviceberries as small trees, but this rare East Coast native is a suckering 4-foot-tall shrub. As with most of its tribe, the Nantucket species (Zones 4-8) produces white early-spring flowers followed by edible dark blueish berries that ripen in late spring and early summer. Its close cousin running serviceberry (Amelanchier stolonifera) will also do in a pinch. Both can be hard to find in nurseries. Look for native plants in coastal regions from Nova Scotia to Virginia.
Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
Bearberry is evergreen and covers the ground in emerald. (Image by Russell Stafford)
Spreading tufted mats of small rounded evergreen leaves give rise to pinkish urn-shaped flowers in spring, evolving to ornamental red berries in late summer. Even in the poor sandy soils bearberry (USDA Hardiness Zones 2-7) prefers, the groundcover shrub can take a while to settle in, so it’s not for gardeners in a hurry. The natural distribution of the shrub includes the upper latitudes of North America and Eurasia.
Groundsel Bush (Baccharis halimifolia)
Groundsel bush has impressive silvery white seedheads in the fall.
Most hardy members of the aster family are herbaceous perennials, dying back to the ground every winter. Groundsel bush (Zones 5-10) is anything but, forming an upright medium to large shrub – up to 15 feet tall and wide in moist fertile soil. Its growth is relatively restrained in dry sandy conditions. Clad in attractive shiny bright-green foliage from spring until late fall, Baccharis halimifolia takes center stage in late summer, engulfing itself in clouds of small white flowers. Female plants go a step further, producing downy silvery seedheads that glisten in the slanting late-season sunlight. The seeds drift away in late fall, often producing a large crop of progeny – so you and your neighbors will need to be on the lookout for possible unwanted seedlings. The shrub’s native distribution is from Massachusetts to Texas.
Inkberry (Ilex glabra)
Inkberry is a reliable evergreen native shrub. Many good cultivated varieties are offered.
Inkberry (Zones 4-9) has become a staple evergreen shrub for sunny and lightly shaded gardens throughout much of the US. This is largely thanks to the introduction of compact varieties such as ‘Shamrock’, ‘Green Billow’, and ‘Forever Emerald’, which maintain a dense compact habit rather than becoming sparse and rangy like the straight species. The glossy spineless dark-green leaves are joined by small white flowers in spring, and on female plants by little black berries in fall. The cultivar ‘Ivory Queen’ is showier in fruit, bearing pearly white fruit. The native distribution is from Nova Scotia to Louisiana.
Creeping Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis)
Rug Juniper is a classic landscape shrub for sea or oceanside landscapes.
Even the most casual gardener is likely to be familiar with this garden workhorse, whose prostrate scaly-leaved evergreen branches provide ground cover in many a sunny garden niche. Plants often turn bronze-green in winter. Numerous varieties of creeping juniper (Zones 3-8) are available, including vigorous blue-tinged ‘Wiltonii’ (commonly known as blue rug juniper), and ground-hugging, fine-textured ‘Bar Harbor’. The native distribution is across temperate North America.
Northern Bayberry (Morella caroliniensis)
In the spring, northern bayberry has inconspicuous flowers followed by waxy bayberries later in the season. (Image by Russell Stafford)
Long prized for its glossy aromatic semi-evergreen foliage and its winter berries, northern bayberry (Zones 3-7) spreads gradually into somewhat sparse 6- to 8-foot thickets that work well as informal hedging. Cedar waxwings, yellow-rumped warblers, and other birds hungrily harvest the berries in late winter. Both male and female plants are required to produce the fruits, which were traditionally used to scent bayberry candles. The shrub exists from Newfoundland to North Carolina.
Beach Plum (Prunus maritima)
Beach plums are delicious and the tough little shrubs make good specimen plants.
The tart, grape-sized fruits of Prunus maritima (Zones 4-8) excel in preserves, syrups, vinegars, and jams. Beach plum fanciers typically harvest them from the wilds of the Atlantic coast when they ripen in late summer. Plant a few female beach plums along with a pollenizing male, and you’ll have a harvest right outside your door. Although a rather scraggly 3- to 5-foot thing in its native dune habitats, beach plum forms a dense, attractive 6- to 10-foot shrub under garden conditions. Swarms of snowy white flowers in spring are a further ornamental feature. Most plants bear irregularly from year to year, so look for selections – such as ‘Snow’ and ‘Jersey Beach Plum’ – that are more consistent producers. Cultivars ‘Nana’ and ‘Ecos’ bear reliable annual crops on more compact 3- to 5-foot-tall plants. You can further enhance beach plum’s productivity and habit by thinning out old, unproductive branches in early spring. Beaches from Maine to Virginia are home to the shrubby plum.
Dwarf Sand Cherry (Prunus pumila)
The bright green foliage of dwarf sand cherry brightens summer landscapes. (Image by Russell Stafford)
Edible fruits are also a feature of the outstanding 2-foot tall ground cover cherry (Zones 3-8), which will quickly cover a sandy bank with its sprawling stems. The summer-ripening fruits are preceded by white flowers in spring. Dwarf sand cherry can be found along coasts from Ontario to Virginia.
Salt-Tolerant Native Trees
American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
American Persimmon flowers are urn-shaped and appear in spring.
A must for the edible coastal garden, this Connecticut-to-Texas native does indeed bear tasty persimmons (Zones 5-10). Ripening orange in fall, the squat, tennis-ball-sized fruits mellow from astringent to tartly flavorful as they soften. A tree in full fruit gives the appearance of being laden with miniature pumpkins. You’ll need both male and female trees – or a self-pollinating selection such as ‘Meador’ – to get fruit. American persimmon matures into a large picturesque open-branched tree with handsome, plated, charcoal-gray bark and bold, oval, deciduous leaves. Few trees can match it as a four-season ornamental.
American Holly (Ilex opaca)
The fruits of female American holly trees are just as pretty as those of European holly.
If you’re looking for a classic spiny-leaved, conical, tree-sized holly (Zones 5-9), here’s the native for you. Growing slowly to 20 feet or more, it maintains a dense, fully branched habit in sunny sites. Partially shaded specimens are sparser and lankier. With its signature shape and its red berries from fall into winter, American holly makes an arresting feature plant. It also works well as an impenetrable barrier hedge. Selections that depart from the norm in size, fruit or leaf color, or other characteristics are also available. Look for the holly in native lands from Massachusetts to Texas.
The signature species of pine barrens and other sandy habitats in eastern North America, Pinus rigida (Zone 3 to 8) typically grows as a somewhat gnarled small to medium-sized tree. It can attain considerable height in more fertile habitats. Best for gardens is ‘Sherman Eddy’, a superior dwarf cultivar, which forms a rounded, 12- to 15-foot specimen with densely needled, bottlebrush-like branchlets. Even more dwarf is ‘Sand Beach’, a mounding prostrate selection. Look for the tree from Maine to Georgia.
Elkhorn staghorn fern (Platycerium bifurcatum) is a lovely LARGE tropical fern for container growing.
Most home gardeners likely think of the lush, reliable Boston fern when thinking about ferns as houseplants, but there are many other truly beautiful options for gardeners looking for something unique. Ferns make good houseplants because most prefer lower light levels. Follow their care instructions, and these indoor ferns should provide lasting beauty to your home.
Button Fern
Button ferns are compact and very easy to grow.
Here is one of the easiest ferns you can grow, and it is a little gem. Button fern (Pellaea rotundifolia) reaches 6-12 inches high and has small, button-like pinnae. Grow it in filtered light or medium sunlight and provide even moisture. Mist occasionally to keep the fronds looking their best.
Crested Japanese Birdsnest Fern
Rather than having an airy look like most ferns, Crested Japanese Birdsnest Fern (Asplenium antiquum) has dense fronds with rippled edges. The variety ‘Leslie’ is especially wavy and pretty, and the twisted fronds of ‘Hurricane’ give the plant a twirly windswept look. It will tolerate partial sunshine or light shade. Mist regularly and water two times weekly in the cool winter months. More water may be required in warmer summer months.
Eyelash Fern
Eyelash ferns are lovely and reach no larger than 8 inches high. (Image courtesy of Logee’s Plants for Home and Garden)
If you are looking for a small, specimen fern, choose the delicate eyelash fern (Actiniopteris australis). When mature the plant only reaches (6-8 inches). The fine, palm-like fronds make the rare fern especially pretty. Most garden centers won’t carry eyelash fern, but specialty several plant vendors sell them online. High humidity is required for eyelash fern, so consider growing yours in a terrarium filled with Black Gold All-Purpose Potting Soil and a layer of decorative sphagnum peat moss on top.
Dragon’s Wing Fern
Dragon’s Wing Fern has impressive feathery fronds. (Image courtesy of Logee’s Plants for Home and Garden)
Be sure to provide plenty of space for a Dragon’s Wing Fern (Microsorum punctatum ‘Dragon’s Wing’), if you choose to grow one. The large fronds have a winged look and happy plants have been known to reach as much as 4′ across in time. A substantial pot and plant stand are required, but the beauty of the fern is worth the effort if you have the space. Provide filtered sunlight, regular water, and ample humidity.
Heart Fern
Heart fern is not a particularly ferny-looking fern. (Image courtesy of Logee’s Plants for Home and Garden)
At first glance, most might not recognize heart fern (Hemionitis arifolia) as a fern at all, but the beautiful specimen plant is truly a fern. The leaves have a leathery texture and distinct heart shape. The plants reach no more than 10 inches when mature. They prefer slightly moist soil and high humidity–making heart fern another potential terrarium specimen.
Staghorn Fern
Staghorn ferns are generally mounted on wood and moss and hung on the wall.
Staghorn ferns (Platycerium spp.) need substantial support, but they are truly beautiful. The large ferns naturally make their home in trees found in the rainforests of Java, New Guinea, and southeastern Australia. Specimens are generally wall-mounted or hung indoors. In warmer climates, they can be grown on trees or patio mounts outdoors. They enjoy warmth, humidity, and regular water–low-mineral spring water is preferred. (Elkhorn fern (Platycerium bifurcatum) is a particularly pretty and easy-to-find species.)
Growing Ferns
Most ferns grow best in fertile potting mix with a slightly acid pH. Good water-holding ability and drainage are also necessary soil requirements. Both Fafard Professional Potting Mix and Fafard Natural & Organic Potting Mix are good choices. Most ferns prefer to be watered regularly with low-mineral water, or bottled spring water and require pots that drain well. Misting and higher-than-average humidity are also recommended to discourage leaf-tip drying. Some gardeners opt to bring a humidifier into a room with potted ferns.
Shrubs from bottom left to right: Juiced® Orange Jessamine (Image thanks to Proven Winners® ), Eau De Parfum™ Berry Rose (Image thanks to Monrovia® ), X Pyracomeles Berry Box™ (Image thanks to Proven Winners® ), and Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea (Image thanks to First Editions® Plants).
Flowering shrubs are garden mainstays for bringing structure and seasonal color to beds, front borders, and large containers. 2024 brings a wealth of new, beautiful flowering shrubs to US gardeners. All selected are colorful and most will flower for months.
Hydrangeas
Proven Winners’ Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ is a good hydrangea for containers or garden edges. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)
Bailey Nursery and First Editions Plants have outdone themselves with the charming new Big Leaf Hydrangea, Eclipse® bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla, USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9). The ruby red flowers of Eclipse glow in summer against the shrub’s large, dark purple leaves. Fully grown specimens reach 5′ tall and wide and grow in full to partial sunlight.
Two colorful new hydrangeas for more compact gardens include Monrovia’s reblooming Seaside Serenade® Kitty Hawk Hydrangea(Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Hokomapfloy’, Zones 5-9), a new 3′ x 4′ selection with starry pale pink flowers and an ability to grow beautifully under tougher conditions. It thrives in full sun to partial shade. The equally cute and resilient Tuff Stuff Top Fun™Reblooming Mountain Hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata Tuff Stuff Top Fun™, Zones 4-9) is a recent Proven Winners introduction. The lacecap flowers are profuse and shrubs reach only 3′ x 3′.
Shrub Roses
Champagne Dreams is a beautiful, lightly fragrant new shrub rose from Jackson & Perkins. (Image thanks to Jackson & Perkins)
Monrovia’s Eau De Parfum™ Berry Rose (Rosa ‘Noa11356′) is a new shrub rose with all of the fragrance and old-fashioned romance of an heirloom. The disease-resistant rose reaches just 4′ x 4’ and produces loads of fully double, berry-red flowers from late spring to fall. Their fragrance is strong and outstanding, so plant yours near a patio or bench where their aroma can be enjoyed.
The delicately colored, disease-resistant Champagne Dreams Floribunda Rose (Rosa ‘JACgobesho’, 4 x 3′, USDA Hardiness Zones ) is a Jackson & Perkins exclusive shrub rose for 2024. The floribunda rose becomes laden with double, pale-apricot flowers from late spring to fall. The blooms are produced in clusters and have a light, fruity fragrance.
Other Select Shrubs
Berry Box™ (X Pyracomeles hybrid) is a compact new shrub with delicate spring flowers and bright fruits from fall to winter. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)
Looking for a truly miniature summer-blooming shrub that has the double bonus of attracting butterflies? Then try Butterfly Candy’s™ New Butterflybush Li’l Lavender™ (Buddleia davidii Li’l Lavender™, Zones 5-10). The 2′ x 3′ shrubs have large flower clusters of lavender. Plant the sun-loving shrub where soil drainage is satisfactory.
Reblooming Encore azaleas changed azalea growing forever. The shrubs truly rebloom in summer and the new Autumn Moonstruck™ Encore Azalea (Rhododendron ‘Roblezf‘, Zones 7-10) is a fine addition to the collection. Large, white, semi-double flowers bloom profusely on 4′ x 5’ shrubs with variegated foliage of ivory and green.
Butterflybush Li’l Lavender™ makes a lovely addition to sunny summer gardens. (Image thanks to Butterfly Candy™)
Proven Winners: Juiced® OrangeJessamine (CestrumcorymbosumJuiced® OrangeJessamine, Zones 7-10). Southern gardeners can enjoy the sunny golden orange blooms of the evergreen Juiced® OrangeJessamin. The sun-loving shrubs reach 5′ x 4′ and produce clusters of golden orange, fragrant flowers in the warm summer months. Butterflies are attracted to the flowers.
I had to include Proven Winners Berry Box™(X Pyracomeleshybrid, Zones 7-9) because the miniature (3.5′ x 3′) fruitful shrub offers both spring flowers and bright orange-red berries in fall and winter. Berry Box™ will grow beautifully in a large container.
Shrub Planting and Care
Shrubs are a long-term investment, so make certain to know the needs of any shrub before planting. For further information, I recommend reading the invaluable article, How to Plant and Site Trees and Shrubs, by horticulturist Russell Stafford. It will provide all the details for how to choose the best location in your yard for any shrub of interest. Additionally, when planting any in-ground shrubs, I recommend amending the ground soil with Fafard® Premium Natural & Organic Compost. The natural and organic amendment is formulated for organic gardening.
“I have full sun for the majority of the day at my home. I’m wanting to put up a window box on the front of my house, but I’m not sure what plants would succeed. Help is appreciated! Thank you!” Question from Melissa of Ludington, Michigan
Answer: There are lots of great plants for sunny window boxes. Good options do not get too tall or wide and grow and flower well in small spaces. For design purposes, plant them in contrasting combinations with bushy and trailing or spilling plants in complementary colors. Annuals are most often favored for window boxes. Here are some that will grow beautifully in Michigan.
Favorite Sunny Window Box Bushy Bloomers
Summer Snapdragon (Angelonia angustifolia hybrids). Choose these heat-lovers for sunny window boxes. They will even take some drought. Some of the newer summer snapdragons, like those in the Angelface® Cascade Series, are a bit more compact, making them better suited for window boxes.
Bidens (Bidens hybrids): These heat-loving annuals generally have yellow or orangish-red daisy-like flowers. Most varieties keep on flowering until fall.
Bedding Geraniums (Pelargonium hybrids): Old-fashioned geraniums need to be deadheaded, but they are classic window box plants that keep looking great until frost. I love cherry-red varieties, but you can also find them with white, pink, salmon, orange, or orange-red blooms.
Petunias and Calibrachoa (Petunia and Calibrachoa hybrids): Go to any garden center, and you will find loads of petunias and calibrachoa. Vista Petunias and Superbells Calibrachoa are my favorites. They bloom beautifully from summer to fall and trail nicely in containers.
Profusion Zinnias (Zinnia Profusion Series): Here is one of the best trailing zinnias for nonstop flowers for the sun. They come in lots of colors, including white, orange, yellow, and red, and they are very easy to grow from seed. (Click here to learn how to grow annuals from seed.)
Favorite Sunny Window Box Spillers
Dichondra Silver Falls™ (Dichondra argenteaProven Accents®Silver Falls™): Here is one of the easiest, prettiest, most drought-tolerant spillers that you can grow. Its trailing stems of pure silver cannot be beaten.
Mexican Hair Grass (Nasella tenuissima): Plant this fine, fountain-shaped, airy grass to add height and spill to containers.
Ornamental Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas ornamental hybrids): There are loads of compact, trailing ornamental sweet potatoes that really light up containers. Two great, compact options are the bright green Sweet Caroline Medusa™ Green and variegated green, white, and pink Tricolor.
Bacopa (Sutera cordata hybrids): These small-leaved, trailing annuals have small, pretty flowers of white or lavender-pink. Of the white-flowered varieties, Snowstorm®Giant Snowflake® has the largest flowers and a great
“What is the best organic way to get rid of whiteflies?” Question from Shawn of Kenosha, Wisconsin
Answer: Whiteflies can become awful pests to manage if the populations become too large, but they are relatively easy to kill if you know what to do. Here is a little more information about them and some organic methods for their management.
What Are Whiteflies?
Whiteflies are sucking insects that remove the juices from plant leaves and stems. Tiny whiteflies can be very destructive when populations are high–causing leaf drop and general plant decline. When plants are badly infested, the undersides of leaves will become covered with clouds of tiny flies that are white and clusters of their small, round, white egg masses.
Whiteflies breed continuously and quickly, which is a big reason why they are so problematic. According to Colorado State University: At 70º F, the greenhouse whitefly life cycle happens fast. “It takes 6-10 days for egg hatch, 3-4 days as a nymph I, 4-5 days as nymph II, 4-5 days as nymph III, 6-10 days for the pupa. Adults can live for 30 to 40 days.” Adults produce lots of eggs for ever-increasing numbers unless challenged.
How to Kill Whiteflies
Start by spraying the plants off with a sharp spray of water from a hose. Focus on the undersides of leaves. Then look beneath the leaves for clusters of clinging, small, white egg masses. Leaves thickly covered with egg masses should be removed, tightly bagged, and thrown away. Next, wipe the egg masses off of the remaining leaves. Make sure no eggs remain. Finally, spray the plants with insecticidal soap, Neem oil, or horticultural oil. (Click here for an overview of horticultural oils for organic insect control.) Continue to check for whiteflies and wipe and spray leaves as needed. It may take a little work, but this method is effective.
Most ferns grow best in fertile potting mix with a slightly acid pH. Good water-holding ability and drainage are also necessary soil requirements. Both 
Shrubs are a long-term investment, so make certain to know the needs of any shrub before planting. For further information, I recommend reading the invaluable article, 
