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.
Pennsylvania Sedge is a lush, grass-like, non-invasive groundcover that grows well beneath trees.
“I need a straight answer. I have read so much, I am confused after reading so many articles. I need a low-maintenance, noninvasive ground cover on a mostly shady hillside. If it is invasive, it will end up causing me issues as I am unable to maintain anything that needs to be dug out by roots to stop it from spreading. I am in zone 6b. Thank you in advance.” Denise of Charleroi, Pennsylvania
Answer: All groundcovers will spread, so expect them to cover the hillside. Even native, noninvasive groundcovers may spread beyond bounds, but generally, it is not a problem when dealing with natives adapted to your region. Here are four excellent options that I recommend for your shady hillside in southwestern, Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Native Groundcovers for Shade
Allegheny Spurge (Pachysandraprocumbens, Zones 4-9) is a handsome native groundcover that is low-growing and will spread to 3 feet or more. It has white spring flowers that feed bees, and deer don’t care for it.
Maple-Leaved Alumroot(Heuchera villosa var. atropurpurea, Zones 4-7) forms mounds of textural, burgundy leaves make this hardy perennial a great groundcover for shaded spots. Any Heuchera can be planted in masses to cover a lot of ground. Warning: Do not cover their crowns with mulch.
American Ginger(Asarum canadensis, Zones 3-8) is a pretty, low-growing, slow-spreading groundcover with bright green, heart-shaped leaves. They produce unusual maroon spring flowers that are beetle pollinated.
Evergreen American Wild Ginger(Asarum arifolium, Zones 5-9) is similar to American ginger but its leaves are evergreen beautifully mottled leaves. It is one of my favorite native groundcovers.
Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pensylvanica, Zones 3-7) forms fine, grassy clumps of foliage that are very attractive. It will tolerate both dry and moist shade.
Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides, Zones 3-9) is an evergreen fern that grows well in dry shade once established and spreads. Plant multiple specimens to cover a lot of ground. It is my favorite groundcover for shade. (Click here to learn more.)
For a truly beautiful groundcover planting, plant many of these different plants in sweeps. Clear the ground before planting them and give them added water as they are becoming established. Working up the soil before planting and amending with Fafard® Premium Natural & Organic Compost will help the plants grow better from the start. The addition of leaf mulch will help keep weeds away.
Glistening straw flowers come in many bright colors.
True everlasting flowers hold their shape and color for a long time after drying. Most are grown as annuals, but a few are also perennials that will return yearly. Crafty gardeners should grow some of these each year for arrangements and crafting. They are so bright in the garden and beyond.
I first took an interest in everlastings in the late 1990s. After seeing a few dried in full color, I wanted to grow them for myself. I started with the basics–gomphrena, strawflowers, and statice–but through the years I have grown many more. Here is how to grow these plants followed by the types and varieties that every gardener first dabbling in everlastings must grow.
Growing Everlastings
Purple gomphrena are a favorite garden flower that is also an everlasting.
The growing needs of most of these flowers are simple: Start them from seed indoors in spring (click here for general instructions), and plant them in a cutting garden or flower bed with full sun and well-drained soil. (Amending the soil in spring with Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost is recommended for good establishment and growth.) Average water will do the trick. Most everlastings are well-adapted to heat.
Everlasting Cut Flowers
This image shows winged everlasting flowers at three stages–partially opened, opened, and spent (brown centers). Harvest at the partially-opened stage.
Winged everlasting (Ammobium alatum) is an annual that bears the most delicate stems of white flowers with shimmering papery petals. Cut the summer stems just before you see their yellow centers and dry them upside down until completely dry. They look beautiful in dried winter arrangements!
Harvest strawflowers just before you see their yellow centers because the centers often fall apart after drying.
Strawflowers or paper daisies (Helichrysum bracteatum (syn. Xerochrysumbracteatum)) blooms are very colorful–coming in red, orange, pink, purple, yellow, white, or apricot hues. They are quite easy to grow from seed (click here for instructions), but many garden centers sell plants if you don’t have the time or inclination for seed starting. Most seeds are offered as mixes, but not all. Monstrosum Tall Mix, from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, has extra-large, bold flowers on tall stems (to 4 feet!). Two more good ones from Johnny’s are ‘Silvery Rose‘ and ‘Purple Red‘, which would look very striking together. Harvest the blooms for drying just before you see their yellow centers and hang them upside down until dry.
Well-preserved annual statice flowers hold their color very well.
Annual Statice (Limonium sinuatum) looks so pretty fresh or dry. Its clusters of small, papery flowers come in many colors, but the purples and blues are the biggest standouts. Johnny’s Selected Seeds has a full suite of varieties for sale from their cheerful Formula Mix to their breathtaking violet-blue Formula Blue and QIS Apricot, which would pair well. Statice plants form small rosettes of foliage that hug the ground. Flowering stems rise from the center in summer. Cut them to the base at harvest time.
Another statice to add to the list is the perennial statice, sea lavender (Limonium latifolium, Zones 4-9). Grow it for its finer, airier sprays of silvery blue flowers, which are favorite filler flowers in the florist industry. They look great in perennial borders as well.
The yellow drumsticks of craspedia hold their color well and make happy arrangements.
The tender perennial drumstick flower (Craspediaglobosa, Zones 8-11) can be grown as both an attractive garden flower and sunny everlasting. Clumps of grassy, silvery leaves bear upright stems of yellow, round flowers in summer. Harvest them just when they turn their brightest color. The strong-stemmed flowers can look good for years in a vase.
Everlasting cockscomb retains its color and looks beautiful in large vases filled with these bold, unique flowers.
Cockscomb (Celosia plumosa Cristata Group) has undulating, brain-coral-like flowers on taller, strong-stemmed plants. The annuals may come in shades of orange, yellow, or pink, but the reds are the best. The prolific ‘Cramer’s Burgundy‘ is a very deep burgundy-red and may have up to 20 stems per plant! It was selected by a commercial cut flower grower, so you know it must be good. The bright red ‘Indiana Giant‘ has huge cockscombs that remind me of the types that I grew as a child in our Indiana garden. They are spectacular! The taller ‘Tornado Red‘ is another to try.
Globe gomphrena hold their flower color very well, especially those in deeper shades, like QIS™ Purple.
Globe Gomphrena (Gomphrena globosa and G. haageana) are multi-stemmed, heat-loving garden annuals that bloom nonstop from summer until the end of the season. Their little flowers pack a big punch when gathered into bouquets. They come in purple, red, white, or apricot. One of my favorites to grow is the classic ‘Strawberry Fields, which is a 2-foot plant that produces many long-stemmed red flowers. Another bred for the cut-flower industry, is QIS™ Formula Mix that comes in a mix of white, pale lavender, and deep purple.
Preserving Everlastings
Hang everlastings until their stems are completely dry.
When hanging everlasting flowers to dry, be sure to do it in a cool, dry, dark place for the best preservation. Tie stems in bundles of no more than five to encourage good airflow. Once dry, apply dried flower preserving spray to help retain color and keep the delicate blooms from shattering. It is also important to note that many of the flowers, particularly statice, will lose their color faster if kept in full sun.
Whether you use everlastings for arrangements, colorful potpourri, ornament-making, or wreath-making, it is always nice to have the bright color of everlastings in the home. Harvest them now to enjoy for the rest of the season.
Red, burgundy, and purple okra varieties are extra pretty in the garden.
Okra is a southern staple crop for several reasons. The tasty podded vegetable thrives in heat and even drought, and it is so easy to grow. Newer varieties are more tender, prolific, and lack painful spines. As an added bonus, you can let the pods mature and become woody at the end of the season, and then cut them and bring them indoors. They last for years and add an architectural flair to everlasting arrangements.
About Okra
Okra flowers are quite pretty and attract bees.
Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is a tender perennial with native roots extending from Africa to Southeast Asia. Historically, it was brought to the Americas through the slave trade in the late 1600s and is noted as becoming a southern staple crop in the United States by the early 1800s. It is a nutritious vegetable (technically a fruit) that requires little nurturing to produce pods, so it certainly helped feed those with little resources early on in the South. It is an essential ingredient of Louisiana gumbo and is also enjoyed fried, pickled, and added to mixed meat and vegetable dishes.
Okra is an essential ingredient in Louisiana gumbo.
The plants are tall, upright, and have large, lobed, palm-shaped leaves. They are members of the hibiscus or mallow family, so their purple-centered, mallow-like flowers of pale yellow, ivory, or pink, are quite pretty when in bloom. Bees are the primary pollinators, so refrain from using pesticides around okra, not that they should be needed. The plants don’t have many severe pest and disease problems, aside from Japanese beetles where these pests are present (click here to learn how to manage Japanese Beetles). Aphids also cause occasional, but not severe, problems. The upright pods should be harvested when they are tender and young. Once they are woody, you can no longer eat them.
Good Okra Varieties
Large okra varieties, like ‘Bowling Red’ need lots of space to grow.
There is a surprising amount of variability in okra forms. Pods may be purple, red, or various shades of green. The most essential traits to seek out are cultivated varieties with numerous tender pods and continuous production. Height is another factor to consider. Some varieties can reach 8 feet high, while compact forms may only reach 3 feet. Here are seven exceptional varieties to try.
‘Annie Oakley‘ (53 days from seed to harvest) is the first okra that I ever grew, and it sold me on okra for life. The compact plants produce lots of small to mid-sized okra pods that are green and very tender.
‘Bowling Red‘ (57 days from seed to harvest) is a large okra (7-8 feet) that bears lots of long, slender, tasty pods of deep purplish-red. Pods are noted for remaining tender at a larger stage. The variety dates back to 1920s Virginia.
‘Carmine Splendor‘ (51 days from seed to harvest) is a high-yielding heirloom with somewhat small, uniform, reddish pods and are fast-to-produce. It should bear fruit from midsummer to late summer or early fall.
‘Clemson Spineless‘ (60 days from seed to harvest) is a 4-5-foot heirloom that is noted for being one of the first spineless types developed. Its pale green, pods are tasty and prolific.
‘Heavy Hitter‘ (55 days from seed to harvest) is a 5-foot okra that appears to be on steroids because its crops are so large. Single plants are reported to produce as many as 250 pods over a season! Give the large plants plenty of space.
‘Jambalaya‘ (50 days from seed to harvest) is compact, early, and bears smaller pods heavily through summer. This is the okra to try if you have little space.
‘Louisiana 16 inch‘ (60 days from seed to harvest) has long, palest-green, extra flavorful pods that remain tender for a long time. If you like to eat lots of okra, choose this variety! Keep in mind, it becomes huge (to 8-feet). Some report it growing into the trees, so plan to give it lots of space.
‘Clemson Spineless’ Okra is truly spine-free! (Please note the aphids on the fruit. They can be problematic but are easily spritzed off with a jet of water from the hose before harvest.)
Planting and Growing Okra
Okra grows best in full, hot sun for a minimum of 8 hours per day. It will tolerate poor to average soil, but adding fertile amendments to the garden will boost performance and production while reducing the need to water as often. Fafard Garden Manure Blend is a great amendment for okra planting.
Okra seeds are large, so it is a good direct-sow crop, meaning you can seed them in on-site. Plant them when the soil is warm and the threat of frost has passed. Topping the seeds off with added organic matter provides extra moisture and light cover to help them germinate more readily.
Space plants according, based on their final estimated plant size, and expect them to grow large quickly. Wayward branches can be pruned off to keep plants in bounds. Large plants may require staking, especially if you live in an area where high winds are common.
Harvesting Okra
Harvest pods with a sharp knife, pruners, or shears.
When it comes to harvest, timing is everything. The pods develop so quickly that they can turn from tender to woody in just a day or two, so plan to pick them daily during harvest season. Harvest them then they are small, tender, and bendable, or squeezable. Cut them from their tender base, and store them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh. The faster you cook the pods, the better they will taste!
As fall becomes chilly, okra stops producing. At this time, I recommend leaving a stem or two to fully mature and dry. The woody stems and fruits add decorative flair to dry arrangements. It is also the perfect time to collect seeds for the following season.
Long-stemmed roses grown for their big, lush blooms are hybrid tea roses. They are noted for their open, upright habits, and long-stemmed roses, which are ideal for cutting. Earlier in the 20th Century, these were the most popular roses for gardens, but times have changed. Now, they are underplanted, relative to popular shrub, grandiflora, and floribunda roses, which are denser and flower-covered. Hybrid tea blooms are truly for cut-flower connoisseurs.
Despite their reduced popularity, there are still many teas being bred and developed both for gardeners and the cut-flower industry. Some reliable heirlooms are also still in production. Those that are disease-resistant, lushly petaled, and fragrant get top marks from me. Exciting colors and their symbolization are also worth noting. Most are is reliably hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 6-11. Here are some of the better tea roses worth cutting for a vase to admire over a summer’s afternoon tea.
Top Hybrid Tea Roses for Cutting
Red Roses Symbolize Love
Mr. Lincoln is a classic red rose that has remained in production since 1954.
Plenty of heirloom roses are disease-resistant, and the 1954 introduction ‘Mr. Lincoln’ is one. Its deepest red, velvety roses are heavily petaled (25 petals/rose) and have a strong, sweet fragrance. The reblooming rose has an upright habit of 4-feet. Every red-rose lover should grow one.
The large cherry-red flowers of Veteran’s Honor® Hybrid Tea Rose are can last up to two weeks in the vase and bear flowers through summer. The lightly fragrant blooms have a fruity scent, and many petals (25-30 per rose). The upright shrubs show good disease resistance and reach 5 feet tall when mature.
Pink Roses Symbolize Grace and Joy
The Jackson & Perkins introduction Perfume Delight™ is one the best pink cutting roses.
The delicate blush pink and white ‘Pristine‘ roses are intensely fragrant and look striking against the dark, disease-resistant foliage of the 4-foot shrubs. The flowers of this 1978 introduction have many petals (40) and rebloom continuously until fall.
The AARS (All-America Rose Selection) award-winning Perfume Delight™ is a rich pink rose that was first introduced in 1974 and noted for its intoxicating damask-rose scent and numerous repeat blooms. The large, roses (32 petals) are produced on 3-foot plants that are remarkably long-stemmed. It is also notably disease resistant.
Yellow Roses Symbolize Friendship and Care
‘Henry Fonda’ is a very deep, golden yellow rose with a clean, sweet fragrance.
The highly disease-resistant ‘Henry Fonda‘ bears many blooms of clear yellow through summer. Its long-stemmed roses are borne from 4 to 5-foot plants. The lightly scented, long-stemmed flowers have 20-25 petals. If you grow one yellow hybrid tea, choose this one!
Orange Roses Symbolize Passion
Just Joey is one of the prettiest pale-orange to apricot roses.
The fragrant, pale-orange blooms (30 petals) of Just Joey™ bloom continuously until fall. It is also quite disease-resistant and compact–reaching just 3-feet at maturity. Expect lots of flowers for cutting from this beautiful 1973 introduction.
Tahitian Sunset is noted for its intense, spicy, heavily scented flowers that are the color for a glorious tropical sunset. The long-stemmed flowers are borne on 5-foot plants that are highly blackspot resistant. This perfectly formed rose won top honors from the AARS, so you know that you can’t go wrong with this one.
White Roses Symbolize Purity
Clouds of Glory is a white bloomer with the palest pink tint.
The near-white Clouds of Glory has heavily petaled (30-35) flowers with the slightest blush of pink in the center. The long-stemmed roses are heavily scented and the 4-foot plants are quite disease-resistant.
Home And Family™ produces perfectly formed roses (30-40 petals) of pure ivory. They are lightly scented and produced on disease-resistant plants with very dark green foliage. The stems are nearly thornless, which makes it a good rose for homes with small children.
How to Grow Hybrid Tea Roses
Use sharp shears for cutting, and place roses in fresh water immediately.
Choose a good site. Roses grow best in a site with full sun and a little wind, for good airflow. Ideal rose-growing soil will have good drainage, ample organic matter, and a slightly acid to neutral soil (6.5 to 7.0), so check your pH before planting. Amend with Black Gold Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss at planting time and add a fertilizer formulated for rose growing. I suggest alfalfa meal. Adding a light application of mulch around the base of the plant helps to keep weeds away.
Prune your roses yearly. First, time it right. Prune in late winter or early spring before branches have broken bud. Make forty-five-degree, angled branch cuts with clean, sharp bypass pruners. Cut stems around one-half inch above buds that face away from the center of the shrub to encourage outward branching. Keep a container of 10% bleach on hand to dip pruners into between plants, avoid the potential spread of disease. Also, be sure to invest in a good pair of rose gloves to protect your hands and lower arms.
Remove dead or unhealthy-looking branches, and then cut backcrossing branches or old, large branches that negatively impact the plant’s overall shape. Finally, remove small, densely arranged branches to promote good foliar airflow. Read more about good rose pruning techniques by clicking here.
Check for pests and diseases. It’s best to catch and stop pest and diseases early for easier management and removal. Foliar fungal diseases are the most common and easiest to spot. Powdery mildew (white spots on leaf tops), downy mildew (purple, red, or brown spots on leaves), black spot (black spots on leaf tops and bottoms), rust (orange bumps on leaf bottoms and tops), and anthracnose (red or brown spots that turn gray or white in the center) are the most common foliar diseases cause by fungi.
The best practice is to remove disease foliage immediately, in addition to removing foliage that may have fallen to the ground. Keeping plants physically clean will do wonders. There are lots of effective, environmentally friendly rose-care products to choose from. For fungal foliar fungal diseases, I recommend Green Cure® for powdery mildew and Garden Safe Brand Fungicide 3® for all other foliar fungal diseases. Both are reliable and safe.
Enjoy fresh rose arrangements all summer long!
Fill your vases with cut roses often to encourage new flowers to appear on your shrubs. Keep plants well cared for and tended, and your home can be filled with fresh flowers for the cost of the water in the vase and the time to fetch the flowers.
“I would like to know more about waterlilies, container-growing, and how to plant them.” Question from Uma of Wellington, Florida–
Answer: You are in luck! There are quite a few tropical, compact waterlilies that grow beautifully in containers. Tropical lilies would be best for your zone and climate.
Tropical Waterlilies for Containers
There are many great options available, which may be listed as pygmy or miniature tropical waterlilies (Nymphaea hybrids). The highly compact, lavender-blue-flowered Nymphaea ‘Colorata’ is ideal for small aquatic pots or tubs. Another is the heavier blooming Nymphaea ‘Margaret Mary’, which has even darker purplish-blue flowers and a growth habit suited to tub culture.
How to Grow Waterlilies in Pots or Tubs
“Most gardeners don’t consider growing these beautiful aquatic flowers because they lack the desire or space for a pond, but ponds are not needed if you grow small. Watertight, spacious troughs or pots can be converted into tiny water gardens for miniature waterlilies. If you have a partially sunny patio, deck, or garden space that can take the weight of a water-filled pot, you are set!” For further details about how to prepare your waterlily pots, please read our full blog titled, HOW TO CREATE MINIATURE WATER LILY POTS. It will provide all of the information that you need to get growing.
Tomatoes are America’s favorite garden vegetable (technically fruit). That’s why each year there are loads of tomato taste tests across the country. I have reviewed several of these taste tests to identify the best-tasting tomatoes among them. I also used taste tests conducted at universities and other horticultural institutions. This list comprises the 10 tomatoes that rise to the top, time after time.
Because taste test results vary, I also added my own two cents. I have grown over 50 different tomato varieties, all noted as having superior flavor. Many of my own favorites were also official taste test winners.
10 Best-Tasting Tomatoes
Kellogg’s Breakfast is the most delicious orange slicing tomato to be had.
‘Sun Gold‘ (cherry tomato, Indeterminate) fruits are borne in quantity on prolific vines and are prone to cracking after heaving rains, so plant them in well-drained soil, and harvest ripe fruits before heavy rains.
‘Aunt Ruby’s German Green‘ (beefsteak, indeterminate, heirloom (date of origin unknown)) turns bright yellowish-green when mature. Fruits can reach up to 1 lb each. If green tomatoes are not your thing, look past the color like Sam I Am would say about Green Eggs and Ham. This outstanding tomato is sweet, tart, and full-flavored. It has won taste test after taste test. The heirloom was discovered in the garden of Ruby Arnold of Greenville, Tennessee. It had been handed down by her German immigrant grandfather.
‘Cherokee Purple‘ (slicer, indeterminate, heirloom c. 1809) fruits are large, deep purplish-red, and have a meaty texture and good balance between sweetness and old-fashioned tomato flavor. Count on productive vines. As the story goes, this very old heirloom variety originated from a Tennesee family who reportedly received the seeds from area Cherokee Tribe’s People in the 1890s. Its longevity as a garden favorite is due to its reliable award-winning flavor.
‘Kellogg’s Breakfast‘ (beefsteak, indeterminate) is the finest tasting of the orange slicing tomatoes. Its large, slightly lobed fruits are bright orange with smooth, meaty flesh that is fruity, sweet, and flavorful. The heat-loving vines produce heavily. Not only has this Michigan heirloom gotten top taste-test marks, but Sunset Magazine food editors named it one of the best-tasting tomatoes of all time.
‘Gold Medal‘ (beefsteak, indeterminate, heirloom c. 1920) is arguably the top bicolor for taste. The giant 1-3 lb fruits are perfectly marbled with red and yellow and are large, meaty, and juicy. It has won lots of taste tests where it has been described as luscious and superb. I have grown it for years and heartily agree. If only the vines were a bit more prolific. Still, this is one heirloom you must grow for flavor.
‘Carbon‘ (slicer, indeterminate) has large, firm, juicy fruits of deepest purplish-red. The smooth tomatoes have won many taste tests, most notably one at Cornell University, and are produced on prolific, disease-resistant vines. The flavor is described as rich and complex.
‘Big Rainbow‘ (beefsteak, indeterminate, heirloom (date of origin unknown)) is truly big and beautiful as well as delicious. Taste testers note the marked fruity sweetness of the yellow fruits, which are marbled with red. One tomato can reach up to 2 lbs, so stake the vines well. The flesh is very soft and juicy, so treat the fruits with care. The heirloom originates from Mauckport, Indiana.
‘Red Brandywine‘ (beefsteak, indeterminate, heirloom c. 1889) is one of several Brandywine tomato varieties, but it is likely the best-known. The deep red fruits are juicy, tart, and big on sweet tomato flavor. Lovers of classic red slicing tomatoes should grow this one! Amy Goldman, the author of The Heirloom Tomato, describes it as perfection.
‘Brandysweet Plum‘ (plum tomato, indeterminate) is a more recent introduction that is believed to be a cross between ‘Red Brandywine’ and the ‘Sweet 100’ cherry tomato, both flavorful tomatoes. The result is a stellar plum tomato that is sweet, juicy, and excellent for fresh eating or sauce making. It has appeared with top marks on several taste tests.
‘Flamme‘ or ‘Jaunne Flamme’ (saladette, indeterminate, heirloom ) is an early bearer that produces loads of small, round, bright orange salad tomatoes on productive vines. The French heirloom is noted for citrusy, fruity tomatoes that have won many regional taste tests. Amy Goldman gives it an “excellent” rating for flavor.
Cherokee Purple is a delicious purple beefsteak that should be on every gardener’s to-grow list.
To learn more about growing tomatoes from seed to harvest, we recommend watching this handy video.
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Joe-Pye weed, purple coneflower, pale pink Culver’s root, and flowering sedums are all summer-to-fall-blooming perennial powerhouses.
Perennials are garden workhorses that save money by returning yearly, but most do not bloom nonstop. That’s why seasonality is an essential design factor when creating perennial gardens. Designing a beautiful bed with seamless seasonal appeal takes a little skill and knowledge, and it all starts with knowing your plants.
Consider this a starter course in perennial garden design. The focus will be on spring, summer, and fall bloomers that offer a big show. Plant heights, colors, and textures will also be considered. Intermingle any of these plants, and you should have a show-stopping perennial garden. Some of the plants listed are suitable for sun, shade, or both. At planting time, don’t forget to amend perennial beds with Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost.
Hubricht’s Bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii, USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9, 2-3 feet, full to partial sun) is an eastern US native with a spring-to-fall appeal. It has palest-blue spring flowers that attract bees, bold mounds of feathery foliage through summer, and golden fall color. Bluestar may bloom from mid-spring to early summer, depending on how far north you live.
False indigo (Baptisia species and hybrids, Zones 4-9, 3-4 feet, full to partial sun) are some of the larger, bolder perennials for gardens. Most forms develop large, strong-stemmed, vase-shaped mounds. In late spring to early summer, upright wands of sweet-pea-like flowers appear in shades ranging from purple, white, yellow, or pink. Proven Winners’ Decadence®Series are some of the best. My favorite is Decadence®Deluxe ‘Pink Lemonade’ with its pale yellow flowers that age to a rose-pink. The blooms are followed by stems of blackish pods that rattle in the wind and continue to offer appeal into winter if you leave them up.
Jack Frost Siberian bugloss
Jack FrostSiberian bugloss(Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’, 1-1.5 feet, Zones 3-8, full to partial shade) is a pretty foliage plant that bears small but numerous blue flowers in springtime. The tiny blooms are borne on airy stems above the foliage and look just like forget-me-nots. After spring, the large, heart-shaped, silver-gilded leaves of ‘Jack Frost’ brighten shade gardens until late fall. Their bright leaves make the biggest statement when planted in bold sweeps.
Wild blue phlox
Wild Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricata, Zones 3-8, 1-1.5 feet, full to partial shade) is a gentle spreader that will dot your shaded perennial garden with 10-12-inch stems of blue, lavender-blue, pink, or white flowers in the spring, depending on the variety. The lavender-blue ‘Blue Moon‘ is an exceptional bloomer with fuller flowers than average. Let these perennials weave between others and always plant them with those that bloom later in the season. Once wild blue phlox stops blooming, it offers little other seasonal interest.
Variegated sweet iris
Variegated Sweet Iris (Iris pallida ‘Variegata Silver’, 2-3 feet, Zones 4-9) blooms from late spring to early summer with sweetly scented, classic, clear violet-blue iris flowers. Its tidy, crisp, variegated foliage adds interest to the garden all season. Remove any browning leaves to keep plants looking nice. They provide an attractive colorful, vertical accent, especially if planted in sizable clumps. They do spread over time and eventually need to be divided.
Golden barrenwort
Golden Barrenwort (Epimedium × versicolor ‘Sulphureum’, Zones 5-9, 1 foot, partial sun to shade) is a mid-spring bloomer with ‘capped’ yellow flowers in nodding clusters. The attractive leaves look like fluttering wings and are reddish in spring, green through summer, and turn reddish shades again in fall. Established plants will tolerate dry shade. Plant them in sweeping clumps to make the most of their attractive summer and fall foliage.
Summer-Blooming Perennials
Butterflyweed is a monarch butterfly favorite that looks great in the garden.
Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa, Zones 3-9, 1-2.5 feet, full sun) is arguably the finest milkweed for the summer garden with its low, spreading stems covered in bright orange flowers. Flowering begins in early to midsummer. Once it stops, trim off the old blooms for another flush later in summer. If you see black-yellow-and-white-striped caterpillars on butterfly weed, leave them alone. They are monarch larvae.
Lakota Fire coneflower (Proven Winners)
Coneflowers (Echinacea species and hybrids, Zones 2-8, 1.5-3 feet, full to partial sun) come in so many wonderful varieties these days, and they always perform beautifully. They are some of the lowest-care and prettiest of all perennial garden flowers. They come in many colors and heights for endless design possibilities, and bees and butterflies love them! Lakota™Fireis a very compact variety, reaching just 16 inches, that has brilliant flowers in shades of orange-red and hot pink. The decadent, fuchsia-colored flowers of Delicious Candy are also exceptional and stand 2-feet high. These perennials are excellent mixers that pair well with many other garden plants. The dry seedheads are favored by songbirds.
Sound of My Heart daylily (Proven Winners)
Daylilies (Hemerocallis hybrids, Zones 3-9, variable heights, full sun) are essential members of the perennial border. There are thousands of varieties from which to choose, but the best-sellers are often superior bloomers that rebloom. Try the compact ‘Happy Returns‘, which has pretty butter-yellow flowers that will rebloom if you cut off the old flower stems. Another favorite is the fantastic Rainbow Rhythm®‘Ruby Spider’, which has curly red lilies that reach up to 9 inches across. For another look, try Rainbow Rhythm®‘Sound of My Heart’. Its frilly pink and burgundy blooms stand tall on 28-inch stems and reliably rebloom through summer with deadheading.
‘Jeana’ Tall phlox (Jessie Keith)
Tall Phlox (Phlox paniculata hybrids, Zones 3-8, 2-4 feet, full sun) is a big, showy late-summer bloomer that comes in lots of colors and is sure to draw loads of butterflies. Of the many cultivated varieties, ‘Jeana’is exceptional. Its large, upright flower clusters consist of tiny, pink blooms with a sweet scent. Butterflies and bees cover the showy blossoms. ‘David‘ is a lovely white-flowered selection that is tall with mountains of flower clusters. Both varieties are resistant to powdery mildew, a disease that makes the foliage look mottled with unsightly powdery white spots.
Black-Eyed-Susan ‘Goldsturm’
Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia fulgida hybrids, 1.5-2 feet, full sun) are garden standbys. They are tough and always look bold and beautiful with their golden, dark-eyed flowers. Tall, branched stems bloom over a long period from mid to late summer. Pollinators cannot get enough of them. Leave the seedheads up for songbirds to feast upon. Some varieties will continue blooming into fall. ‘Goldsturm‘ is the most classic variety, but keep in mind that its clumps spread over the years, so plan to divide and share them with friends. The more compact ‘Forever Gold‘ is equally pretty.
Fall-Blooming Perennials
Purple Dome aster is a common variety and reliable fall bloomer.
Baby Joe Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium dubium ‘Baby Joe’, 2-3 feet, full to partial sun) is one of the best late perennials for moist to average soil. Wild forms of this coastal-plain species can reach up to 5-feet tall, but the variety ‘Baby Joe’ stays smaller. Its airy puffs of dusty-pink flowers are a sure pollinator lure.
Fireworks goldenrod
Goldenrods (Solidago spp, full sun) provide a bright golden glow of color that native bees and migrating monarchs cannot resist. The bold, bright Fireworks goldenrod (Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’, Zones 4-9, 3 feet) is a tall variety that spreads over time and provides a big fall display of golden flower strands that truly resemble garden fireworks. The arching flowers make an impressive statement and pair well with asters. Golden Fleece goldenrod (Solidagosphacelata ‘Golden Fleece’, Zones 4-8, 12-18 inches) is boldly flowered, but compact, variety for smaller gardens.
Honorine Jobert anemone
Fall Anemones (Anemone x hybrida varieties, 2-3 feet, full to partial sun) have delicate blooms of white, pink, or rose-purple produced in impressive long-stemmed clusters. Place these along the center or rear of a flower border. The large, white-flowered ‘Honorine Jobert‘ reaches up to 3 feet and spreads over time. ‘Serenade‘ is a delicate pink variety with semi-double flowers on 2-foot stems. The clumps spread and require division every few years.
New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae–angliae, Zones 3-8, variable heights, full sun) is a native wildflower with purple to reddish-pink flowers that cover the plants in fall. There are many cultivated varieties, such as the double-deep-pink-flowered ‘Alma Pötschke’, which reaches 3-4 feet, and the classic ‘Purple Dome’ with its deepest purple flowers and compact height of 1.5 to 2 feet. Plant these where you wish to have a bright pop of color in the fall perennial garden.
Tall sedum attracts lots of pollinators in the fall.
Tall Sedums have broken the mold of the old-fashioned, dusky pink Autumn Joy sedum (Sedum telephium ‘Autumn Joy’, Zones 3-8, 1-2 feet, full sun), though it is a fine variety. Extra bright flowers and unique foliage colors, like bronze, purple and near-black, mark some of the newer varieties. Some are extra tall while others are very compact and more densely flowered. The knock-your-socks-off ‘Mr. Goodbud‘ (Sedum telephium ‘Mr. Goodbud’, Zones 4-9) an award-winner that is compact with brilliant domed flower heads of purplish-pink.(Click here for more tall sedum options.)
To extend flowering interest in my perennial beds, I always leave a few pockets for ever-blooming annuals. Fire-hot cuphea and marigolds, tall summer snapdragons, and annual salvias of all shades and colors give perennial gardens extra pizazz.
These shrubs are tough, beautiful through multiple seasons, and excellent for wildlife.
Some shrubs look beautiful in their natural form. Those on this list are elegantly beautiful in the wild or a garden. They offer aesthetic value and benefit our yard’s ecosystems.
These five shrubs are givers, providing season-long beauty as well as food for multiple pollinators and wildlife at different times of the year. They’ve been selected from personal experience. I’ve observed them in the wild, in gardens, and in landscapes. There are no ornamental or environmental losers in this bunch. Plant them, and your yard will smile.
Five Beautiful Shrubs for Pollinators
1. Serviceberries
Serviceberries are stately natives with year-round interest and high wildlife value.
Across North America, there are approximately 20 species serviceberry species (Amelanchier spp.). All are exceptionally beautiful, have high wildlife value, and many are in cultivation. Most grow as shrubs, but some develop into multi-stemmed small trees at maturity. Here are some better species and selections to grow.
Fragrant spring flowers, edible summer fruits, and glowing fall color are traits held by most serviceberries.
Saskatoon Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia, 4-15 feet, USDA Hardiness Zones 2-8) is of special interest to bees, birds, and a couple of butterfly species. Its fragrant white spring flowers feed bees and butterflies, birds and mammals enjoy its sweet, edible, blue-black fruits, and it is the larval host to striped hairstreak and California hairstreak butterflies. In fall, the leaves turn brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow, and its smooth, gray bark and pleasing habit stands out in the winter landscape. The variety ‘Regent‘ is compact (4-6 feet) and bears copious flowers and delicious fruit for jam making and baking.
Canada serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis, 15-30 feet, Zones 3-8) feeds early bees with its bright white clusters of spring flowers. Its reddish summer fruits are tasty and edible. Birds and mammals love them, and they can also be used for baking or jam making. The fall leaves turn shades of orange, red, and yellow.
laevis
2. Lead Plant
Lead plant is tough, loved by native bees, and beautiful.
Native to American prairies, leadplant (Amorpha canescens, 1-3 feet, Zones 2-9) is an attractive, hardy shrub to subshrub in the pea family that sets spikes of purplish pea flowers against silvery-green compound leaves in early to midsummer. The fragrant flowers are highly valuable to native bees. Once established, the plants are quite drought-tolerance and set deep roots–reaching as much as 4-feet down. The denser, green-leaved dwarf false indigo (Amorpha nana, 2-3 feet, Zones 3-9) has reddish-purple summer flower spikes with a strong honey fragrance.
3. Summersweet
‘Ruby Spires’ is a commonly sold summersweet variety with deep pink flowers. It can reach 6-8 feet.
The ivory flower spikes of summersweet (Clethra alnifolia, 3-8 feet, Zones 4-9) appear in summer and are followed by little brown fruits that are eaten by many birds and mammals. Butterflies can’t get enough of the flowers, including a wide variety of swallowtail species. Bees and hummingbirds also enjoy them. New growth is bronzy, ages to deep green, and then turns shades of orange and yellow in fall.
Though usually ivory-flowered, pink summersweet variants exist in the wild. ‘Ruby Spires’ (6-8 feet) is a commonly sold variety with especially deep pink flowers and golden fall foliage. Some varieties are also more compact for smaller gardens. ‘Compacta’ (3-4 feet) is a uniformly compact, shrubby, white-flowered form that is a bit more upright and compact than the comparable ‘Hummingbird‘, which flops a bit but is just as lovely.
4. Purple-Flowering Raspberry
The pretty flowers of purple-flowered raspberry appear through summer.
The pink-flowered purple-flowered raspberry (Rubus odoratus, 3-6 feet, Zones 3-8) is probably the prettiest of all the North American raspberries. The eastern North American native inhabits open woods. Large, pink, or pinkish-purple flowers bloom throughout summer above suckering shrubs with pretty maple-shaped leaves. The fragrant flowers are pollinated by bees and butterflies. Edible, but dry and not-so-appealing raspberries ripen through summer and feed birds and wildlife. Plant it along a wooded or shady area where it can spread.
Buttonbush
Natural buttonbush shrubs are large, cut there are some compact varieties available.
The unique white, celestial-looking flowers of buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis, 8-12 feet, Zones 5-9) are big butterfly attractors. Monarchs, swallowtails, painted ladies, and silver-spotted skippers are all common visitors. Native bees like them, too. Natural shrubs grow quite large and favor moist soils. Full sun encourages the best flowering. Some desirable shorter varieties exist, namely the 4-foot-tall Sugar Shack® from Proven Winners.
Plant for wildlife as well as beauty and reap the rewards. It’s a pleasure to watch pollinators, birds, and other wildlife enjoy your plantings. Adding a good balance of natives will ensure that you are serving regional pollinators well as the honeybees.
Some apartment dwellers, or those with small homes, may relish the idea of filling living spaces with big, clambering house plants for a jungle-like look, but others can take a subtler approach with space-saving miniature plants. They demand less care and provide more elbow room while keeping the water bills low.
A sunny tabletop can hold several small plants rather than one large specimen and still have a place for magazines and a cup of coffee. Our favorites look like popular big house plants, only miniature or micro-miniature, and all are full-on cute.
(One important caveat when choosing mini-plants: Don’t be fooled by small-looking plants sold in tiny pots. Lots of plants sold in tiny pots will grow quickly and eventually become large. Always look at the final height and width of a plant on the tag before purchasing it.)
Miniature Golden Begonia (Begonia prismatocarpa): This is one of many tiny begonias. The little begonia reaches 5-6 inches and originates from the forests of western Africa. Its small habit, bright green leaves, and little golden-orange flowers are truly beautiful.
Miniature Cape Primroses (Streptocarpus hybrids): Big, colorful tubular flowers in shades of white, pink, purple, and lavender appear on little plants periodically throughout the year, particularly from fall to summer. Water from the base of the pot, as you would an African violet, and place it in bright, indirect light. Be sure to keep the foliage dry.
Miniature Wax Plant (Hoya lanceolata subsp. bella): When compared to most vining hoya, which reach several feet in length, 12-18 inches is quite small. This lovely wax plant develops clusters of pink-centered white flowers with fantastic fragrance. It makes a perfect hanging basket specimen for a partially sunny spot.
Lightning Bolt Jewel Orchid stays small but has bold, eye-catching leaves.
Lightning Bolt Jewel Orchid (Macodes petola) is an outstanding small foliage plant from the forests of Indonesia. Its leaves look as if riddled with nerves or lightening bolts. Ten-to-fourteen-inch spires of white or pinkish-orange flowers rise from the stems yearly, but the foliage stays low and compact–usually to 6 inches. Plant it in loose sphagnum peat moss and water with distilled, room temperature water to keep it moist. Bright, indirect light is preferred.
Miniature Foliage House Plants
Aloe ‘Pepe’ reaches just 3 inches tall and is very cute.
Easter lily sea urchin cactus (Echinopsis subdenudatum ‘Dominos’) reaches 3-4 inches Easter lily sea urchin cactus and is spectacular in bloom. The non-prickly little cactus ‘urchins’ has sparse tufts of white spines. In spring or summer, is bears huge, 6-8-inch-long, white, tubular flowers are produced that are fragrant and night-blooming. (In the wild, bats and moths pollinate them.)
Dominos Easter lily sea urchin cactus are small and green, but variegated forms also exist.
Baby rubber plant (Peperomia obtusifolia) and Ruby Glow Peperomia (Peperomia graveolens ‘Ruby Glow’) are two compact, succulent peperomias that are very easy to grow and attractive. The 6-inch Ruby Glow has curved, succulent leaves with attractive red undersides. Baby rubber plant looks much like the large rubber plant (Ficus elastica), but it is tiny in comparison maxing out at around 12 inches rather than many feet. Be sure to provide them pots with drainage holes and porous, high-quality soil such as Fafard Professional Potting Mix. Allow the pots to become moderately dry between watering.
Peperomia graveolens ‘Ruby Glow’ leaves have pretty reddish undersides.
Most living stones (Lithops spp.) are so small that they stay under 1-inch in diameter. Others grow a bit larger, reaching 3 inches maximum. They form little clumps of pebble-like plants. Mature plants will flower, producing one starry yellow, pink, or white flower per stone, depending on the species. The plants themselves can be grey, blue-green, green, brown, and even reddish and orange hues. Some are even have textural markings across the top like real stones. Give these true desert plants the sharpest draining pots, and plant them in pebbly soil. The top 1 inch of medium should just be fine gravel. Water sparingly and keep in partial to bright, indirect sunlight.
Living stones come in all colors are remain very small. Just be sure you do not overwater them!
Bold serrated leaves make Philodendron ‘Little Hope’ look like big varieties, but it stays comparatively small at 1-2′. Indirect light and regular moisture are recommended for this rain forest plant.
Any one of these little house plants would light up a small space in your home. And, small means that you can have more, so choose them all.
This little pot shows a cluster of just one living stone species.
Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) is a historic Mediterranean evergreen that plays multiple roles in the garden. Where hardy, in USDA Hardiness Zones 8-10, it serves as a fine specimen tree or tall hedge. In colder climates, it makes an attractive house plant and summer patio specimen. And, wherever it’s planted it serves as an essential culinary herb. Dried, bottled bay leaf from the store cannot compare to fresh.
Bayleaf, a Noble History
Following Greek tradition, laurel wreaths came to signify victory, gracing many statues representing victorious battles. (Victory of the Laurel of Crowns, La Fontaine du Palmier at Place du Chatelet, Paris.)
The name “nobilis” denotes the ancient, noble history and importance of bay laurel to royalty, in ceremony, and in mythology, particularly in Greece, as well as Rome, Egypt and Asia.
The Greeks considered the tree sacred, protective, pure, and a symbol of victory. Bay oil was used in the hair, wreaths and headpieces were fashioned from the glossy fragrant leaves, and food was flavored with them. Apollo, the mythical Greek God of Sun and Light, wore a crown of bay leaves to celebrate his slaying of the great underworld dragon-like God, Python.
Nobles, champions, and the first Olympians were crowned with garlands of bay laurel. Bay was also essential to the prophetic Greek priestess Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi of Apollo’s sanctuary. Branches were brought as offerings, scented the sanctuary, and the leaves were chewed by the priestess as she conjured prophecies.
Bay Laurel for Homes and Gardens
If you live in a zone with cold winters, bay laurel can be taken outdoors in summer and brought indoors in winter. (Image by Petar43)
Bay leaf is easy to grow indoors, if you have a sunny spot that remains relatively cool in winter. At the garden center, choose a leafy, vigorous tree, and plant it a deep ceramic pot that’s twice the width of the root ball. Leave at least 2 inches of space at the top for watering. We recommend planting bay in a rich, well-drained potting mix for edible growing, like Fafard® Natural & Organic Potting Mix, which is approved for organic gardening.
During the summer months, bay pots grow better outdoors and require more water. Water less in fall and winter, but don’t let the pot become completely dry between watering. Transplant your bay laurel in a pot that’s twice the size of its root ball when it outgrows its pot. As its branches grow, prune them back, if they become too large and top-heavy. Be sure to harvest and dry the leaves for cooking. You can harvest bay leaves all season long, Just be more sparing in winter when the plants are dormant and not producing more foliage.
Where hardy, bay laurels are fine, resilient evergreen trees or shrubs. In spring, they bear clusters of yellow green flowers that are fragrant and pollinated by bees. The trees are dioecious, which means separate plants have male or female flowers. The female trees produce nearly black, single-seeded berries (in the presence of male trees) that are somewhat attractive but inedible.
Plant bay laurel in a location with full to partial sun and protection from high winds. It grows best in well-drained soil that holds water well. Amending your soil and planting time with quality Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost will encourage good growth and quicker establishment. (Click here for more tree-planting tips.). Established specimens tolerate drought, but don’t too much drought will results in stress signs such as leaf drop and poor growth. Large outdoor specimens are easily trimmed and sheared into topiaries.
Bay Laurel Varieties
Sicilian Sunshine is one of the prettiest bay laurels. (Image thanks to Proven Winners®)
Little Ragu® Sweet Bay (Laurus nobilis lender leaves of this Little Ragu®): Despite its name, this bay laurel reaches 6 to 8 feet after 10 years. Still, it is slow-growing, bushy and the best for containers.
Saratoga Bay Laurel (Laurus ‘Saratoga’, Zones 8-11): ‘Saratoga’ is a cross between bay laurel and Azores laurel (Laurus azorica). The tree reaches 20-30 feet and has a beautiful round, dense canopy, and lighter green leaves. It makes a fine specimen tree for warmer climates.
