By Jan Cashman Want a hardy, drought tolerant perennial that survives with little water or care and adds interesting textures and colors to your garden all seasons of the year? Plant sedum, common name ‘stonecrop’. There are 400+ species of sedum; some are evergreen, some have interesting leaf colors. Sedum is a succulent, which means … Read more
By Jan Cashman A friend and customer came in our nursery yesterday and announced, “I need some color!” This last winter was long and snowy. Spring has been cold and rainy, and slow in arriving. We’re all sick of the white, brown, and gray tones of winter and ready for color—blue sky, green grass, and … Read more
by Jan Cashman Echinacea can be classified as an herb or a perennial flower native to North American. Echinacea’s herbal uses go back to the Native Americans, who used various species of it for medicinal purposes to aid ailments such as snakebite and anthrax and for pain relief. Today, herbalists claim Echinacea can ward off … Read more
by Jan Cashman In the past, all herbaceous (non-woody) plants were called “herbs”, but today the word has come to mean a plant whose parts are used for medicine, seasonings, or scent.Herbs are easy to grow; deer and insects avoid them.Used in cooking, they make food taste better.Some, like lavender are grown for their fragrance … Read more
By Jan Cashman 6/30/08 Roses are everyone’s favorite flower. Their perfect shape, intense colors, and heady fragrance areunparalleled. In spite of the fact that we don’t live in rose growing country, there are quite a few gardenersaround here that grow beautiful roses. How do they do it? It might help to know a little about … Read more
by Jan Cashman The summer gardening season is short here. The first frost kills tender annuals and nipsthe tops of some perennials. Suddenly, our gardens don’t look so good. Here are some ideas to brighten up your gardens and extend the season: Plant fall blooming perennials. Mums, asters, purple coneflower (Echinacea) and brown eyed susans … Read more
by Jan Cashman During this time of the year, I am glad I have lots of perennial flowers emerging in my beds. Planting a lot of annuals every spring is time consuming. After reading articles in gardening magazines, consulting our wonderful staff, and visiting a botanical garden with a huge and beautiful perennial border while … Read more
by Jan Cashman One of Jerry’s favorite poems is As Rare As a Day in June by Lowell. The poem is about plants and animals coming to life in June. June is a favorite month for gardeners because everything is blooming. Gardens have been planted and are up and growing. Lots of the work is … Read more
by Jan Cashman To us gardeners, the term “ground cover” means a low-growing plant that spreads. Although we seldom call it that, lawn grass is the most commonly planted ground cover. Other types of ground covers besides grass can add color and texture to your planting beds. These ground covers can provide a living mulch … Read more
by Jan Cashman Peony (Genus Paeonia) is the perfect perennial flower for our climate. Peonies are fragrant, hardy, prefer our alkaline soils, and make a good cut flower. Long-lived peonies can be found, along with common purple lilacs and yellow shrub roses, in old, deserted farmyards, especially in the Midwest. History Most of the peonies … Read more