As autumn settles in here in Zone 5, my garden becomes a rich tapestry of color. Trees and shrubs take center stage, their leaves turning to brilliant red, orange, and gold shades. With their striking scarlet hues, maples are the showstoppers, while the burning bush and sumac add vibrant crimson

As the seasons transition from spring to late summer, enchanting windflowers also called anemones, take center stage in my gardens: the native Canadian anemone and ornamental Japanese anemones. Each boasting unique characteristics and bloom times, these beloved perennials add charm and elegance to outdoor spaces throughout the growing season. Let’s

As summer gradually winds down, the garden still has a delightful surprise in store: the vibrant, resilient and charming phloxes. These enchanting perennials are currently in full bloom in my August garden, adding a burst of color and fragrance to the late summer landscape. If you’re new to the world

Iris pseudacorus, commonly known as yellow flag iris, is a stunning wetland plant that can add a pop of color to any garden. This plant is native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia, but has been widely cultivated in other parts of the world due to its striking appearance

Or what to do when your online plant orders arrive! Are you eagerly awaiting the arrival of warmer weather and dreaming of a colorful garden filled with vibrant blooms? Ordering summer bulbs online for spring planting is an excellent way to kickstart your garden transformation. In a previous post, I

Spring is the eagerly awaited season when gardens come back to life, and among the stars of this floral renaissance are peonies. Welcome to my guide on spring care for beautiful peonies, including essential tips to ensure your peonies thrive during the spring season. Cleaning When the ground thaws and

As the gardening season approaches, many of us are eager to enhance our outdoor spaces with new plants. Online catalogs offer a convenient way to explore a wide variety of purchasing options from the comfort of our homes and long before the weather allows us to play in the garden.

While perusing an online plant catalog recently, I stumbled upon a section featuring “Novelty lilies.” This piqued my curiosity: what exactly did this term signify? Was it a category of lilies I was not aware of, or simply a label intended to intrigue customers? Although I was already familiar with

In the spring of 2022, I planted Iris cristata ‘Powder Blue Giant’, also known as the dwarf crested iris, on a whim, along the edge of a flower border slightly shadier than the others. I never expected the beauty that would emerge a few weeks later. Yet, from the moment

For two years, Digitalis purpurea ‘Monstrosa’ is a peloric foxglove that appeared within a self-sown patch in my garden. Let’s see what pelorism is. Peloria derives from both new Latin and from the Greek word pelōros, meaning “monstrous”. Pelorism in Digitalis refers to the occurrence of flowers with radial symmetry instead

Among perennials, few blooms captivate the eye of visitors quite like the Papaver orientale, commonly known as the Oriental poppy. With their cup-shaped flowers bearing striking colors and delicate petals, this perennial has found its place in gardens around the globe, adding bursts of vibrancy and charm. Three stunning cultivars of oriental

Iris pallida, commonly named sweet iris, is less known than Siberian iris (Iris sibirica) and bearded iris (Iris germanica). However, sweet iris enthralls gardeners with the unique charm of its fragrant lavender-blue flowers. Let’s look at why it does. Origins Iris pallida belongs to the Iridaceae family. The species’ name,

Eremurus, also called foxtail lilies, are clump-forming perennials native to the arid grasslands of Afghanistan and Iran. In their natural habitat, they thrive in rocky slopes and meadows, making it a sight to behold amidst the rugged landscape. They are relatively cold tolerant if grown in very well-drained soil and

The colorful world of fall foliage in peonies is worth discovering while you are preparing them for the upcoming winter. As summer fades and the air turns crisper, nature’s paintbrush transforms the landscape in my area into a mesmerizing spectacle of reds, oranges, and yellows. While many associate these vibrant

What if I told you that you can enjoy the beauty of bearded irises not just once, but multiple times a year? Thanks to reblooming bearded irises, a remarkable subset of this beloved plant species, this is entirely possible. In my USDA Hardiness Zone 5, where winter temperatures can be