March 6, 2021 - Issue #503

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.

ARTICLES TO READ

Delightful Delphiniums

The stalwart of many perennial borders and quintessentially 'English', delphiniums have broadened their range, both in size and heat tolerance -- good news for gardeners with small gardens or in warm climates.

Growing Flowers 101

This basic guide to growing flowers in your landscaping will help get you on your way to having the best lawn in your neighborhood.

Grow Wisteria for Winning Color

For those who can never get enough of wisteria's tremendous displays of fragrant spring flowers, there's good news. A new everblooming variety of American wisteria (W. frutescens). 'Amethyst Falls' begins its impressive floral show of densely clustered, 4- to 6-inch-long bluish purple flowers in spring, and continues throughout the summer in three waves of bloom.

Growing Hibiscus

Hibiscus are large shrubs or small trees that produce huge, colorful, trumpet-shaped flowers over a long season. They are generally divided into four groups: Hardy Hibiscus, Rose of Sharon, Tropical Hibiscus, and all the various species of Hibiscus.

Should you use Epsom Salt?

After working with home gardeners for more than 10 years, I know that they love to use home remedies on their plants. From setting out beer traps for slugs to hanging bars of soap to repel deer, if the household product seems to work, gardeners try it. That's why I was intrigued by the often-mentioned idea of using Epsom salts as a fertilizer.

Growing Spirea

Among the easiest flowering shrubs to grow, spireas are often used in foundation plantings, as hedges, and in perennial gardens. Most spireas bloom in late spring to midsummer. Flower colors include pink, red, yellow, and white, depending on the variety.

Growing Foxglove

Foxglove's low-growing foliage is topped by 2- to 5-foot-tall flower spikes, depending on the variety. Flower colors include pink, red, purple, white, and yellow. Foxgloves are biennials or short-lived perennials.