June is National Perennial Gardening month and an appropriate time to extol the virtues of these repeating blooming beauties.
Maria Zampini
Maria Zampini is Director of Plant Development for the HGTV HOME Plant Collection. She is a graduate of Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture. As the 4th generation of her family to work in the plant industry, Maria’s vast experience makes her a sought after speaker and writer for consumer magazines and trade journals. Maria co-authored a new book "Garden-pedia" which is available for pre-order at http://www.upshoothort.com/writing/gardenpedia/
I like to think of all the green in our gardens as a ‘little black dress’; it is classic and never goes out of style. You can use that black dress as a background palette, dolling it up each year with accessories featuring whatever is the hot fashion color that year.
The hot days of summer! Plants that were lush and full of flowers in the spring are fading away due to the heat and your fall blooms are still several weeks out. So what do you do when your garden is in the summer transition? Focus on the colors and textures of foliage!
There are so many options when it comes to hydrangeas that it can be a bit overwhelming at first. With all the different colors of flowers, styles of flowers, gorgeous bark (think winter interest) and leaf shapes, there is sure to be a hydrangea or two, or three that you must have in your garden.
So many gardeners, especially those with little to no experience, approach gardening with some doubt and fear. What if I kill it? What if my neighbors think my garden is ugly? What if my friend with a green thumb tells me I’m doing things wrong? What if...