gardengal4

I hope you come up with a non-Facebook way to play the game in the future. What a shame that one has to participate in facebook (expletive-deleted) to be included. I think that is very discriminatory (not in the EEO sense of course). I am strongly opposed to facebook and its anti-privacy and tracking practices. Too bad for me.

oops.. retract the snow comment. Didn't notice it was California :-)

Very nice displays and photography. I like how the foliage colors are distinctive yet still restrained. It is too easy to get rambunctious with evergreen foliage colors. Would love to see the same with a dusting of snow.

So just for the heck of it, I tried my hand at a Northeast list. Granted, a lot of it is personal preference, but I think staying power (predominantly woodies)is called for. This is my quickie list (not exactly ten, but any 10 would be better than article's IMO):

Tree: Magnolia lobneiri 'Leonard Messel'
Tree: Heptaconium miconiodes
Tree: Acer griseum
Shrub: Hydrangea Paniculata 'Quickfire' (or 'Limelight')
Shrub: Physocarpus 'Diablo' (or 'Summer Wine')
Shrub: Hibiscus syriacus 'Lucy' (or 'Blue Satin')
Rose: Knockout Rose or The Fairy
Perennial: Peony, Echinacea, Hosta, Dicentra, Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm', Salvia 'May Night'
groundcover: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
grasses: Hakenechloa (any), Karl Foester
vine: Clematis Jackmanii, Hydrangea petiolaris

Yes, some are older classics, potentially overplanted, and not flashy new varieties, but that is intentional for a list to have staying power I think.

That's my gardening effort for the winter.... back to movies and books ... :-)

Just read the Northeast picks in the magazine. What kind of Top Ten Plant list is that??? Two annuals, three tender perennials(annuals for me), and a questionable zone 5. What are you guys smoking? That is hardly a northeast EXPERT plant list.

Very disappointed. The non-regional list was a much more appropriate Northeast list. And a very nice list it was.

It would be nice if the article stated the criteria that the plants needed to have to be included in a Top-10.

It definitely is Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender'. Plectranthus plants do vary widely in form, but 'Mona Lavender' cultivar is exactly what you have.

When I looked at this, I actually wasn't so focused on the urn problem. I would like each gumdrop-meatball to be the base of 8' pillars of sorts that is somehow connected to some sort of open roof, forming some type of open-sided gazebo frame.

Deanne, was that you on Chronicle the other night? Very cool!!!

or Frances Rivis

http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=1862

possibly Clematis 'Columbine'.

See http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/new-clemdetail.cfm?dbkey=41

There are so many types of Japanese maples, it is possible it is one. are the stems woody or herbaceous? It also reminds me of abutilon - flowering maple, but I'm not sure if they have the classic JM orangey/red new growth.

This may help

http://www.ehow.com/how_8376080_kill-bindweed-gardens.html

yes, it definitely is Cornus candensis. It can be quite aggressive in some spots (like my shady garden). Some people have trouble growing it though. In the spring there are adorable white flowers. I hope it doesn't try to spread into the lawn. Its getting close!

yes, it appears to be a species tulip. And I so want to rip out that dandelion weed right next to it.

Beni Kazi is beautiful. That driveway garden is beautiful. But, I have to say 'Aureola' just has more wow factor for me. Its that weeping quality that I love and the golden foliage just stands out so dramatically. I could never be in an 'Aureola' rut, but I will definitely add 'Beni Kazi' to my list. Actually, I think its been on my list for awhile, but I never have seen it around.

The fountain made me think of ferns around the tree (Jap painted fern actually), but it might be too sunny for them. I do think a simple, serene look would be good. not familiar with mondo grass, but a mass of different hosta cultivars could be nice too.

loads of fun...whens the next one coming? I like the plant ID quiz at the end, it shows each question and the right answer and explains it. The couple I got wrong was because I didn't follow my first instinct and was looking for a trick question. no tricks. don't overthink it.

I enjoyed the article a lot. It was very well explained and had a good amount of science in it, which is often left out in such articles.

However, I have to disagree with the "fix" on the first overly snipped shrub. The fix shows to remove all lateral branches on each stem. I would think a leggy bottom would result and too much fullness would be sacrificed. Be definition, allowing just the leader to grow would ensure a leggy bottom.

If I want the bush to be full and thick, leaders are not good and lateral branches are good. The point of the original pruning might have been to create fullness. Maybe I would apply the suggested fix to half or a third of the main branches, so sun and air get in, but fullness remains. Or maybe I would remove some main branches all the way to the base.

The picket fence suggests cottagey stuff, but if you don't want herbaceous, how about a rose garden? I can see a layer of shrub roses (easy care as needed, knockouts or similar). Maybe along with some lavender in front. An obelisk in the center with a complementary clematis on it. I'm not sure you will get a good winter interest thing, but the hardscape will help.

This is ajuga. typically a shade groundcover or lawn weed or both if it gets out of control!!!

It looks a little bit like snakeroot, a/k/a Actea, Cimicifuga. Usually they are dark foliage, but I suppose there are green ones too. They bloom late in the season so no blooms in spring is not surprising.