Kelly Dodson and Sue Milliken

Design
An Effortless Evergreen Fern

A few years ago we hiked the 268-mile (but who’s counting?) Pennine Way in England, sharing part of the trail with a fellow named Jack, who was walking the 1,215-mile…
Design
A Silk Tassel Bush With Superb Winter Blooms

Garrya is a genus of just eight species of evergreen shrubs to small trees confined to western North America and northern Mexico. Of these eight species, only two or three,…
Design
Himalayan Whorlflower Is a Stunning Summer Plant That’s Drought Tolerant

A largely unknown gem, Himalayan whorlflower is native to the Himalayan foothills, where it is found growing in sunny positions at altitudes of 9,000 to 12,000 feet—areas most of us…
Design
‘Amethyst Falls’ Ornamental Oregano Is a Near-Perfect Plant

We lean heavily on our own collections of rare and unusual plants for plantings in our gardens, but we happily make exceptions for awesome workhorses such as ‘Amethyst Falls’ ornamental…
Article
Grass Widow Is a Charming Late-Winter Native Plant

One of our favorite Washington State native wildflowers, grass widow is a doughty, deer-resistant spring ephemeral that shares the same dauntless spirit of its namesake, David Douglas, the intrepid Scottish…
Design
A Compact Toad Lily for Late-Summer Blooms

Toad lily (Tricyrtis spp. and cvs., Zones 5–8) is an Asian perennial often found growing in dappled, open glades, woodland trail edges, partially shaded slopes, or, in some cases, enjoying…
Design
A Fragrant Perennial That Behaves

Mention the name Galega within earshot of the weed control board of nearly any state in the Union, and stand back as Department of Agriculture SWAT teams are deployed brandishing…
Design
Cheer Up a Shade Garden With This Well-Behaved Perennial

So often when you plant a Lysimachia in the garden it is fun for a while, but then you realize you have unleashed the plant version of the Borg from…
Design
A True Blue Beauty for Shade

It’s a bit of a mouthful to pronounce, but this little charmer will soon have you calling it “Wulfy, my little Liebchen.” The genus Wulfenia is in the Plantaginaceae family,…
Design
A Blueberry by Any Other Name

Of the roughly 100 species of Agapetes (Himalayan lanterns), most are epiphytes that grow in trees across the Himalayas to China and down the Malay Peninsula. The reason these unique…

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