attract bees
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DesignReliably Reblooming Perennial Plants
There are many things to consider when selecting a herbaceous perennial plant for the garden. Some slots are for sentimental plantings, like a piece of Grandma’s peony from the family…
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DesignThe Best of the Bee Balms
Every gardener has experienced love at first sight with at least one plant, but many of us have had more of a love-hate relationship with bee balm (Monarda spp. and…
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DesignDesigning a Stylish Pollinator Garden
A few years ago, in an effort to try to help dwindling butterfly and bee populations, my partner Mikel and I plowed up an acre of invasive bittersweet on the…
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DesignWhy Aren’t You Growing More Baptisias?
Years ago, I decided to plant a baptisia in my small garden. I was willing to give up precious space to such a large plant in expectation of the vibrant…
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DesignPlant Varieties to Try, Plant Varieties to Lose
With the wide variety of plants at our fingertips, we should be experimenting with new plants all the time. But we often default to the same familiar cultivars, which is…
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DesignCoreopsis You Can Count On!
A while back—27 years, to be exact—the Chicago Botanic Garden created a garden solely to compare perennials, and coreopsis was one of the inaugural trials. We tested mostly seed-grown cultivars of…
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Design8 Plants With Long Growing Seasons
It’s easy to see why spring reigns supreme in the garden. What’s not to love about the saccharine effusion of lilacs (Syringa spp. and cvs., USDA Hardiness Zones 3–8), irises…
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DesignWater-Wise Plants
Droughts and water shortages have grabbed headlines in recent years, reminding gardeners everywhere that we need to find ways to make our landscapes less dependent on supplemental water. Even in…
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DesignA Garden That Has It All
My husband and I moved into our house in November nine years ago. I recall the weather vividly because, instead of starting my new journey indoors with painting walls and…
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DesignSalvias That Won’t Let You Down
I’m lucky to live in Chicago—maybe not in February when we’re buried in snow, but in spring, it’s a different story. One of my favorite spots in the city is…
Fine Gardening Magazine
