Super Cool Plants
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Design‘Heavenly Cloud’ Texas Sage Blooms for Weeks in Parched Soil
As climate change becomes more evident, many gardeners are looking for easy-care, drought-tolerant plants to add to their beds and borders. You may hear “sage” and think of the vast…
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Design‘Royal Blue’ European Wood Anemone Is an Early Spring Gem
Spring! There’s no time of year I like more. After I’ve been wallowing through the doldrums of winter for months, my anticipation is palpable. Waiting with bated breath for all…
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Design‘Electric Blue’ Foothill Penstemon Is a Tough Native with a Unique Hue
As a true plant geek, I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for blue flowers. An impressive, truly blue flower is a rarity in nature. Perhaps that’s why I’ve been drawn…
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DesignLadybird® Sunglow Texas Primrose Is a Low-Care Perennial with Cheerful Blooms
It’s not often that a new genus goes mainstream. In 2021 we received Ladybird® Sunglow Texas primrose as a trial plant from Proven Winners, and it quickly proved itself to…
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DesignFizzy Mizzy® Virginia Sweetspire Is a Compact Native Shrub with Pollinator Power
You might be asking yourself, “Why would I need Fizzy Mizzy® when I already have Little Henry®?” Little Henry® Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica ‘Sprich’, Zones 5–9) is an excellent compact shrub,…
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DesignYellow Thread Rohdea Is a Rare Perennial Jewel for Shady Nooks and Crannies
While some may be familiar with Japanese sacred lily (Rohdea japonica, Zones 6–10), Rohdea pachynema is an uncommon species that is indeed a Rohdea less traveled. Found only in the…
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DesignScaly Liatris Is a Native That Offers Blooms All Summer Long
On the first day of August 2006, my botanizing companion and I were making only our third trip to a barrens on a farm owned by friends in Kentucky. We…
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DesignEclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea: An Amazing New Hydrangea with Black Leaves
There are a bazillion bigleaf hydrangeas out there. So when a new one comes out, it really needs to stand out from the crowd. Meet Eclipse® bigleaf hydrangea—a unique selection…
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Design‘Spring Lace’ Viburnum Is a Compact Workhorse Shrub
In 2017 Bailey Nurseries sent me four ‘Spring Lace’ viburnums to trial. When in flower in spring, they have become one of my most asked-about plants. An interspecific cross developed…
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Design‘Grape Crush’ New England Aster Is Long-Blooming and Has a Wonderful Mounding Form
Sometimes plants are just like us gardeners and can’t wait to get going at the beginning of the season. Often our gardens trumpet forth in a symphony of color and…
Fine Gardening Magazine
