Super Cool Plants - Page 2 of 4
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Design
A Variegated Shrub With a Long Season of Interest
I vividly remember my first encounter with Japanese summersweet (Clethra barbinervis, Zones 5–8). The local arboretum had a few large mature specimens that I stumbled across when they were starting…
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Design
A Ground Cover With Color All Year Long
At the mention of ground covers, most gardeners immediately think of periwinkle (Vinca minor*, Zones 4–8), Japanese pachysandra (Pachysandra procumbens, Zones 5–9), or lilyturf (Liriope muscari and cvs., Zones 5–9).…
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Design
Wrap Up Summer With the Bright Blooms of ‘Zimbelstern’ Sneezeweed
Sneezeweeds won’t make you sneeze, but they will make you smile. Their cheery blooms come along to make you happy right when summer is starting to wear you down. One…
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Design
A Tough, Slender Oak Tree
In 1974, legendary nurseryman Earl Cully planted a thousand acorns from a cross of columnar English oak (Quercus robur ‘Fastigiata’, Zones 4–8) with our native swamp white oak (Q. bicolor,…
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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…
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Design
Add Tropical Flair to Your Landscape With ‘Pharaoh’s Mask’ Colocasia
Elephant’s ear is known for its big, bold foliage. Newer cultivars tend to focus on darker colors or splashy patterns to grab attention. ‘Pharaoh’s Mask’ doesn’t need any of that…
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Design
A Trouble-Free Black-Eyed Susan
When I think of black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia spp. and cvs., Zones 3–9), my mind conjures up images of the gold rush of the late 1800s, with covered wagons racing across…
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Design
This Lily Has Colorful Summer Blooms Full of Fragrance
If a flower were to bloom only once a year, shouldn’t it be unique, captivating, and groundbreaking in many ways? I would like to introduce you to an exciting breakthrough…
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Design
A Delectable New Discovery From a Common Plant
I finally found a new dianthus—aka pinks—that’s a real zinger. And, ironically, it’s white. ‘Key Lime Pie’ sports a larger flower than many dianthus, and it’s super floriferous. Sturdy stems…
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Design
If Fairies Lived in a Conifer, This Would Be It
Can you think of a more boring and overused plant than dwarf Alberta spruce? Normally, it would never be a featured “Gotta Have It!” plant— but this is no ordinary…