Our Taste for the Tropics just got a lot larger this year as Proven Winners has added five new Hawaiian Ti varieties under their Proven Selections label. This brings the Cordyline group to a total of eight selections. Most of us have never seen a named variety of Hawaiian Ti, known botanically as Cordyline fruticosa or Cordyline australis.

I ...Read more

The Garden Guy made a trip across town to chat with son James and came away giddy on one hand and grumpy on the other because I had been scooped. I am used to being the dud when it comes to comparing my plant partnerships with his, but this time he showed me up with a new variety. I’m the new variety guy, not this whippersnapper, but he was ...Read more

Prince Tut and the dwarf exquisite Queen Tut papyrus grasses have put the proverbial ta-da in ‘The Garden Guy’s containers this year. The story, however, really goes back to October. I have two containers I call smokestacked in their shape. They are about 20 inches tall, ceramic-glazed and about the diameter of a Frisbee. The containers get ...Read more

A funny thing happened on the way to May: I have what looks to be a million tiny yellow flowers. It happens every year for about four to six weeks, but no one talks about it. Some even look away.

Lemon Coral sedum was the 2019 Proven Winners Annual of the Year, yet I don’t remember flowers being mentioned. While I am at it, I will add, I ...Read more

Aqua blue pots in the landscape and staggered on the side of a hill were not my idea, but my bride's, the person who pops up on my phone as Jan My Love Winter. I have avoided this color like the plague for most of my life. To modify the French phrase, this project was going to be my "peace" de resistance. Jan is a gifted and natural plant ...Read more

Swallowtails were early at The Garden Guy’s house this year. Thank goodness I had Superbena verbenas in full bloom. It is as if they had been given the task of announcing the arrival of spring and the butterfly season. On March 22, I photographed an eastern tiger swallowtail on Superbana Royale Chambray verbena.

Your first thought might be, ...Read more

Recently I stumbled across a plant recipe called "This is the Life." Not only was it a collection of some of my favorite plants, it was a wake-up call to an old favorite: the Persian Shield. Known botanically as Strobilanthes dyerianus, it is native to Myanmar and has 8-inch-long iridescent leaves in shades of purple, lilac and pink with purple-...Read more

As I write this on April 3, today was the day the ruby-throated hummingbirds returned to my house. Oddly, it was a feast of the Calibrachoas Superbells. This story, however, starts the first week of October, which is when I planted them.

I’ve been touting this for zone 8 and warmer for a couple of years. To be honest, after what I have seen, ...Read more

Blue My Mind and last year’s sibling Blue My Mind evolvulus are surefire winners of the 2022 Best Supporting Flower. This is for the flower that delivers an outstanding performance in a supporting role.

As I write this, I am a couple of hours away from the 2022 version of the Oscars. I don’t know what this year’s films are and have to ...Read more

Diamond Snow has dramatically changed how we look at euphorbias, that not-so-glamorous common name of spurge. We all fell madly in love with its sibling Diamond Frost and subsequently gave it hundreds of awards in university trials. Diamond Snow, however, is a game changer.

Although Diamond Snow has only been out two years, it is racking up ...Read more

The past couple of years there has been a lot of love in the world of petunias, thanks to one unique variety by the name of Supertunia Lovie Dovie. We have all seen petunias with stripes, some stars, others halos and blushes, but this is a special one with hearts.

It’s funny, Proven Winners doesn’t tout them as hearts, but rather white and ...Read more

The esperanza is one of those shrubs that brings about hope and anticipation for the growing season. Actually, that is what "esperanza" means in Spanish. As a gardener who got his horticultural roots in Texas, I can tell you the Esperanza is a plant to be treasured, and even more so with the debut of Chicklet Orange in 2022.

Chicklet Orange is ...Read more

Shasta daisy lovers will rejoice as the Amazing Daisy collection is more than doubling with the addition of three new varieties for 2022. The Garden Guy can hardly wait to get his hands on Amazing Daisy Marshmallow.

This Shasta is nothing short of riveting in its appearance. Indeed, it looks good enough to eat, and when I look at it, I feel ...Read more