Blue Moon on Halloween, Northern Lights creeping south, and now Jupiter and Saturn snuggling close for the first time since the Middle Ages. So goes the year 2020 and all of its memories. To The Garden Guy all of these "Twilight Zone" moments may pale in comparison to the Halley's Comet-type events that have been happening in the butterfly world...Read more

The cool season becomes like a garden celebration as much of the country changes out the old tired color of summer for the fresh new flowers of fall and fragrance. There is a White Knight leading the charge that opens up the door with endless companion possibilities.

White Knight is an award-winning sweet alyssum that is the perfect fit for ...Read more

There is an excitement in the air about Christmas this year and it appears to be as contagious as....... you know. Right now, it doesn't seem to be about presents or shopping, though that will probably come. It seems to have a focus on tradition, on family, a return to what is important. The beauty of the season seems to have achieved a status ...Read more

As if 2020 couldn't get more challenging, I have now run head on into a conundrum on coleus or to put it more succinctly a perplexity on pinching. First a little jaunt into my history with coleus.

I have been part of trials involving coleus for about 25 years starting back when I was in the Texas A&M system as Tarrant County extension ...Read more

MILWAUKEE — On the first day of fall, Venice Williams joined a small group of women for a morning tea ceremony at Alice's Garden to celebrate the autumn equinox.

Sage burned, purifying the air and cleansing the spirit.

The garden was in transition. The last tomatoes of the season hung overripe on the vines. Sunflowers with fading petals ...Read more

If the plant world celebrated Oktoberfest, lantanas would be front and center leading the party. As far as The Garden Guy is concerned, it could be a fall lantana fest.

Now don't get me wrong they were among the toughest, perseverant performers of the long hot summer. But come September and October, the relief from torrid temperatures brings ...Read more

If I could paraphrase some lyrics from the musical Chicago it would be "Come on, why don't we paint the garden, with all those Jazz." That is what I feel every time I see Jazz Hands Variegated loropetalum. This award-winning shrub simply puts a song in your spirit and will add that artist's touch to the garden.

The first time I saw Jazz Hands ...Read more

The Price is White looks to be one of the hottest new coneflowers making its debut in the spring and you need to line out your sources now, for not only it but the entire Color Coded series. The size of coneflower blossoms is not something we tout as horticulturists but with The Price is White, I have to say they are the largest echinacea ...Read more

The mornings have become like "flower glow" at The Garden Guy's house thanks to three new panicle hydrangeas making their debut in the spring of 2021. I have been amazed at what I am seeing, and to an extent what I am feeling, with these new introductions.

I have grown hydrangea paniculatas before, and coordinated the choosing of Limelight ...Read more

This is the time of the year we revel in the Golden Delicious, of course The Garden Guy is referring to the Rocking Golden Delicious pineapple sage. While we have been loving every minute of it through the long hot summer, it is the short days of early fall that bring on the added cause of celebration.

This is when glorious red blooms appear on...Read more

Oh, the possibilities with that Wicked witch! Son James dazzled me again with a combination planting featuring this year's hot new coleus ColorBlaze Wicked with coleus and Canary Wing begonia. Immediately I noticed his carefully intentioned design of having the lime green margins of the coleus echo the golden-lime of the Canary Wing begonia.

...Read more

The weather forecast has several days with morning lows in the 50s, which is a cause for celebration. We can look for those long-lost fleece vests and, even better, it gives horticulturists like The Garden Guy the ticket to forget flowers for a week and write about a new golden conifer called Fluffy.

There is nothing that adds a thrill to the ...Read more

There has been an azalea bloom-a-thon at The Garden Guy's house for the last six weeks and looks to not be stopping anytime soon. This has all been taking place in temperatures that have sometimes made me the irritable garden guy.

If you have not gotten on the bandwagon with re-blooming azaleas you are missing a real treat. I gave you a clue in...Read more