No longer will trays of flower transplants create a mess, a sore back from picking them up and clutter in the garden shed with thoughts of future use. Thanks to the Eco+ Grande Pots that caught most of us by surprise at the garden center this year, we can now simply pull four tabs and plant them in the hole — a true ecological wonder.

Son ...Read more

A display at the recent Young’s Plant Farm Annual Garden Tour caused quite a stir — not only within the industry that day, but on my Facebook page as well. I would like to take credit and say it was my beautiful photography, but to be honest, when you look at a planting and say something like "holy wow!," it is always the plants. The display...Read more

A feeling of euphoria came over The Garden Guy and I muttered to myself that my work on earth was done. OK, I am kidding to a point.

I am trialing two new agastaches, which I admit I am falling in love with: Meant to Bee Queen Nectarine and Meant to Bee Royal Raspberry. I’ll write about them in the coming months. My moment with a visit down ...Read more

New in garden centers this year are a couple of Ladybirds. When you see the name Ladybird associated with a plant, you can assume a few things: native DNA, great for the environment and most likely tough as nails.

Such is the case for Ladybird Lemonade and Ladybird Sunglow, two new hybrid Calylophus varieties. More than likely you are wondering...Read more

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