As we all strive to get our hands on every native milkweed for our states and to the ultimate benefit of the Monarch butterfly I thought I might plug its use for the other guys. Your first thought might be I'm talking about the Queen or Soldier butterflies that are related to the Monarch and also must have milkweeds as larval host plants.

That'...Read more

Calliope has quenched my thirst for long-lasting geraniums. No longer am I jealous of the West Coast as I now have geraniums that I plant in April and they continue to look great at Christmas.

Perhaps there should be a caveat or two to that. I grow geraniums in mixed containers and baskets, which is exactly what I was doing in Rincon Ga., which...Read more

The first time I saw the native sweetshrub I instantly fell in love with it, the small deep burgundy flowers and fragrance was an instant lure. I would see them at old homes and plant swaps but not so much in the marketplace.

It is known botanically as Calycanthus floridus and is native in more than 20 states in the Eastern United States, as ...Read more

Solar storms have been in the news the past couple of weeks in an almost, 'the sky is falling,' scenario but it can be happening in your landscape, too, thanks to new Solar Flare and Solar Glow azaleas!

As spring arrives in the south first, I can tell you landscapes are lighting up with what many consider one of the best of the best azalea ...Read more

Two years ago, I wrote about a small tree called Sweet Tea Mountain Gordlinia that was catching the eye of the industry. After watching it two more growing seasons, I am even more mesmerized by its elegant form and structure, its long period of bloom that culminates in stunning fall and winter color.

All of my experience in growing it was as ...Read more

Sarah Eve is mesmerizing; it's the first pink selection of Virginia sweetspire. It was introduced by Woodlanders, Inc. in Aiken South Carolina but discovered by Nancy Bissett of The Natives Inc. in central Florida and named for her daughter. Woodlanders describes the flowers as white but with pink pedicels making the long dangling racemes or ...Read more

As spring approachese, I wanted to put a bug in your ear, so to speak, for a plant you probably have not tried, the Intenz celosia. You might think of it as a celosia with the look of a little rocket or perhaps a colorful wheat ear.

The Intenz series has been coming out in some drop-dead gorgeous colors or varieties like Classic, Dark Purple ...Read more

Never did I think I would see the day that abelias were making my list of must-have plants. I wrote about some of the new abelias in the spring of 2014, and now four years later, they are real performers. At the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens we got Kaleidoscope, and Miss Lemon for evaluating and trial purposes from the Southern Living Plant ...Read more

Mysty will be the hottest plant at the garden center this spring, and it's likely, everyone will want several. Mysty is the dazzling new compact salvia indigo spires that was the talk of all the trials last year. Most trials score on a 1-5 scale, and Mysty was well over 4 at Young Plant Trials in Alabama, UGA Trials in Athens, Ga., and at the ...Read more

Four years ago, I wrote about a Golden Lace patrinia a new plant to most gardeners and one that is thrilling beyond compare for anyone who loves pollinators. Now after four more years of experience, I can say it is a must-have plant, it is truly like having 'wild kingdom' packed in a four-foot-tall yellow blooming perennial.

Botanically ...Read more

As you sit by the fire contemplating new trees and shrubs for the landscape, I would like to suggest the Afghan cherry as a possibility. There is a chance you see them in the neighborhood and are never really sure what this plant is that has caught your attention.

This dazzling bush cherry will leave you speechless with its beauty. If you love ...Read more

Though we are still in the grips of a cold winter, I assure you spring is headed our way like a runaway locomotive. Those plans that we thought we would make for improving the landscape somehow got put on the back burner.

The Encore series, the best azaleas to ever hit the market now has 31 varieties.

With two new riveting red selections ...Read more

Honeybees coming out of nowhere is always thrilling, even more so in the winter. Such is the case with Soft Caress mahonia which has quickly become one of my all-time favorite shrubs with shocking yellow blooms when nothing else seems to be happening, and yes, bringing in the bees.

Soft Caress mahonia is one of thrilling Southern Living Plant ...Read more