Flowers and foliage in yards and public spaces have been beautiful this season! Where do the new bright colors and variety of leaf patterns originate? At Plant Exchange, we’ll focus on one plant breeder who may have introduced a yellow False Indigo, Hosta, coral Monarda, pink Phlox, or red hibiscus you have seen growing nearby. … Continue reading
Filed under Landscape Design …
Dibbles and Bits
It’s a reflective time of year. Even bunnies are pausing a moment as they find today’s path. Plant lovers thinking about next gardening season have all the seed catalogs a table can hold and plenty online besides. At Plant Exchange, garden magazines are a hit for reading and reflection now. Articles in the January/February 2021 … Continue reading
Landscape with Grasses and Companions
On the Northern Plains, grasses move with the wind and blend naturally in an authentic landscape. Miscanthus is an ornamental grass that is dramatic as a specimen plant and as a field of feathery heads. Some kinds of miscanthus have voluminous roots and are less compatible with other plants. You might not consider this characteristic … Continue reading
A Little Something Different with Containers
When I awoke this morning, I realized a container of sunflowers had come into bloom. While I enjoy seeing them out the window in their staging area on the deck, I began to think about how to include them with the other flower containers that we see every day for a new look. Here’s a … Continue reading
On the Way to “After”
Unlike yard renovation on reality TV, some projects at home take a long time. Garden bloggers see many others’ beautiful results. As of mid-summer at Plant Exchange blog, we have a little progress here! The vision for this area of the yard came from a previous owner who installed cement steps and a wall of … Continue reading
Front Entrance–Aim for attractive and functional
By mid-July, the annual and perennial plantings are established and provide texture and color to the front entrance area. The north-facing entrance and small patio area have late afternoon shade complemented by a nearby Japanese maple tree. A bit of green space under the tree, foundation plantings, especially near the entrance, and movable planters add … Continue reading
Bouquet of Ideas
It’s a snowy day at Plant Exchange Blog. The kind of day to think about the yard and flowerbeds for next season and enjoy a peony bouquet of ideas. Below is a suburban city lot in the Midwest. The homeowner skillfully created a soil berm in the flat yard that displays all the flowerbed plants … Continue reading
Before We Forget Colors of Autumn
Fall color plants can be the high point of the growing season. Annuals that were stars all summer, disappear with frost, leaving space for cold-tolerant plants to take center stage. Some are easy to grow. One of many plants that display color in fall in this region is the hardy chrysanthemum. It’s a perennial commonly … Continue reading
Wayne’s Hobby Garden
We look for what adds dimension and a bit of passion to an ordinary day. Wayne Nelson-Stastny says his vegetable and ornamental gardening hobby adds to his mind, body, and spirit. The way he chooses to garden, he is involved in it most of the year. His plans for the garden include seeds from many cultures. … Continue reading
Dependable Woodland Tobacco
As the growing season ends, some plants have contributed extra for their part in the flower garden. Here, one of them is Woodland Tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris). It’s is an ornamental plant that grows as a direct-seeded annual in this region. It’s a member of the Nightshade family (Solanaceae) that contains potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant. Its origins … Continue reading
