HOSTA

Hosta–still king of shade plants and 
easy for every gardener to grow Why Hostas Hostas continue to reign as the king of shade plants. In fact, they remain the top selling perennial in the country, surpassing the ever-popular daylily by a factor of two in sales volume. Hostas tolerate shade where many plants do not. But why are hostas so

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KENTUCKY WISTERIA

Kentucky Wisteria merits space in midwest gardens Wisteria is a genus that can be divisive in the plant world. Their unmistakable blooms can transport you to another land, filled with afternoon tea and romantic whimsy. In the wrong location, wisteria’s long, rambling vines will transport you to the Little Shop of Horrors. Wisteria is a member of the pea family (Fabaceae).

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Parade of Top Ten Newcomers

Annuals to covet and grow Impatiens ‘SunPatiens Compact Tropical Rose’ Can you believe ‘SunPatiens’ are celebrating their 10 year anniversary? Ten years of rollicking good fun, phenomenal new introductions, and, in effect, turning the impatiens world on its ear from Day 1. New for 2017 is ‘SunPatiens Compact Tropical Rose’, the first of the compact ‘SunPatiens’ to offer variegated yellow/green

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All-America Selections 2017 Flower Winners

All-America Selections, the only non-profit trialing organization for plants that demonstrate great garden performance throughout North America, presents 11 exciting new AAS Winners for the 2017 garden season. We’re featuring the flowers this month, the vegetables in the March issue. Each of the following varieties was trialed in North America by professional, independent, volunteer judges during one growing season. Each

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Editor’s Choice: Amaryllis

Favorite Festive Flower When our children were young, we established a family tradition of shopping for a live Christmas tree. Also on the list of holiday décor was a wreath for the door, garland for the fireplace mantle, and an amaryllis or two for seasonal indoor color. Naturally, any excursion that concluded with hot chocolate was enough motivation for kids.

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Winterberry Reds

Looking for a stunning shrub to be a highlight in the winter landscape? Winterberry is a solid contender. Ilex verticillata, commonly called winterberry, is a deciduous holly that is native to North America where it typically occurs in swamps, damp thickets, low woods and along ponds and streams. So she’s a natural for saturated areas in the Midwest like rain

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Editor’s Choice: Fothergilla

Meet dwarf Fothergilla, Fothergilla gardenii, an attractive three-season deciduous shrub that has been a stalwart performer in my garden for years. From the onset of spring through the conclusion of fall, she never disappoints. In early April the white, bottle-brush blooms appear with honey-like fragrance, and typically last for a couple of weeks. Then are replaced by beautifully textured green

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Crape myrtles

Jewel of the summer garden It seems as though the hot days of summer are behind us, and did you notice the heat-loving crape myrtles shine? Long a beloved staple in southern gardens as large bushes or small trees, crape myrtle has become more popular with zone 6 Midwestern gardeners, and for good reason as this fast growing plant has

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