The Perennial Plant Association (PPA), annually names an outstanding plant its “Perennial of the Year.” The 2015 selection is an easy-to-grow hardy geranium groundcover (spreading) perennial, Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘Biokovo’, which is a cultivar that is native to the Biokovo Mountains in Croatia. It is said to be hardy in zones 4-8. It begins blooming in late spring, lasting through summer, with tiny white-petaled flowers, tinged ...
The severe winter has brought damage to landscapes that we’ve not seen in a great many years. Some plants that have been very winter hardy here may appear to be dead or very heavily damaged. Some will recover later if the damaged/dead plant parts are trimmed off. I recommend delaying wholesale cutting off of winter burnt foliage until the temperatures remain above freezing. Even the unsightly brown/dead foliage serves to shield ...
The quantities of salt applied to area roadways and sidewalks during the winter of 2013-2014 was among the most in decades, given the long cold, icy,and snowy periods, which ran relentlessly from November through March. While the repeat or heavy salt applications certainly enabled us to traverse our roads more safely, the damage to plants and turf grass is a most unfortunate byproduct. Clearly turf grass adjacent to roadways ...
Planting bulbs in the fall is a well-honored tradition for many. They can be easily installed up until Thanksgiving. Plant at the proper depth for the particular type of bulb, add soil conditioner if your soil is unimproved, and add food such ...
As the winter cold seems to be relentless here in upper Montgomery County, Maryland, it is exciting to go out into the garden each morning to see some new flowers coming into bloom. This adds some nice color to the chilly gray days that we are experiencing. Colorful flowers can be found on each plane of the landscape – from small trees/shrubs, to perennials, to emerging ...
Typically, we wait until the very end of winter to cut back ornamental grasses in Silver Spring. But for some reason, this year they’ve been looking more tattered than usual, despite the absence of heavy snowstorms that generally decimate them. We have, however, been blessed with one or two days each week when the temperatures have climbed to 50 degrees or more, and this allows us to ...
This time of year when we are, quite frankly, tired of a somewhat barren landscape, it is the opportune time to consider adding some plants that perform admirably throughout the year. The best are those that exhibit desirable features that differ with the changing seasons. Clearly, evergreens provide year-round interest, and your landscape should include many of them, interspersed with your deciduous plantings that shed ...