Urns in the landscape

Use a single urn to mark a crossing of intersecting paths, as a sculptural accent in the center of a courtyard or formal pool, or at the end of a long strip of grass with a leafy hedge behind. Space several urns alo

Grassy patio mosaic in Taos

As an alternative to a traditional lawn, Rene Mettler planted a living mosaic among the flagstones in the courtyard fronting his 200-year-old adobe home in Taos, New Mexico.Mettler leveled the area, spread 3 inches

Flying colors

Entering the Zischke familys courtyard in Scottsdale, Arizona, is like stepping to the other side of the world. A country bordering the Mediterranean, perhaps.The paving ― chunks of broken concrete with bands of bla

A garden designed for privacy

Clean design, well-defined spaces, and meticulous attention to detail make even a small corner lot seem spacious and private. These refined qualities were just what homeowners Rand Babcock and Tony Nahra were seekin

Room with a view

When youre warm and dry, the winter garden is a lovely place to be. Rain makes sword ferns glisten; mixed flocks of juncos, nuthatches, and chickadees work the trees above, and frost outlines swelling buds on shrubs

Welcoming winter patios

A patio can be the perfect place to entertain, dine, or relax outdoors ― even in winter, in mild climates. When the air is brisk and a light rain is falling, all you need to do is provide for warmth, shelter, and co

American Agave

I found your newspaper comment on American agave interesting. I took the attached pictures at a home in Lithonia. My husband and our full size extended cab truck are in the picture to show size. This plant has be

Aztec Grass

My wife is installing a "white area" in front of our house so when she saw plants identical to variegated liriope in a garden center, she grabbed eight of them. I thought nothing about it until I rea

Bulbs – Leaves Emerge in Winter

Many are the anguished cries when gardeners notice that bulb foliage has emerged in early winter. "Get back down in the ground!" they implore. "It's gonna get really cold soon." The

Bulbs – Storing for Winter

Most of us enjoy the cooler weather ushered in by late October and early November. Fall is fast approaching and we anticipate with pleasure the crisp days to come. Our landscape plants, though, have different rea

Bulbs – When to Plant in Fall

Spring-flowering bulbs have been on garden center shelves for weeks but the real season for planting them begins in late October. My preference is to wait to plant daffodil, tulip, hyacinth, Dutch iris, etc. unti

Cacti for Cold Climates

(from Avant Gardener Newsletter) We're pleased to hear of the formation of the Winter Hardy Cactus and Succulent Association (Robert Johnson, Intermountain Cactus, 1478 North 750 East, Kaysville, UT 84037;

Caladiums – Planting

Caladiums are old-fashioned bulbs that have become more popular in recent years. Plant breeders have developed varieties that can withstand much more sunshine than previous strains. Leaf colors from deep red to p

Candy Lily

Candy lily, Pardancanda norrisii, grows to 36″ tall. It is a cross between Belamcanda chinensis, blackberry lily, and Pardanthopsis dichotoma. Candy lily is very similar to blackberry lily but with larger f

Castor Bean – Ricin

With all the news about ricin poison being used by terrorists, I thought I’d show a few pictures of the castor bean plant, Ricinus communis, itself. Many folks in the South grow it. Castor bean leaves make a dram

Colocasia vs. Alocasia vs. Xanthosoma

All are called elephant ear by gardeners. Some are edible and some are not. Following is a collection of identification tips taken from various websites. I found the most useful to be http://www.suite101.com/arti

Coneflower – Odd-looking Flowers (Phytoplasma)

For whatever reason, homeowners in 2004 noticed many more instances of “odd” coneflowers than in previous years. The most common description is that the central “cone” of the flower is misshapen or that it has ti

Corn Poppy – Identification and History

Arty’s Garden Corn Poppy – The Poppy of Memorial Day The corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas) gets its name because it commonly grows amid fields of cereal grains such as wheat or oats – sometimes referred to as “corn” in

Fragrant Plants

I don't think I appreciated the value of landscape fragrance until the last few years in my garden. I was delighted a few weeks ago when I discovered, by nose alone, a newly blooming gardenia. Here is a lis

Crapemyrtle – Failure to Bloom

Few things are as frustrating as having a plant that is known for its beautiful flowers fail to bloom. Worse yet is when your neighbors’ plants are in full flower while identical ones in your landscape sullenly p