Pink Magnolia Flowers in the Shadow of the White House (photo credit Chris Eirschele) A Borrowed View from South Lawn of the Washington Monument (photo credit Chris Eirschele) Old North Lawn Magnolia Thriving at the White House (photo credit Chris Eirschele) Persian Ironwood (Parrotia persica) is a Monument on the South Lawn (photo credit Chr [...]

Calibrachoa Superbells Lemon Slice for Gardeners in 2013  Photo Credit – Chris Eirschele   Each year, I grow new plants sent to me from Proven Winners to try out in my garden.  The free plants are a perk to being a garden writer, but more importantly it is a chance to see how new plants, especially annuals, will perform in a gardene [...]

  The plant sale at Desert Botanical Garden is held in the shadow of Papago Buttes. The sea of plants are enticing. Photo credit Chuck Eirschele. My all-time favorite plant sellers are found at botanical gardens, events put on by master gardeners or garden clubs.  You can count on plants coming from the region’s backyard, there are [...]

One of my tricks to keeping my desire to grow plants going is trying new plants.  As a garden writer, I am especially lucky to sometimes try new plants before they are at the local garden center.  Here are some I tried last summer. Two more verbena, last year I loved Royale Chambray for its strong blue color. Superbena Royale Iced Cherry and [...]

When I was a little girl, each spring my Dad and I would race to see who would spot a robin first.  Even back in the 1960s, Wisconsin’s state bird was considered the first reliable sign that garden soil would be warming up soon. But it took moving to Ohio to experience this. Baby robins up close in my container garden space. My springti [...]