Plant Profiles

Below are links to articles posted in Plant Profiles.

How to Grow Hardy Hibiscus or Rose Mallow

This is a plant with many names, hardy hibiscus, rose mallow, swamp mallow, etc. It is a wonderful plant and should be in almost every garden. A North American native it can be found growing wild in the south, but it has been hybridized and many beautiful cultivars are available for the entire country. It […]

Thuja (standishii x plicata) “Green Giant”

Green Giant Thuja’s are fast becoming one of the most popular plants for the landscape, and for good reason. They are one of the fastest growing known evergreen trees. They can grow as much as 5 feet per year or more. The result from a supposed cross between a Japanese thuja and the US native […]

Dawn Redwood: Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Gold Rush’

In addition to the cedar I bought yesterday, I also bought a seqouia, a redwood, for here in Michigan. Crazy you say? Well, apparently, notsomuch. What gardener doesn’t dream about having a massive redwood in their yard, and if we could live for a thousand years we might be able to get one, but instead […]

Himalayan Cedar: Cedrus deodara ‘Karl Fuchs’

My recent post about what a real cedar is was not a coincidence, I have been looking at buying one, and today I did. I have wanted a cedar for years, even since I saw Paul James’ on his show. Paul has a weeping Blue Atlas cedar, Cedrus atlantica, and it is absolutely gorgeous… and […]

Now you Cedar, Now you Don’t

I have a peeve, and thy name is Cedar. Or is it? People are confused, I was confused, confusion abounds, what is a cedar? What isn’t? I’ve even seen articles, writing by some sweatshop overseas writing shops I’m sure, that are completely mishmashed confusing true cedars with fake ones. That is the quality you get […]

Video: How to Build a Raised Island Bed with Retaining Wall Bricks

I’m doing videos now, this is the first one I’ve posted (though the fourth I’ve filmed). Some notes. 1. Expect to spend around $5 a linear foot for a 2 brick above ground (3 rows total) retaining wall as in the video. This assumes $1.50 per brick. 2. Use high quality soil for back filling. […]

Carpet Phlox, a great groundcover

When this blog started I really liked Ice Plant and it was my favorite groundcover. Not anymore. As much as I liked ice plant for it’s drought invulnerability and it’s nonstop all summer long flowers, it is only marginally hardy here and I had problems keeping it coming back. I planted some carpet phlox way […]

Kudos to Stark Bros

My first plant of the year has arrived, a ‘Goldcot’ Apricot Dwarf from Stark Bros, and I need to sing their praises. I’ve talked up Stark Bros before, mentioning them as my favorite place to get fruit trees, but they beat themselves in quality this time. This dwarf apricot was around 4 feet tall, and […]

Japanese Irises are Better than Bearded Irises

There can be no discussion, the Japanese iris is superior, in fact, I think I hate bearded irises now, and they used to be my favorite flower. Bearded Irises, Falling Down on the Job So, seriously, what kind of slob falls down on the job? The bearded iris, thats who! These beautiful flowers used to […]

Garden for Dollars, Grow Asparagus

One of my favorite things about gardening is that you’re making free food. Well, not exactly free is it? Anymore than anything is free. You spend the time, you buy the gardening supplies, fertilizer, etc. Many people probably do garden at a loss, I’m sure I do, but I enjoy it, so there is that. […]

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