Boxwood – March Plant of the Month
While boxwood may not be one of my favorite plants, they are extremely useful in the landscape. And you can cut them for winter greenery. The reason they are the plant of the month is because of their winter durability. They provide quite a bit of green coming out of winter, and they look good […]
Peach Fuzz – The Color of the Year
Peach fuzz is the 2024 color of the year, according to Pantone. Each year, Pantone picks a color as a snapshot in time, trying to connect with our emotions and deep-seated feelings. Peach fuzz is a hue not really pink and not quite orange. It captures our desires to nurture kindness, compassion, and connection, all […]
Evergreen Plants for the Central Great Plains
Evergreen plants can be anything that does not lose its leaves in winter. That would include groundcovers, perennials, shrubs, vines, and trees. But to keep it modest, I will go over some of the trees and shrubs which are evergreen in our region. These are some of the best choices for our area. I will […]
Shrubs for Birds – Andrew’s Top 10
Planting shrubs for birds is about as much fun as moth hunting, for me anyways. I do not know what I love more, plants or insects, but they both provide me with a lot of joy. And the fact that I get birds to come for both is a bonus. But what shrubs are best […]
The Shrub Border
The shrub border has been a part of many landscapes. In the old world (Europe) tall hedges of box and yew outline the garden and landscapes. Even now, gardeners are trying to recreate shrub borders around their landscape to mimic what their ancestors had. But maybe we should be looking at a mixed shrub border, […]
Plants for Winter Interest in the Garden
Now that winter is finally upon us, I like to look at my garden and think about the future. Right now, the snow is settled over the landscape, and I can see what looks good in it. Plants for winter interest are definitely needed. But we also want plants with multiple season interest. If we […]
Viburnums – The Gardener’s Must-Have Plant
If you want to truly feel you have a place in the gardening world, you need to have viburnums. I feel like the landscape is not complete without at least 1 viburnum, either native or nonnative. Viburnums come in all shapes and sizes, with varying fruiting abilities and sun tolerances. Similar in variety to hydrangeas, […]
Plant of the Week: Viburnum ‘Blue Muffin’
Viburnum ‘Blue Muffin’ is this week’s Plant of the Week. Viburnums come and go, but ‘Blue Muffin’ is a standout cultivar. Viburnum dentatum, the arrowwood viburnum, is native to North America. This shrub grows 6 to 8 feet tall and wide. It can be used in a variety of ways in the landscape. It can […]
Plant of the Week: Weigelas
Weigelas are our Plant of the Week this week. This shrub has shiny leaves, blooms on new growth, and is very durable and long-lived. As a shrub, it can be shaped into hedges or rounded into balls, or you can simply let it grow. While there are many cultivars of weigelas, we at Grimm’s like […]