Brazilian Red Cloak is a very showy ornamental shrub in the acanthus family. Native to tropical America, it produces large spikes of flowers that have small white flowers emerging from red bracts. Hummingbirds are attracted to the tubular flowers, which have two long curving lobes. The leaves are large, ovate and pleated. It has a very nice, dense, rounded habit, with the one-foot flower spikes …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Dozens of large blooms featuring single, crinkled white flowers surrounding a mass of golden stamens is the key feature of this cultivar. The stems are strong and do not need to be staked. This 1928 hybrid has stood the test of time due to a unique tolerance of warmer winters that makes it a favorite in southern and northern gardens alike. It matures at a height of 31 inches if grown in full sun …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
'Silver Carpet' is a fast-growing spreading perennial with furry silvery gray leaves that grows 12 inches tall. Unlike the typical lamb’s ears, 'Silver Carpet' does not produce flowers so is perfect for the low-maintenance gardener. Plant them in full sun in most, well-drained soil. It makes a perfect edging, and visitors will be tempted to reach down to pet the soft woolly leaves. Plants look …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Hundreds of blue flowers cover the mounded green foliage of this annual that works in the garden as a groundcover or as a cascading plant in hanging baskets. With the largest blue flowers of any of the cultivars, this non-stop bloomer earns it's keep. Grow in full sun for best flower production (although it tolerates partial shade well). Very well branched to provide quick and complete soil …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Reaching a mature height of 50' to 70', the littleleaf linden has a pyramidal habit in its youth and opens up with age. It has dense branches and a formal appearance in the landscape. This is an outstanding shade tree and one that tolerates pollution. Its fragrant yellow flowers open in late June or early July, filling the tree with the soft hum of numerous bees collecting pollen. In autumn, the …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
This elegant lily-flowered tulip features blood-red flowers with an orange-yellow rim that opens in sunlight to reveal orange flowers with a bold golden center. This class features elongated, pointed petals and resembles the cultivars in fashion in the Ottoman Empire, when the first tulips were imported from there into Europe. Plant this tulip in full sun and moderately fertile soils for best …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
This acacia is a small tree or large shrub from the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It has fragrant, round golden puffballs in late winter/early spring, followed by red-brown peapod-like fruit in summer. This plant thrives in full sun, very well-drained soils, and reduced water during winter dormancy. It will need a cool period in winter to …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
Kalm St. Johnswort ( Hypericum kalmianum ) St. Johnswort has yellow flowers that bloom in midsummer. Its narrow leaves are blue-green. Plant it in full sun for best flowering. Creating a pleasing border in our midwestern climate requires more than flowering herbaceous plants. Small shrubs offer a structure and size that most perennials cannot match in this region's short growing season. When the …
Type: Plant Info
Description: This migrant woodpecker and breeder feeds on ants and can be found in any tree-covered area or on the lawn. Unlike many woodland birds, the northern flicker produces a sound that seems to come from the jungle. Its loud, laughing, rapid “kick-kick-kick-kick-kick” song echoes through the woods, mostly in spring and early summer. Identify the northern flicker by its barred back, black …
Type: Birding
Q: Last year, my lawn had several areas of crabgrass. How should I deal with this? A: Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) is an annual weed that germinates in midspring and gradually colonizes bare spots in the lawn during hot summer weather before producing a crop of seeds and dying off in the late summer. The first line of defense against crabgrass is to minimize the opportunities for it to …
Type: Plant Info
