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Jan 10, 2025 | 
finegardening.com | Carol Collins |Christine Alexander |Richard Hawke |Sam Hoadley
Catalogue descriptions for new plants may grab our attention, but usually provide little useful information about how these up-and-coming cultivars will perform in your garden. Fortunately, comparative trials like those conducted at Chicago Botanic Garden and Mt. Cuba Center put plants to the test, side-by-side, under typical garden conditions. In this episode, Richard Hawke and Sam Hoadley delve into a few of the similarities and differences between their trial programs.
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Sep 5, 2024 | 
finegardening.com | Richard Hawke |Christine Alexander
Some shade is essential in warmer zones, but even in the North, Virginia persicaria (P. virginiana) appreciates afternoon shade and wind protection. While most species are tolerant of soggy sites, they sulk in dry soils. Crispy leaves are a sure sign of overly dry conditions and/or too much sun and heat. Divide plants in spring or fall as needed to control size and spread. Often you can just pull the clumps apart with your hands.
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May 15, 2024 | 
finegardening.com | Richard Hawke |Don Burgard
Like many northern gardeners, I had red-hot poker envy for many years but ruled out growing them because of their iffy chances of surviving winter in my region. However, I am very excited about some of the newer Kniphofia introductions we are growing at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Being able to overwinter a South African plant in the Midwest is pretty cool, right? This isn’t our first time experiencing the thrill and agony of cultivating Kniphofia.
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Feb 7, 2024 | 
finegardening.com | Richard Hawke |Don Burgard
Heucheras are somewhere in between plant-them-and-forget-them perennials and high-maintenance divas. At home in garden beds and superstars in containers, they will reward you handsomely when given proper conditions and care. Follow these cultural guidelines to achieve the greatest heuchera success. While heucheras are generally native to woodland habits, these leafy beauties are suited to grow in full sun to partial shade.
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Feb 7, 2024 | 
finegardening.com | Richard Hawke |Don Burgard
Who remembers when ‘Palace Purple’ was one of the hottest perennials in the market? It was the heuchera I planted in my new garden 30 years ago. I liked its color and valued its landscape utility but quickly pushed it aside when a real purple-leaved cultivar came along. After a few years of growing the new one, I realized that although ‘Palace Purple’ (Heuchera villosa ‘Palace Purple’) might not have the best leaf color compared to some of the newer cultivars, it was reliable.
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Sep 19, 2023 | 
finegardening.com | Mark Dwyer |Christine Alexander |Richard Hawke
While our gardens are always changing, we certainly put a lot of pressure on our plants to perform and look good, particularly the perennials. The wide range of soils and weather in the Midwest is certainly a factor, as our plants continue to be exposed to challenging growing conditions. Experimentation is not unusual as we explore plants that are new to us, but having some go-to selections with a very high chance of success makes sense for our gratification (and our finances).
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Aug 9, 2023 | 
flipboard.com | Richard Hawke
Gardening7 hours ago9 of the Most Beautiful Berry-Producing Plants to Feed the Birdsfinegardening.com - By Andy Brand • 7hFlowers are usually the first things that grab our attention when we are selecting plants to add to our landscapes. However, most plants only flower …Shopping5 hours agoCostco Is Selling Huge Fiddle Leaf Fig Trees for $52Apartment Therapy - Olivia Harvey • 5hIf you’ve recently added a fiddle leaf fig to your houseplant wishlist, then you need to get to Costco ASAP.
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Aug 9, 2023 | 
finegardening.com | Richard Hawke
As native grasses such as little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium and cvs., Zones 3–9) and prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis and cvs., Zones 3–9) increasingly gain traction in gardens, exotics such as miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis and cvs., Zones 4–9) are losing favor because of their invasive tendencies. But not all exotic grasses are troublesome and need to be avoided. Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis × acutiflora and cvs., Zones 5–9) is a natural hybrid of C. arundinacea and C.
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Jul 3, 2023 | 
l8r.it | Richard Hawke
I have mixed feelings about growing and promoting butterfly bushes. On the one hand, they are beautiful and reliable garden plants; on the other hand, their weedy nature cannot be denied. Keep these facts in mind before buying one of these shrubs. Butterfly Bush FactsButterfly bush’s weedy to invasive nature is due to prolific seed production. Butterfly bushes are widely adaptable to a variety of conditions, easily settling into natural and disturbed landscapes—even concrete cracks (photo below).
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Jul 3, 2023 | 
finegardening.com | Richard Hawke |Christine Alexander
I have mixed feelings about growing and promoting butterfly bushes. On the one hand, they are beautiful and reliable garden plants; on the other hand, their weedy nature cannot be denied. Keep these facts in mind before buying one of these shrubs. Butterfly Bush FactsButterfly bush’s weedy to invasive nature is due to prolific seed production. Butterfly bushes are widely adaptable to a variety of conditions, easily settling into natural and disturbed landscapes—even concrete cracks (photo below).
