Shazam! All of a sudden everyone is thinking about growing a vegetable garden. Essentials disappearing from the local supermarket is at best a wake-up call. One thing for certain now that families are all together — there is no better way to teach children a little horticulture, pollination …
What’s the best soil to use? Whether you’re gardening with containers, in raised beds or digging holes in the ground, you can’t go wrong with organic potting soil. With its loamy texture, water-absorbing amendments, lots of nutrients and beneficial fungi, it mimics a healthy soil. Read more
An annual is a plant that lives and dies in one growing season. A perennial regrows and reblooms year after year. Read more
Gardening doesn’t have to be expensive. But tell that to your pocketbook after you’ve made a trip to your local nursery or garden center. Read more
The best way to protect your houseplants from thrips, spider mites, mealy bugs and other pests is to make sure you care for the plants properly. Read more
The commercial landscape world is where the proverbial ‘rubber meets the road’ scenario. We can all gawk at flowers in trial gardens and get a good indication of how they will perform at home, but shopping centers and city streetscapes may be the best indicator of all. Read more
LOS ANGELES — The leaves of your Fittonia verschaffeltii are brown and brittle and aren’t growing back. Read more
Worried about a sad-looking tree in your yard? Read more
When it comes to watering plants, the best advice is simple: Water infrequently but deeply, and let the soil be your guide. Read more
The calendar had not reached March this year and I already had my first blooms on the new Superbells Double Blue Calibrachoa. Your first thought is, “What am I doing planting so early?” The fact is, these are returning from last year’s plants I was testing. Read more
One of The Garden Guy’s favorite new plants making its debut in 2020 has name so unusual I had to look up the definition and gift it a little thought. It is called Unplugged. Did you know we have a National Day of Unplugging? Read more
Pickerelweed is native over a monstrously big range, from Nova Scotia to Argentina. In our country pickerelweed calls 36 states home. I assure you “Where the Pickerelweed Grows,” a spectacle of nature is waiting for you to see the show. Read more
If there was such a thing as a Super Bowl dynasty in the plant world it would have to go to Diamond Frost euphorbia. Somehow, I doubt that Proven Winners and the entire green industry knew what they had when it made its debut over a dozen years ago. Read more
Phil the groundhog predicted an early spring and he was right on. Groundhog Day was Feb. 2 and spring arrived at my house Feb. 3. Great Scott that was fast! I know I am slightly exaggerating but as I write this, on Feb. 3, I have the sunroom door open for any pollinators that might want to c… Read more
This winter we are seeing copper in baskets, containers and even landscapes all thanks to new Heuchera varieties. There seems to be nothing that today’s flower breeder can’t do with Heuchera or its common name coral bells. Read more
Dear Joan: I had some work done this past summer, including stripping several inches of weedy dirt from my parking strip, replacing it with mixed-texture mulch, setting pavers and planting a ground cover. Read more
Peacocks are showing up in the landscape this year and causing many of us to become fixated on their beauty. As you might expect, The Garden Guy is playing semantics with you. I am talking Peacock kale. The innovative commercial landscaper industry in my area has caught on to the monolithic … Read more
Now that Christmas is over, it’s time to put our thoughts on tulips. At least this is when many in the South do it. Friends and relatives in the North hopefully got theirs in sometime in October before the ground froze. Read more
The New Year will be rockin' baby thanks to Proven Winners' introduction of the Salvia Rockin' Blue Suede Shoes. Not only will this salvia bring in the hummingbirds, bees and butterflies all summer, but it will be trending with the celebration of 2020 Pantone Color of the Year 'Classic Blue'. Read more
It was a 191 years ago that Ambassador Joel Poinsett brought the plant we now know as the poinsettia to the United States. There is no way he could have dreamed of all of the colors, shapes, treatments or enhancements you find with today's poinsettias. Ambassador, we thank you for your vision. Read more
The November Polar Express put a lot of good gardening folks in a funk. Consider, many of us had virtually had no frost, then the front swooped down dropping temperatures to a bone-chilling 22 degrees in West Georgia. So, if you are in a funk or simply found yourself behind in cool-season co… Read more
Euphorbias are starting to amaze in cool-season plantings whether they be in containers, or as the perfect pansy partner in the landscape. More than likely your first thought is euphorbias for the summer landscape like Diamond Frost but I'm talking Ascot Rainbow that has been the rage since … Read more
Peanut butter for the holidays may elicit a 'that's for the birds' response, and, you would be right. But who doesn't like peanut butter cups and peanut butter swirled ice cream? Peanut butter, however, is a special treat for the birds, and if you like birds coming to your sunflower or thist… Read more
The lacebark elm met Old Man Winter's confrontation head-on and won and is now showing out in the Chattahoochee Valley area of West Georgia. While record cold took its toll by freezing leaves to the tree, these small elms are decorating neighborhoods with a soft, orange and yellow glow. Read more
Fatsia and pollinators don't often find themselves in the same discussion but in the last few years my eyes have been opened to the point I can give a Holy Wow to this 'Shrub of the South.' Most of us never pay attention to the blooms of the fatsia which on their own are as intricate as a bo… Read more
Electric blue and neon purple in "The Garden Guy's" hydrangeas made 2019 an unforgettable year in the garden. These colors came courtesy of Let's Dance Rave hydrangeas from Proven Winners. We've all seen those photos in catalogs and brochures making us wonder if those flowers really will loo… Read more
Fall is the best time to plant trees and shrubs from the standpoint of acclimatization in the landscape. That being said, I would like to give a shout-out for an underused illicium or anise. Read more
A hillside of gold in the Old Town community of North Columbus not only caught my eye but enticed me to get out of the car with my camera in hand. It was a hill planted with dozens of Winterberry hollies; and despite a fall season of high heat and drought, it was creating quite a show. Read more
Monsoon Mixer and Hawaiian Big Kahuna were two plants that brought us a load of tropical joy during a long growing season that started with monsoonal rains and finished with what is now being called a flash drought. Read more
Basil has stolen my heart as of late but it is probably not for what you think. It's not because the foliage such as that of Purple Ruffles as Mississippi Medallion Award Winners is as pretty as a coleus. Nor is it for the culinary delicacy provided by Siam Queen an All-America Selections Aw… Read more
The most anticipated new fall flower arrived in my area and I didn't even get to see it. Let that be a warning to all of you gardeners getting ready for fall planting. The plant I am talking about is the Rockin dianthus coming out of Pan American Seed. Read more
Flaming orange flowers always catch my eye and the old-fashioned Mexican sunflower is still one of the best. There may be a revival happening with this plant that I have failed to notice. Read more
Years of preparation for the Fall Flower & Garden Fest, Mississippi State University's huge horticultural event in Crystal Springs, Miss., taught me the value of pinching and cutting back herbaceous plant material. Read more
As my wife, Jan and I were slowly driving, doing a little house shopping, we had to bring the car to a halt as 7 large bucks ambled across the road along with one fawn. It was a sight that would make Yellowstone jealous. While I was scrambling to grab the camera, Jan looked at the situation … Read more
In Georgia, this appears to be the year of the Joe Pye weed. Everywhere you look it is providing staggering beauty including along the 40-mile stretch of The Russell-Brasstown National Scenic Highway, in North Georgia. Read more
Everblooming and bush habit, are not two adjectives or descriptors you would ever expect to give a sunflower, but that has all changed. It's called Suncredible Yellow and botanically speaking it is a Helianthus hybrid. Read more
The increasing hours of spring sunlight and rising temperatures across the country bring thoughts of greenery and new life, and adding a houseplant or two to your home is a great way to brighten your space without spending a lot of money. Read more
Brick & Mortar: Mark and Renee Ebert Read more
October Magic camellias come in eleven varieties, each with an exquisite shape and form. Read more
In Yellowstone, as you drive from one scenic point to another you'll notice cars pulled to the side of the road. This is a clear signal that something of extraordinary interest has been spotted. Bison, elk, moose, wolves and of course bears are at the top of the list. Read more
It has five years ago most of us first saw Kong Junior coleuses in trials across the country. We liked what we saw but knew we had to get our hands on it to see what it could really become. Now we can all say it is truly a winner and worth of all those accolades. This is a coleus you can tru… Read more
It's easy to drop serious cash in a garden supply shop, falling in love with a gorgeous yucca plant or picking up a bunch of bargain tools. Read more
Nature-Inspired Landscaping Read more
As we all strive to get our hands on every native milkweed for our states and to the ultimate benefit of the Monarch butterfly I thought I might plug its use for the other guys. Your first thought might be I'm talking about the Queen or Soldier butterflies that are related to the Monarch and… Read more
The first time I saw the native sweetshrub I instantly fell in love with it, the small deep burgundy flowers and fragrance was an instant lure. I would see them at old homes and plant swaps but not so much in the marketplace. Read more
Solar storms have been in the news the past couple of weeks in an almost, 'the sky is falling,' scenario but it can be happening in your landscape, too, thanks to new Solar Flare and Solar Glow azaleas! Read more
Meet Ryan Dale Read more