When the garden catalogs come out and the nurseries start stocking plants, gardeners start thinking about how to get the most bloom for their buck. That can be a really tough job when you have a shaded garden that needs some color. You don’t have to have an all foliage garden just because your garden is shaded, and you don’t have to settle for just a few weeks of bloom. Here are our top picks for choosing garden plants that bloom in the shade, all summer long! Geranium – This is not your typical annual geranium that fills window boxes everywhere… in truth, those are Pelargoniums. True geraniums are a perennial that does well in partial shade, and blooms pink or blue all summer. In addition, many varieties’ foliage turns bronze or red in the fall. We love Geranium “Rozanne”. Its blooms are big and blue, and the plant grows to 20 inches. Astilbe – Astilbe have foliage that is glossy and attractive, and bloom from late spring into summer. If you cut them back after blooming, they can bloom again. In pinks, purples and whites, they are a fluffy spire that can brighten any shady spot.
  Spiderwort – Known for growing in almost any conditions, Spiderwort has strap like foliage and interesting flowers of white, pink or purple all summer.
  This variety has bright green leaves and is called “Sweet Kate”. Great for brightening up a shady garden!
  Hardy Fuchsia – There are several cultivars of hardy Fuchsias, which are just as beautiful as the basket variety, but usually larger and more up right. The most common variety grown in the Pacific is Fuchsia magellanica. This Fuchsia is a shrub like plant covered with tubular blooms that hummingbirds LOVE, and blooms spring to first frost. Growing 6-10 feet high and as wide, it’s winter hardy down to zone 6, though it might die back during the coldest months. It will come alive again in spring!
  Impatiens – No conversation about long blooming shade plants would be complete without talking about Impatiens. There are two types, the one we are talking about  is the bedding Impatiens, which are the kind you find in every nursery in six packs and lots of colors. While these are annuals and die back each winter, they perform better than any other flowering shade plant. They are tender, so be sure not to plant them too early…Wait until the soil starts to warm. Planting them when it’s still cold can stunt them. Also, they need moisture and are heavy feeders. Cut them back by a third if they start to get leggy, and give them a dose of liquid fertilizer. My favorite are white Impatiens, but they come in many colors, from neon brights to pastels. They, much like petunias and marigolds, have gotten a bad wrap by gardening snobs as being cliche, and boring. Any plant can be boring if you don’t use it properly. So use them the way they shine…in large drifts of all one color..and watch those snobs eat their words!

So don’t use your shady garden as an excuse not to have flowers in bloom all summer long. Pick one, two or all of these and create a shade garden that blooms all summer!

There aren’t very many plants that I will call fool proof, but the daylily comes pretty close. Tolerant of drought, tough soils, even partial shade, these beauties’ blooms last only one day. The good news is that there are always more buds to follow the ones that fade! A lot of gardeners gave up on daylilies the last few years because their characteristic yellow blooms and strappy leaves just became a little overused. ‘Stella de Oro’ was a variety that rebloomed, was compact, easy to grow… and planted in about every garden and street side patch for about 20 years. Ok, that can get old. But did you know that daylilies come in every color except blue? That some are fragrant, some have huge blooms, and some grow 4 feet tall? That they can be used planted en masse for great effect, as a ground cover, as a focal point in the garden, or in containers? So here is your quick primer on how to grow delightful daylilies!
Most prefer full sun to get the best blooms, although the darker varieties will like some afternoon shade for the best color. Choose an early, mid, and late blooming variety to make sure you always have blooms. Plant with the crown of the plant 1/2 inch under the soil. They prefer a soil rich in organic matter, but will tolerate poor soils as well. Water regularly the first season to get the root system established, then as needed after that. Fertilize in the spring with a low nitrogen fertilizer. Deadhead the faded blooms as often as possible for the most blooms on each plant. Strive for twice a week if you can. Some varieties are “self cleaning” which means you don’t have to deadhead. Here is how to deadhead a daylily, complete with a video from ‘Sally’s Trove’.
  The last thing you need to know about daylilies is that they need to be divided every 2-5 years to keep them healthy and growing vigorously. This sounds like a chore, but is pretty easy to do, and provides you with lots of new, free plants! Jump on over to ‘BHG’ and watch quick video on how to divide daylilies. Did we mention they are tough? It would be pretty hard for you to do it wrong! Below are ‘Stella de Oro’ daylilies.
  That’s all there is to growing amazing daylilies in your garden. They are seldom bothered by pests and disease, but if you see mis-shapen, malformed blooms, consider treating for thrips. A simple insecticide soap is a good choice. A few of our top choices? ‘Happy Returns‘ is probably the best yellow flowered replacement for ‘Stella de Oro’, as it starts blooming in June and goes right through to October! If you want a tough, dependable daylily, this is your choice!
  An old favorite, ‘Catherine Woodbury‘ has a gorgeous pink color with a yellow throat, and it’s fragrant! About 30 inches tall, one of my fav’s. Midsummer bloomer.
  ‘Joan Senior‘ will rebloom from July onward, and is the most white variety. Easy to grow, and very drought resistant, they grow about 2 feet tall.
  ‘Wineberry Candy‘ is a pink/ purple selection that reblooms mid to late, and is a perfect 2 feet high.
  ‘Siloam Double Classic‘ has perfect peachy flowers, a super sweet fragrance and blooms early to late! For me, this is a tie with ‘Catherine Woodbury’.
  A daylily that looks like red velvet is ‘Red Volunteer‘. Midseason, likes afternoon shade where its hot.
  ‘Strawberry Candy‘ is a very popular variety of deep pink blooms with strong, green foliage.
  Lastly, ‘Indian Giver‘ is a deep purple bloom with a crisp white edge. Mid season blooming, grows to 2 1/2 feet tall. As with most darker varieties, prefers some afternoon shade for best color.
  So grow some daylilies! Now that you know how easy they are, what’s your excuse? :)

Most of us who garden have at one time or another dreamed of the charm and whimsy of a wildflower garden. Come on, admit it… you too have longed for a garden that seems to be one with Mother Nature, and sings the virtue floral fantasies that appears to have no maintenance needs whatsoever. On board so far? Whether you just wanted to scatter seeds along a back fence, or plant an entire pasture for pastoral beauty, here is a quick primer on how to grow a wildflower garden! (And yes, it does take some work!) Photo above by Steve Bates. Why grow a wildflower garden? Ok, this first one is easy. They are the epitome of a slice of nature right in your backyard. A gorgeous slice. They attract birds and butterflies, including hummingbirds. While not maintenance free, they are easier then a formal garden. Since most are native or adapted species, they don’t have many problems with disease and pests.
Cons? When flowers start to fade, they can look a little scraggly. You have to mow them down for the winter, or you have a stand of scraggly brown stalks to look at!
How to get started Ok, for me, the pros outweigh the cons, but just for a small slice of my yard. Others may want to turn their entire backyard into a meadow! Or somewhere in between… Whichever direction you choose, here’s how to get started and how to keep your wildflower garden gorgeous! First, site selection. Wildflowers are flowers that have stood the test of time, growing and thriving in nature without our help. What does nature provide? Sun. They need at least 6-8 hours of sun every day, so choose your spot wisely. Contrary to popular belief, scattering seeds over existing soil and walking away only to come back months later to find a gorgeous meadow, is a myth. You must break up the soil and remove weeds or existing plants to make it ready for young roots. No need to add fertilizer or compost though, wildflowers are accustomed to poor soil. To keep your wildflower garden looking neat and helping it blend in with your yard, add a hardscape feature such as a mowing strip or brick edging. Arbors and benches also help integrate wildflowers and make them look like they were planted with intent. Choose your flowers. Most wildflower mixes will have varieties that thrive in different parts of the country, therefore, some of them will fail where you live. I find it’s more effective to choose 3-5 flower seed varieties and mix your own. Pick varieties that are widely adapted, or ones that are native to your area, you can ask at your local nursery. Great choices for beginners in most parts of the country are sunflowers, cosmos, bachelor buttons, alyssum and zinnias. You can grow perennial wildflowers from seed as well, but starting with annuals is a better bet when getting started.
You can plant your wildflower garden in early spring after frost, or in late fall. After all, that’s how nature plants them! The flowers bloom all summer, then the seeds dropped in later fall overwinter, and then begin to grow with spring warmth and water. If you choose to plant in late fall, make sure the temperatures are low enough to keep the seeds from germinating until spring. Mix your seed with sand to help make it easier to broadcast, then here is the fun part you always dreamed about… scatter away! Lightly rake the seeds into the soil, then water gently for a few weeks until the plants get well established. Here is the part you don’t want to hear… Weeds and wildflowers go together. You can hand pick weeds from a small plot when they are young, or choose to let them go in a larger space. If you can keep them under control for the first part of the wildflower life cycle, chances are they can take over the weeds. How do you know what is a wildflower and what is a weed? Here is where mixing your own seed comes in handy. Plant a couple of seeds of each variety in a well marked 4 inch pot, so that you have one of each to variety to help you figure out what is what! Depending on your natural rain patterns, they may not need regular irrigation after the first 3-4 weeks. In the late fall after they have stopped blooming, mow them down, and till them under if you wish. Many will come back again the next spring through nature’s plantings, but we recommend re-planting as well to make sure you have a full meadow the next year.
That’s it! Start in spring or start in fall, make a small plot or a replace some lawn, plant a whole field… but definitely grow a wildflower garden!

We all do it every spring…we lust after those gorgeous bulb gardens, full of bright colors after a long gray winter… And every year we say, “Next spring I’m going to have a garden like that!” Well this is your year, because not only is TGG going to give you an easy to understand primer on which bulbs to choose, we are going to show you exactly how to choose, buy and design with them this fall so that next spring your yard will be the envy of the block! Planning the Bulb Garden Unless you are planning to plant hundreds of bulbs in full public garden style (not recommended for the average gardener!) planning a bulb garden isn’t complicated. Here are a couple of guidelines to keep in mind. Choose just two or three types of bulbs to use in your yard. Using just a few of every pretty bulb out there will just leave your garden looking cluttered and lost, without the impact you are looking for. Use the same bulb in groups and drifts for the best design strategy. Choose bulbs that bloom at the same time. Most bulbs bloom for just a few short weeks every spring, and to get the best effect, choose ones that bloom together. Bulbs are classified into early season, mid season and late season bloomers. If you want the most impressive show, plan your bulb garden to either all bloom at once, or to have several different shows in each classification.
For instance, you could choose a mid season tulip, daffodil and grape hyacinth (my fav combo, btw) and create a one time show with larger groups of those three bulbs. Or, you could create smaller shows of each an early season group, mid season group, and late season group so that something is always in bloom. There is no right answer, just depends on how much time and planning you wish to put into you bulb garden. Choose a color scheme for you bulb garden. Want gentle, sweet pastels, or bright and vibrant colors? Complementary colors grown together, such as red and blue, or yellow and blue are always show stoppers. A bulb garden looks best though when the color scheme is consistent. Plan cover ups. After bulbs finish blooming, their greenery withers, but you can’t cut them back yet if you plan on them returning the following year. Plant a ground cover or sprawling perennials around and through your bulb garden so that as the bulbs finish, they and other plants will be naturally growing over the stalks to cover and hide them. How to Choose Bulbs Don’t buy discount bulbs at the local stop and shop. Quality and health of your bulbs will make all the difference in both display, and their ability to return, and multiply year after year. Here’s how to choose healthy bulbs. Buy from a trusted online source. Two that we use and depend on are DutchBulbs.com and WhiteFlowerFarm.com. Another reliable choice is your local plant nursery – not your local home improvement store. If you want small flowers and a wimpy display, then you go ahead and buy those bulk bags at Walmart. Choose bulbs that are smooth and free of defects. Buy “top grade” bulbs. This refers to their size, and yes, size matters. If they aren’t marked top grade, they aren’t top grade!
Finally, wait until late fall to plant your bulbs, but before the ground freezes. Find out from your nursery their recommendation for planting depth for your particular bulbs for your area – it can vary due to winter cold. You can have that gorgeous spring bulb garden if you plan now, so take our advice, and start shopping now before the best bulbs are sold out!

If you are interested in design at all, or been shopping lately anywhere they sell…well, anything, you’ve noticed shades of orange on everything from sundresses to sofas. It used to be orange in the garden was reserved to tropical or desert styles. Or marigolds. (Not a big fan of marigolds here, if only because they have been so overused…) Now it’s easy to use this uplifting color in any garden design, and here are TGG’s top picks for flowers that come in the color of sunsets and fun vacation drinks! (And who doesn’t want more of that?) Flower varieties that are hot this year, and not just because they are orange! (Photos are shown below each name and description) Echinacea This is a perennial (comes back every year) commonly known as coneflower, and the original variety that everyone is familiar with is purple. The last few years, coneflowers have exploded in popularity, and so have the varieties available. We LOVE Indian Summer. This particular one is hardy down to zone 6, loves heat, is drought tolerant, and blooms all summer. It grows 18 inches tall and as wide, and is deer resistant. Try it in large containers as well! One of TGG’s favorite plant addictions! Other great new orange varieties? Look for Flame Thrower and Tiki Torch.

Many of us have trouble keeping plants alive in our garden, and have quite the “black thumb”. Either we are too busy to maintain them, or our gardens have issues that make it difficult; hot, dry sites, poor soil or bad weather. Don’t let that stop you from growing flowers! There is hope for even the most murderous of gardeners… you can grow flowers, and you can plant them today and trust they will still be there next year and the year after that. Yes, you still have to make sure they get the occasional drink of water, and make sure you aren’t planting them deep in the barren wasteland of the Arctic…but other than that? Here are TGG’s best picks for easy to grow flowers for any garden. (Oh, and these plants are favs of expert gardeners too!) Number 5 Thyme (pictured above) While most of you recognize this as a spice from the kitchen cupboard, there are many very ornamental varieties that can offer texture, color and scent in your garden. Oh, and did I mention they grow like weeds? In a good way, of course. Drought resistant and sun lovers, these plants come in creeping forms to tuck between pavers, and larger varieties that fit right into any garden bed. Flowers are usually white, pink or red, and cover the plants spring through fall. They are fragrant when crushed, make great filler for flower arrangements, and attract butterflies like crazy! These plants come back every year, and yes, you can use them in the kitchen! Number 4 Cosmos
This flower is an annual, which means it dies after one season, but it reseeds itself so prolifically you would never know it! Each season new seedlings will come up on their own, with no help from you at all. Beautiful daisy like flowers are borne on tall ferny foliage in purples, pinks and whites. All they need is a little water and at least half a day of sun, and they will provide you with armfuls of cut flowers all season long. This is our best budget pick… easily grown from one packet of seeds, and renews itself each year after that with no more seeding needed. Simply rake your spot smooth, sprinkle seeds, lightly cover with dirt and water…That’s it! They will do the rest… This flower is great as filler in a garden bed that has empty spots, or makes a dramatic show as aw hole bed in itself. Number 3 Mexican Feather Grass
Mexican feather grass is my choice for an unbeatable ornamental grass for my area, but there are similar grasses if you live in a zone colder than 6. This feather grass (Nasella, formerly Stipa) is incredible drought and heat tolerant, self seeds like crazy (may drive you nuts, but eay to pull out if they seed in an unlikely place) and add n updated look to any garden. These little grasses grow to 24 inches and as wide, and are topped with fluffy white “flowers” through the summer. Which, by the way, look fantastic right through the winter after the grass has turned golden brown. You can plant these gems in a modern, more orderly way, or let them create a more natural garden effect. You can pot them into containers, and use them to add texture and movement to a stale garden bed. At TGG we are big fans of all ornamental grasses, but this is one of our go-tos! Number 2 Coneflowers
The hottest perennial in any nursery right now are coneflowers, and with good reason. Originally purple wildflowers from the prairie states, these new hybrids have been bred to provide incredible color varieties, compact form and still retain the drought and disease resistance of the original plant. We love some of the new tropical colors, like “Flame Thrower” or “Indian Summer”. Also, green and white varieties, and even double flowering forms! Some varieties are great for containers, try Pow Wow Wild Berry, one of our new favs… They require occasional watering, and they bloom better if their spent blooms are removed, although not necessary in may of the newer varieties. Fun fact: The parent plant, Echinacea, is the same herbal supplement many use to ward off colds and fevers! Our top pick for easiest flower to grow – Number one! Yarrow

If you love weddings, picnics, small cherub faced children and older couples holding hands, chance are you love lilies. They are at once elegant, romantic and timeless, yet also can be fun and spicy in the garden as well as the vase. They are a photographers dream, a florists best bet, and a loving spouses sweet gift. They can perfume a room, or stop you in your tracks with the beauty of just one, perfect bloom. Ok, so after that build up, you probably think they must be impossible to grow, right? Nope!  Lilies belong in every garden for their color and form, height and texture. Oh, and that fragrance! How to Grow Lilies There are basically two of the most common types of lilies grown in the garden – Oriental and Asiatic lilies. There are others, but for beginners, these are the two to start with, and the most accessible at local nurseries. Oriental lilies are the ones you most often see at the florist… the gorgeous white ‘Casablanca’, the pretty deep pink “Stargazer’ and so many more. They are also the ones with the heavy perfume in the air! They usually bloom in mid summer, and can get up to 6 feet tall in bloom. They are not as hardy as their Asiatic cousins, and tend to prefer afternoon shade. By contrast, Asiatic lilies tend to be tough, hardy plants you rarely need to mulch in the winter. Blooming in late spring, they grow 3-5 feet tall and are usually found on the warmer end of the color wheel, with yellows and orange being the most common, though there are exceptions. I grow a pink one in my garden called “Strawberry Shortcake”. They are not the fragrant ones, but make up for it with length of bloom and tolerance of conditions. Asiatics handle summer heat well. Both types have a few things in common: Lilies are bulbs, similar to tulips. Plant soon after you receive them as they dry out easily. Different varieties bloom at different times… plan for a succession of blooms. Most lilies bloom for about 2-3 weeks each season. You can plant in fall or in spring as soon as the ground can be worked, but you will get a better and earlier bloom from planting in the fall. Plant bulbs 4-6 inches deep, more important for the Oriental hybrids as they prefer cooler roots. Make sure you plant in well drained soil. Lilies may get diseased if the soil is soggy. Consider planting shallow rooted low growing annuals or perennials around the lilies to cover the base of the stalks during the growing season. I love Geranium ‘Roxanne’ with Oriental lilies. This also keeps the roots cooler, which they like. Water moderately until flowering, then cut back on water until the plant finishes flowering and yellows. Cut back spent flowers to the stalk. When the plant is yellow all the way to the ground, you can cut it back. Do not cut the greenery down before it has completely yellowed. Like other bulbs, the greenery is how the plant stores energy for next years bloom. Fertilize twice a season with a general liquid fertilizer… they are not heavy feeders. You can plant lilies in containers. Make sure you match the size and depth of the container in scale to the height of the plant at maturity. There are many dwarf varieties available as well! Here are a couple of our favorite varieties for beginners to try, though there are hundreds of varieties at specialty nurseries. (Yes, this can become an obsession! But would that be so bad?) These varieties are from ‘Wayside Gardens‘, one of our favorite online nurseries. (We received nothing in exchange for this recommendation, before someone asks! :) Oriental Lilies ‘Casablanca‘ “Casablanca’ is the quintessential lily… large, white blooms with a strong fragrance, up to 10 inches across. They grow to 5 feet, and like their roots cool, but their tops in the sun. May need support, blooms in July / August.
  ‘Dizzy‘ Another large, 10 inch bloom on this flower, ‘Dizzy’ is a pink striped companion to ‘Casablanca’.  Blooming at the same time, this lily also has an intense fragrance and gets bigger and better each year. To 5 feet.
  ‘Roselily Natalia‘ ‘Natalia’ is a noteworthy new variety for a couple of reasons. First, is the obvious double petals! But beyond it’s beauty, it also is pollen free, which makes it a great cut flower for those who suffer from allergies. These blooms also last up to 20 days in the vase! Slight fragrance, with needs typical of an Oriental. May need staking, it can eventually get to 8 feet!
  Asiatic Lilies ‘Salmon Star‘ I personally love this lily because it blooms mid summer, it’s smaller than others at 30-36 inches, and it has a gentle coloring for Asiatic lilies… Such a pretty peachy coral!
  ‘Red Twin‘ This lily has a more typical Asiatic color of a deep reddish orange. It has an interesting  flower shape, with a smaller flower inside the larger one! A showstopper in the garden, it blooms starting in late spring, and grow to 40 inches.
  ‘Fata Morgana‘ This smaller pick grows to just 2-3 feet, does well in containers, and blooms early summer. The yellow flowers are borne in upright facing clusters, and they make a long lasting cut flower.
So plant some lilies and see them come back year after year with more blooms for your garden and your home!

We love good #garden inspiration. And we love #flowers . Put ’em together, and you have fantastic flower beds, ready to make you run to the nursery or pull out those catalogs! So salivate over these photos, take some tips from design pros, and start designing that next flower bed. In this flower garden above,  you can see that while the plants themselves seem a cottage garden jumble, this is actually a more formal garden design. Why? The hard lines of the hardscaping and the repeating pants within the bed are your clues. Just remember this if you have a garden you want to add a little “properness” too!
Need some spring flower bed inspiration? These two inspriational photos are full of tulips. This first one used a complimentary color scheme of blue and yellow, for a more calming and minimal feel.
  For a little more energy, use warmer colors mixed with some perennials. The plants will fill in as the tulips fade to cover and distract from the browning foliage.
  Have shrubbery or evergreen foundation plantings that are just boring? Add bright and happy colors in front of the shrub bed to create some fantastic energy! Keep the texture of the flower bed in contrast to the foliage. For instance, in this photo, the daylilies have strappy, coarse foliage and are contrasted nicely with fine textured, small flowers. This keeps things interesting!
  This traditional style flower bed from ‘Houzz’ shows us that when using a lot of bright color, a pop of white will keep things grounded! Green will accomplish the same thing.
  This informal flower bed from ‘BHG‘ is a great example of using layers in your plantings… You see more greenery and height in the back, working forward to shorter and brighter flowers. This is great design approach. I love the curved shape of this garden, it gives it a casual feel.
  Now a couple from Pinterest… This first Pinterest pick is a great example of using a color theme, and it’s my fav! Blues and pinks are a romantic and still colorful choice… If you want to tone it down, add white or grey!
  Another amazing example of that color scheme, but this “River” of grape hyacinths from Pinterest is a show stopper! It wouldn’t be the same without the pink and white tulips. They visually slow you down, and add a little punch, but don’t take away from the mass of blue!
  Ok, leaving the most fantastic for last… This is Chrissie D’Esopo’s garden, courtesy the ‘Connecticut Horticultural Society‘, photo by Steve Silk. She opened her home up for a garden tour for charity, and it is AMAZING. Have you ever seen such a colorful and uplifting garden? Nothing more to say about this, but WOW!
So are you running for the car, complete with gardening gloves so you can load up as soon as you get to the nursery? I’d like to tell you to slow down, take your time and think this through… but I’m already out the door. :)

Alliums are one of the best and easiest bulbs to #grow in the gardening world, but often overlooked. Gorgeous, show stopping blooms, easy growing requirements, and amazing architectural shape make these perfect for any gardener, beginner or seasoned veteran. The large round or oval #flowers are borne on single stalks that tower over the garden from 1-4 feet, usually in mid spring to early summer, but there are varieties that bloom even in the fall. Flowers can be tiny little globes, or large 6 inch giants. One of the best traits of the allium over other spring and summer bulbs is that most animals will avoid eating them. Apparently, people aren’t the only ones who want to avoid onion breath! That’s right, alliums are simply ornamental, or flowering onions. Don’t let images of big smelly onions growing in your garden dissuade you, these plants are nothing of the sort, with a gorgeous, sweet scent. Beautiful as cut flowers as well, they come in whites, blues, purples, pinks and even yellow. Your tulips and daffodils may still get top billing in the spring, but make sure you tuck some alliums into your flower beds as well. Here is how to grow those amazing alliums! Photo below by ‘Dutch Flower Bulbs‘.
Photo below by ‘Fine Gardening‘. Allium “Jeannine”.
  How To Grow Alliums Buy allium bulbs from a good nursery or online resource. You want healthy bulbs with no cuts or soft spots. Research varieties to include several varieties of different bloom times to keep the show going! Most varieties are hardy zones 3-9. Like most bulbs, these look best planted in groups. Plant the bulbs in the fall, before the ground freezes. Plant them to a depth of 3 times their diameter in a sunny or mostly sunny position. Generally, 6-8 inches. Fertilize at planting and yearly in spring with bone meal or a bulb food. Water well, then leave till they burst out in flower in spring and summer! After flowering, allium foliage will wither, brown, and go dormant. Plant them under, behind, and around other perennial plants whose growing foliage will cover the allium foliage later in the summer when it browns. Do not cut back the browning allium leaves until fall, that is how they store energy for flowers the next season. (This is why planting foliage plants around them is important.) Photo below by ‘Gardener’s Supply‘.
  Our Favorite Allium Varieties Gladiator – A giant variety. 3-4 feet tall, this showstopper blooms with 6 inch flowers in May-June. It prefers sun but will tolerate partial shade, and has a sweet scent. From ‘Eden Brothers‘. If you are looking to make a statement in your garden, this is it.
  Globe Master – This one is the biggest giant we know of, with blooms topping out at a foot across! 36-40 inches high, it’s a gorgeous pick for any spring to early summer garden. Blooms are slightly more blue than Gladiator.  From ‘American Meadows‘.
  Allium obliquum – This unusual shade of yellow in a small flowered allium is a perfect selection for a naturalized planting. Growing to just 24 inches high, it’s fragrant and blooms late spring to early summer. From ‘Dutch Bulbs‘.
  Mount Everest / Purple Sensation – Long the standard for garden alliums , “Purple Sensation” has 4-5 inch globes and grows to 24-30 inches high. It’s white partner here is “Mount Everest”, perfect in combination because they grow to similar sizes and have similar late spring – early summer bloom times. From ‘Longfield Gardens‘.
  Twinkling Stars – This giant pink variety has 5-6 inch blooms and 3 1/2 – 4 foot stems, making it perfect for the back of the border. Blooms in May – June. From ‘Breck’s Bulbs‘.
  Pink Jewel –  A later blooming allium, starting in June into July. This light pink selection grows to 24 inches high, and has 3 inch blooms. From ‘White Flower Farm‘.
  Drumstick Allium – Our last selection is the drumstick allium, an oval shaped reddish bloom that grows to 24 inches high. This allium can actually be grown down to zone 2! Blooms early spring to early summer. Another variety great for naturalizing. From ‘American Meadows‘. So which is your favorite?

I think I hear over and over, that #Peonies are one of the most favorited #flowers around. What’s not to love? Perfect colors, a romantic cupped shape, some are even fragrant! They are not that difficult to grow, but they do have some requirements that make them a little more high maintenance than, say, petunias. But they are worth it. Amazing in the garden, and as cut flowers, here’s how to grow Perfect Peonies! (and some of our fav’s to grow!)
There are both herbaceous peonies, and tree peonies. Herbaceous are the bush kind that are the most common, and easier to grow. Peonies live for up to 50 years, so think of them as a long term investment in your garden. They like full sun, thrive in zones 3-8, grow 3-4 feet and bloom in May and June, depending on the variety. If you buy peony crowns in the fall, it’s a lot like choosing healthy bulbs. Choose a crown with at least three good bugs, then plant them facing up no more than 2 inches below the soil. Number one way to keep your peony from blooming? Plant it too deep.
Peonies like deep, fertile soil. Basically, that means before you plant your peony, dig deep, add lot’s of organic matter, and make really sure you’ve picked the right spot. They do NOT like to be transplanted. They make their home a forever home, so keep that in mind. Peony do not have strong stems, so they tend to flop over, especially when in flower. The best way to deal with this is to create a “cage” of support just as the peony is peeking out of the ground in spring. That way, the plant grows into it’s support, gradually covers it, and never misses a beat! At the end of the season after the plant has died back with the frost, cut back and discard the old foliage. Do not add it to your compost pile, to prevent disease. That’s it! Love ’em and they might outlive their owners! And in the meantime, provide you with spring flowers that are beloved by both gardeners and non gardeners alike.
Here is a taste of Peony varieties that should be easily available and are good choices for any garden! Sarah Bernhardt is one of the most planted peonies of all time, and is an old fashioned variety from the early 1900’s. It grows to 36 inches and blooms in June, and has a light fragrance.
  Festiva Maxima is another old variety that is still extremely popular, and my fav white variety. Pure white and flecked with red, growing to 36 inches.
  Raspberry Sundae is a two tone variety with a round cupped form.
  Bartzella blooms mid season, and has a rare yellow peony flower.
  Gay Paree is another bi-color peony with strong seems and a mid season bloom.
  Big Ben is a good choice for peony virgins, because of the natural vigor of the plant. Oh, and it’s fragrant!
  America is our choice for a red blooming peony. It blooms early and has a nice, strong habit.
  Finally, want to be more inspired?