Archive
Doronicum – Leopard’s Bane – A Favorite Early Spring Bloomer Doronicums are spring surprises for it’s the first daisy-shaped flowers of the season. Like magic, their delightful lemon-yellow, daisy-shapes appear among the blooming red tulips and yellow Daffodils. Doronicums...
A Hollyhock Garden is a Fairy Paradise Alcea, or Hollyhock is traditionally considered a nostalgic cottage garden perennial but in the high-valley western gardens they are considered a staple. Once these tall hardy biennials drop seeds, they will...
Add a Carpet of Color to Your Rock Garden With Alpine Perennials Alpine perennials are those small tough plants that thrive in the harsh environments of a Rocky Mountain home. They perform in the lean, alkaline clay soils,...
Veronica spicata is a species of the genus Veronica Veronicas spicata has a sterling reputation of being the best of the rest. The true blue blooms of Veronica are eye-catching for their blue colors are like a pair of...
Enjoy an Evening of Wonder – The Evening Primrose Oenothera or Evening Primroses are easy to grow perennials for summer rock gardens, borders, along cement curbing, and wildflower gardens. Oenothera’s funnel-shaped, four-inch wide flowers are spectacular. Last...
Chrysanthemum, ‘Clara Curtis’ Finding a hardy, carefree Chrysanthemum that grows in western Rocky Mountain gardens seems an impossible dream, but Chrysanthemum, ‘Clara Curtis’ makes it possible. Fortunately ‘Clara Curtis’ descends from an older more vigorous stalk, Korean Chrysanthemum,...
Russian Sage or Perovskia Atriplicifolia The value of the majestic Russian Sage in the fall garden is underestimated. Many gardeners shrugged their shoulders in an “oh well” attitude about the beauty of this fine perennial and only tried...
Voles and Moles Voles will be the death of my gardens! I blamed last year’s very warm winter on the population explosion of voles at Bear Lake, Idaho. These greedy little animals even climbed in our cold frames...
Crocus – Specie Bulbs The light has changed! The harsh daylight of winter has become softer, more fluid, bathing our gardens in a warmer glow that signals our first spring perennials to wake up. I call these small,...
Delphinium elatum – so beautiful you’ll want every variety available Delphiniums are not only the most magnificent of the summer blooming perennials but one of the hardiest. Delphiniums also thrive in the cooler temperature of western mountain gardens....