Plants

Finding a shade tree that grows quickly can make a dramatic difference in a landscape. A newly planted yard can feel exposed and sunny, but the right tree can begin developing a useful canopy within only a few growing seasons. For gardeners in USDA Zone 6, the good news is that there is a wide … Read more

If you want shade quickly, choosing a tree that can put on several feet of growth each year can make a noticeable difference. USDA Zone 7 offers a particularly broad selection because its relatively moderate winters allow gardeners to grow both northern and southern shade-tree species. From enormous tulip poplars and hybrid poplars to river … Read more

The Akebono cherry tree is one of the most widely planted flowering cherries in the United States, prized for the soft pink blossoms that blanket its branches every spring before a single leaf appears. Its name comes from the Japanese word for “daybreak,” a reference to the way its pale pink petals fade to nearly … Read more

The best trees for front yard planting do more than fill empty space near the curb; they shape a home’s curb appeal, its energy bills, and even its resale value for decades after they go in the ground. According to the USDA Forest Service, landscaping with trees can raise a property’s value by as much … Read more

Millet refers to a group of small-seeded grasses in the Poaceae family, cultivated as cereal crops for millennia. Unlike wheat or rice, “millet” isn’t a single species but a collective term for genera like Pennisetum, Eleusine, Setaria, and Panicum. These grains vary in size, color (white, yellow, red, brown), and texture, united by their resilience … Read more

Trees that tolerate partial shade, dappled shade, or woodland-edge conditions. Finding a tree for a shady part of the garden can be more challenging than choosing one for a sunny spot. Many familiar landscape trees perform best with several hours of direct sunlight, but that does not mean a shaded garden has to remain empty. … Read more

Choosing a tree for a small garden can be surprisingly difficult. A young tree may look perfectly manageable when you bring it home from the nursery, but trees are long-term additions to the landscape, and their mature height, width, root space, and overall shape matter far more than their size on planting day. The right … Read more

Double daffodils have a way of making you stop and look twice. Instead of the familiar arrangement of six outer petals surrounding a single trumpet or cup, these flowers are packed with extra petals, folded segments, or doubled corona parts that give them a fuller, almost rose-like appearance. Some look neat and rounded, while others … Read more

Large-cupped daffodils are some of the flowers I find easiest to appreciate in a spring garden. They have the familiar six-petaled daffodil shape, but the central cup is noticeably larger than you see on small-cupped varieties, giving each flower a more substantial and almost perfectly balanced appearance. When several are planted together, the flowers create … Read more

There is something especially satisfying about seeing trumpet daffodils open in early spring. I have always thought they have a little more presence than many of the smaller daffodils. The flowers seem to stand up and announce themselves, with broad petals surrounding a long central trumpet that catches the light even from a distance. When … Read more