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Tibouchina Urvilleana: Growing The Princess Flower, Glory Bush

Ttibouchina urvilleana flower

Tibouchina urvilleana, I remember when I first encountered the purple Princess flower. It was over 35 years ago, in West Palm Beach, Florida, when I met my wife’s grandmother for the first time. She was visiting friends and they had a Tibouchina plant growing in the back yard. The felty leaves and deep purple flowers […]

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Viola Pedata – Growing The Wildflower Birdsfoot Viola Plant

flowering viola pedata

Any flower lover who has seen Viola pedata (birdsfoot violet), adding its touches of rich embroidery to the raw subsoil of highway cuts in the Ozarks is tempted to try it in his own garden. Many have tried it, some have succeeded, others have failed, but it is well worth the effort. The delicately fragrant, […]

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Aconite Plant: How To Grow Monkshood Plants

blooming aconitum napellus

ACONITE (ak’-oh-nyt) – from the genus Aconitum. A group of herbaceous perennials of the Buttercup Family that derive their common name, Monkshood, from the characteristic hooded or helmet-shaped sepals of the large showy flowers, usually blue. Roots (and sometimes flowers) contain violent poisons and therefore should not be placed in the mouth. The aconite plant […]

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Tree Peony – Specialist Advice For Amateurs

Japanese tree peonies in flower

Summary: This article, is for those who have never had any experience with the tree peony and wishes to plant a few roots without making too many mistakes in doing so. First, you must remember that peony trees are a long time proposition. We planted our first peonies in our yard over 40 years ago, […]

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Russian Olive Tree – Hardy Small Tree

Russian Olive flower up close

The Russian olive tree is one of the hardiest of plants used in American gardens. It is a hardy tree way up to the Canadian Border and considerably beyond. A member of the oleaster family, its scientific name is Elaeagnus angustifolia. There are many different kinds of Elaeagnus, from virtually all parts of the northern […]

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Garden Path Ideas – Make Intentional Obstacles

pathway in the garden

There are probably thousands of garden path ideas as a homeowner you could use to make the walk through your garden a unique and enjoyable experience. You’ll often hear of “making things flow” but have you ever heard of someone suggesting to – making obstacles intentionally? Let’s examine some reasons why Intentional Garden Obstacles Sometimes […]

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Landscaping Ideas For Front Yard

The best landscaping ideas, for front yard or backyard usually come for free. No matter where you live anyone can make their their landscaping look like a professional architect was called in. Imagination, not skill will make the landscape of your dreams happen! Now it’s time to get your hands dirty! Planning Makes Ideas Come […]

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A Dozen Lawn Weeds Pictures And What To Do About Them

Lawn weeds where do they come from? On the wind, the feet of birds and other animals, from untreated manure or compost dressings, in the topsoil you may have bought – and alas, in the seed you thought was pure grasses. Broadleafed weeds, in general, can be killed with 2,4-D, (I myself prefer Glyphosate – […]

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Butterfly Bush Pruning

  Spring Trimming of The Buddleia Butterfly Bush Question: Should a buddleia be trimmed in the spring? Mine is about four years old and has never been trimmed. It blooms well, but the flowers are not as large as I expected. Would trimming make them larger? CC, Illinois. Answer: Pruning butterfly bushes should improve its […]

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Andromeda Shrub – One Of The Best Broad Leaved Evergreens

The mountain fire andromeda (Pieris floribunda) is one of those native American shrubs which should be considered for almost every garden. This low, broad-leaved evergreen shrub is occasionally found in the higher altitudes of the southern Appalachian Mountains but is completely hardy as far north as Boston. It grows well in cultivation, produces beautiful early […]

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