I love stone steppers, but finding a ground cover that legitimately grows between 'foot trafficked' stones can be difficult. Here is one I love, Rubus. If you have a decently moist and partial shade area, Rubus will follow the soil between and looks great!Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Read Full Story
It's not usual to see a variated tree of this size. This is a variagated tulip tree, tulipifera I believe. They have nice large blooms, but they get the name from the tulip shaped leaf. I'm not sure if this photo is going to show up well, but this one is close to 30' tall, still in the box. Read Full Story
When you're buying nursery trees, there are many things you have to look for aside from the basic aesthetics. One of the most common root health issues for boxed trees is when the nursery doesn't move the trees into a larger box soon enough and the roots begin curling around each other called root girdle. Here is a picture showing signs of root girdle. Sometimes it's less obvious than this and you need to pull the dirt away a little to check. This will stunt the trees growth and lifespan. ... Read Full Story
Can you believe this bright yellow was bright green just 2 weeks ago and it will be bright red in about 4 months? Euonymus fortunii is a seriously colorful shrub if you're needing year round interest. It can handle heat and cold as well.
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What is this? Can anyone identify this funky succulent? I found it at a client's house on their hillside next to a rose garden. (I know, they obviously don't go together).Anyway, it's the only one I've seen. Let us here your knowledge! Read Full Story
Who needs an expensive sculpture when you have a $100 pot and a $75 Chrondipetalum? (I'd better check my spelling on that plant).
Living focal pieces can be as memorable as water features if you pick a plant whos foliage moves with the wind. Keep in mind you background and work to compliment or contrast in color.
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Sometimes all you need is one type of grass that you like as with this Italian Timothy. Then you mow a path through and your blade contrast is created by the mown to unmown transition. Very simple planting design can be best.
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This may be jumping a bit ahead to go right into lighting design, but I want to share one of my favorite lighting techniques. I call it the 'Silhouette'.The idea is to have a soft glow behind your plants so that the outline of the plants is defined by their shade side. It reminds me of the old comedies where they would have people with a light on in a tent or behind a curtain and their silhouette makes them look like they're being naughty... then they show the characters and they ... Read Full Story
