Showing posts with label shrubs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shrubs. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 06, 2015

Peony Time


Peonies are one of those trigger plants that evoke memories of times, places, and people gone by. They are one of only a handful of plants that many of my clients actually know (and often request for their gardens). Peonies are valued by both Western and Eastern cultures — being native to China — and have been cultivated in gardens and featured in many art forms for centuries.

Most folks are familiar with herbaceous peonies that die back to the ground every winter. Today's photos feature a tree peony that I photographed recently at Denver Botanic Gardens.

white tree peony frames a moon gate at DBG
There are peonies suitable for almost any Front Range garden; they're quite durable, once established. For more information on peonies and how to grow them, visit Peony's Envy; they offer a wealth of information and lots of luscious photos. Note: this is not a sponsored link, I just like to share the good stuff when I find it.


Monday, April 28, 2014

Monday Mash-Up 4.28.2014

Cameo quince, Chaenomeles speciosa 'Cameo'
1. The showiest bloomer in my garden right now is this quince. I can't quite capture the elusive salmon color.

2. A great article about avoiding the hard-sell for Emerald Ash Borer pesticide applications.

3. Yes, now is the time to prune your roses. Here is a brief "how-to".

4. This is my favorite garden of the week on Pintrest. These days I'm drawn to designs that feature strong contrasts between formal and informal.

5. Overwhelmed with debris from your spring garden clean-up? You can recycle it here rather than sending it to the landfill: Mountain States Wood Recyclers, 2300 W. Radcliff Ave, Englewood  CO, 303-789-3356.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Design Decoded 2.24.2014

sarah price landscapes via Pintrest
Why it works:
This modern take on a prairie or meadow garden is a brilliant combination of structure and softness.  The formal, clipped hedges of evergreen boxwood (Buxus spp.) add just the right amount of contrast and stability to a very loose and organic perennial planting.  Although shown flanking stairs on a moderate slope, this design style would be equally effective on a flat ground plane.  Many of these native plants would work well here but, for our dry, sunny climate I'd switch out the boxwood with green lavender-cotton (Santolina rosemarinifolia) or English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia).