Passionate Gardeners

Non-Stop Gardening Tips & Inspiration

Spotlight on Blue Flowering Baptisia Australis – Blue False Indigo!

By Leave a Comment

Baptisia flowers

Baptisia flowers

Baptisia australis (Blue false indigo) is a must have shrub. With beautiful 3-season interest it’s not just the indigo blue flowers that shine but the complete package. I have 2-baptisias’ growing at my place and I am a huge fan of the blue-green foliage. I wasn’t familiar with this plant at first. I was surprised in mid-spring to see shoots resembling fresh asparagus emerging from naked soil. It was such a pleasant surprise to see this plant emerge and grow out within a month or so. Yes, this plant dies back completely so if you’ve tidied up the foliage and cut the plant back in autumn you’ll enjoy watching it emerge. [Read more]

Allium Bulbs: Add Fireworks to Your Garden!

By

Allium Bloomington Indiana ,JuneWhy wait until the 4th of July fireworks? Plant allium bulbs in your garden and enjoy the show in late spring and early summer!

What do these flowers look like? If you’re not familiar, peek to the photos below; this will give you a visual of how enticing these globe-shaped flower bulbs are. My favorite, and easily one of the most popular of the ornamental alliums, is Allium giganteum and cultivars like ‘Globemaster’ or ‘Purple Sensation’. These are the fireworks for sure… [Read more]

Ideas for Topiary, Clean Lines and Crisp Shapes in the Garden!

By

 

Topiary front garden San Francisco

Topiary in the garden follows traditional geometry with crisply formed shapes. Globes, pyramids, cubes, spirals, pom pom trees, and pleached trees set the stage for an all-out topiary garden or just a touch. In this post take a look at the formal appeal when using a diamond pattern to display ivy on garden walls; see how square, rectangular, and diamond boxwood hedges provide a crisp border that holds year-round elegance and more! [Read more]

9 Daisy-Like Perennials for Spring and Early Summer Bloom: Zone 6

By

Echinacea - Switchyard Park. June 25, 2023

Every gardener knows that keeping the garden in bloom from spring to summer takes careful planning. Knowing what plants grow in your zone, your town, and your neighborhood is essential to grow with success. Microclimates are real. Soil texture is real. Aspects of sun and shade are real – so knowing what you have, and planning your plants and garden to complement your growing conditions will set you up for success. [Read more]

14 Spring Flowering Trees & Shrubs Worth Knowing in Zone 6!

By

 

IMG 4307A lot of the most AMAZING flowering trees and shrubs bloom during the 3-months of spring and it’s hard not to be captivated when they’re in flower! Blooms come in many colors, shapes, and sizes. The showy bracts of the dogwood (Cornus), the pea-like flowers of both the redbud (Cercis) and yellowwood (Cladrastis). Red foliage shrubs with smoke-like flowers in smokebush (Cotinus), and white flower panicles in both the false spirea (Sorbaria) and oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea).

Enjoy this post featuring 14-best flowering trees and shrubs for your spring garden! Though these trees and shrubs do well in Zone 6, they also do well in plenty of other climates! I’ve included the USDA zone for each trees and shrubs listed in this post. If you’re not sure of your hardiness zone: check here.

[Read more]

A look at an East Coast and Midwest Urban Forest in Winter

By

IMG 5867It’s winter and the hardwood trees have lost their leaves…A new, fresh view seeing through the trees is available now, and you can also see another side of them and admire their gorgeous forms and silhouettes. So much architectural beauty to enjoy, and yet so often we see none of this! If you’re a hiker or even enjoy a walk around your neighborhood, don’t miss out on this winter’s trees where you live. In this post, enjoy two urban forests.

[Read more]

13 Best Evergreen Climbers

By

I had a song repeating in my head the other day, "Don't fence me in." Do you know it? It's a popular American song written in 1934 by Cole Porter, and sung by so many other artists, including the one I couldn't get out of my head...Talking … [Read more]