I am a HUGE fan of the Sombrero® series of hybrid coneflowers (Echinacea) and have featured many of them in this blog (my photos).  The photo at the top is …

I’m only at work briefly today as I hit the road early to do another program for UW-Extension (Trends in Herbaceous Plants).  Many of the photos in this blog are …

Colorful sweet potato vines (Ipomoea batatas) have long been used as a classic “spiller” in containers, baskets and along beds and borders.  Their vigor, growth rate and impactful garden color …

I’ve always been a big fan of the colorful pot marigolds (Calendula officinalis) out in the garden.  We use them in various locations throughout the gardens, in particular our herb …

Basil (Ocimum sp.) has a long culinary history throughout the world and is not difficult to grow and enjoy in our gardens during the warmer portions of the growing season.  …

Ornamental millets (Pennisetum glaucum) have been on my radar for over 16 years when the variety ‘Purple Majesty’ won an  All-America Selections (AAS) award in 2003.  This maroon-leaved selection was …

I love using the annual black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata)!  Directly above and below is the beautiful variety ‘Amber Eyes’.  This twining, annual vine (hardy in zones 10 and 11) …

After a couple hours of shoveling snow this morning (thankfully light and fluffy!), I’m back to ordering seeds.  Above are some of the seeds coming in (check out Baker Creek …

The National Garden Bureau has named 2019 as the Year of the Snapdragon!  ALL of the text below is from their website which includes awesome links to additional information.  See https://ngb.org/year-of-the-snapdragon/ …

The yellowhorn (Xanthoceras sorbifolium) is surprisingly underutilized in our Midwest landscapes although it’s availability is certainly associated with its obscurity (and vice versa).  Also called goldenhorn, this native of northern …