Hostas are so incredibly tough and easy to grow, that they sometimes don’t get the respect they deserve. More than just problem solvers for shady areas where few other plants will survive, hostas offer gardeners an exciting palette of sizes, colors and textures. Here are some of the many creative ways to use hostas around your home and in

Topics: Foliage Plants , How-To , Inspiration , Perennials , Shade Plants

Burgundy is a color that’s both potent and sophisticated. It’s a good one to have in your garden design tool kit. From garnet to merlot, maroon to mahogany, these dark, purple-red hues can take your garden to a whole new level. Read on for some creative ways to put burgundy flowers and foliage to work in your yard and garden. Create Accents and

Topics: Color Trends , Foliage Plants , Garden Design , How-To , Inspiration

The world’s largest and most colorful flower garden — Keukenhof — is located in Holland and it’s open for just eight weeks each year: March 22-May 13. Someone from Longfield Gardens is always on hand to see what’s new, connect with growers and take pictures. Our bulb expert Hans Langeveld just returned, and we want to share a quick peek at what was

Topics: Fall Planted Bulbs , Inspiration , Spring Blooming Bulbs , Tulips

Trilliums are one of America’s most beloved wildflowers. In the spring, you can find them blooming in woodlands and hedgerows throughout most of the country. The plants are easy to identify. Each stem has a whorl of three leaves and a single flower with three petals and three sepals. There are more than 40 species of trilliums and most of them

Topics: Inspiration , Perennials , Shade Plants

If you want to add a big splash of color to your garden with a very small amount of effort, plant some cannas. Their bold foliage, impressive size and brilliant red, yellow and orange flowers always get noticed. Cannas look fantastic planted in perennial gardens and make a fabulous living hedge. They look equally amazing in containers. So if you’re ready to turn

Topics: Foliage Plants , Inspiration , Spring Planted Bulbs , Summer Bulbs

It’s always such a long wait for spring’s first flowers. When they finally burst on the scene, the bounty of blooms combined with months of pent up flower energy is almost too much to handle! My favorite way to cope with this delightful moment of excess is to cut lots of stems and make lots of bouquets. Week after week, every room in my

Topics: Cut Flowers , Daffodils , Fall Planted Bulbs , How-To , Spring Blooming Bulbs , Tulips

  The National Garden Bureau has put tulips in the spotlight this year, by declaring 2018 the Year of the Tulip. These cheery, easy-to-grow bulbs are already the world’s favorite spring flowers. Yet demand is still growing! According to Statistics Netherlands, commercial tulip bulb production reached an all-time high in 2017, with the number of tulips grown by Dutch farmers increasing by

Topics: Cut Flowers , Fall Planted Bulbs , Inspiration , Spring Blooming Bulbs , Tulips

Dahlias are impressive plants. The sheer volume of their flower production is remarkable. They also offer an incredible range of flower sizes, styles and colors — more than enough to hold your attention for a lifetime! Though every dahlia variety has its own special charm, the most extraordinary of all are dinnerplate dahlias. What Are Dinnerplate Dahlias? Dinnerplates are not part

Topics: Cut Flowers , Dahlias , Summer Bulbs

If you love making fresh flower arrangements, planting a cutting garden is the best way to ensure you will always have lots of beautiful, homegrown flowers, ready for the picking. The purpose of a cutting garden is different from a regular flower garden. You don’t need to worry about design basics like style, flow, scale and symmetry. In a cutting garden,

Topics: Cut Flowers , How-To

Clematis have an important role to play in any flower garden. As they scramble up trellises, climb over arbors and thread themselves through other plants, these perennial vines weave a rich tapestry of color and texture. Read on for six tips that will help you be successful growing the “queen of climbers.” Do Your Research There are many wonderful clematis varieties to choose from,

Topics: How-To , Perennials