12 Best Companion Plants for Hostas
Hostas have no trouble holding their own in a shady garden. Yet there are many other shade loving perennials that make excellent companions. By adding their own contrasting colors, shapes, heights and textures, these plants accentuate the simple elegance of theRead More
Best Ground Covers for Shade
Shade tolerant ground covers solve a multitude of landscaping problems. These plants thrive in cool, moist areas where lawns usually struggle. They hide uneven surfaces and are not fazed by steep, inaccessible slopes. Most are long-lived perennials that get moreRead More
High Impact Container Gardens
If I were hiring a garden designer to plant the containers around my front door, I’d expect to get something pretty special. Big, dramatic plants in unique and surprising combinations. Container gardens that get talked about and that look fabulous everyRead More
Landscaping Made Easy With Caladiums
My idea of a great summer weekend is spending 10 or 15 hours in the garden. But I know not everyone feels the same, and that includes Longfield Gardens co-owner Pete Langeveld. Pete has one of the nicest yards in his neighborhood, with neatlyRead More
Fresh Ideas for Growing Cannas in Your Garden
There is nothing subtle about cannas. With their big leaves, impressive height and vibrant, orchid-like flowers, these flashy extroverts love being the center of attention. Finding new and creative ways to use all that exuberant energy is exactly what makes them soRead More
How to Use Ferns in Your Garden or Landscape
Walk through almost any natural area that is shady and moist, and you are bound to see ferns. They carpet the ground in woodlands and swampy areas, gather around springs and stream banks, cascade over rocky outcroppings and decorate old stone walls. Ferns are plentiful inRead More
Shake Up Your Garden With Elephant Ears
Want to add add some excitement and personality to your garden this summer? Plant elephant ears! These tropical plants can grow up to 7 feet tall, with leaves as long as your arm. Elephant ears have always been popular in Florida and otherRead More
What’s Your Favorite Hosta?
If you grow hostas, you probably have more than one variety in your garden. Mixing and matching foliage colors, leaf sizes and textures is part of what makes growing them so fun. There are more than a dozen different varietiesRead More
7 Ways to Make Your Shade Garden Shine
If your yard is shadier than you’d like, you may feel a bit jealous of gardeners with lots of sun. But shade offers some unique design opportunities. Here are a few tips to help you turn those shady areas intoRead More
Elephant Ears: Late Summer Fireworks for Pots and Planters
Gardeners are pushing container plantings to new heights. Both pots and plants keep getting bigger and more spectacular. Along with canna lilies, ornamental grasses and even bananas, one of the most popular plants for these outsize containers is elephant ears. With theirRead More
