Smart Garden

Winter-blooming plants are perfect for adding color to the garden during the colder, darker months, helping to extend the season of interest beyond the traditional spring into fall. Grow a large range of winter-blooming plants, including climbers such as winter clematis and winter honeysuckle, shrubs such as mahonia and daphne, and bedding plants such as winter pansies – there's a flower bed for every part of the garden. What's more, winter-blooming plants are suitable for growing in multiple pots, so you can splash color anywhere you like – is a colorful display outside your front door enough to cheer up winter? Some winter-blooming plants also benefit pollinators, providing pollen and nectar to species such as bumblebees, which forage more during the winter months. So these flowers can provide a lifeline to these unseasonably active pollinators, which would otherwise starve. However, not all winter flowers are bee-friendly, so browse our list below to find out wh...

Plants are preferred when they are pruned: some perennials need to be cut back in the fall, while others do not respond well to fall pruning. It's a good idea to know your yard's plant preferences, as pruning at the wrong time of year can reduce flowering and cause other problems. Listed below are some of the best perennials that benefit from a late-season trim to promote better growth and reduce the risk of certain garden pests and diseases such as powdery mildew. 1. Bee Balm Some gardeners prefer not to prune their bee balm (Monarda spp.) plants because birds and other wildlife often eat the seeds during the winter. However, if bee balm has struggled with powdery mildew problems during the growing season, it should be cut back in the fall. Pruning infected plants is one way to keep this plant disease from spreading, but watering your plants at the soil line and following proper spacing recommendations can minimize fungal problems. 2. Shining star Burning star (Li...

Looking for a perennial you can trust? You will not be disappointed with the beauty and blooms of these dependable perennials. Dependable perennials Sometimes, gardeners have so many perennials that opening a catalog or visiting a greenhouse can make your head hurt. How do you know which is best? Just because it looks good in a photo or in a pot in the nursery doesn't mean it will do well in your garden. Never get tired of shopping for perennials! When it comes to choosing the best flowers, there are certain plants that you can always count on to perform well. How to get started with a reliable perennial? Learn more about our favorite six below! 1. 'HGC Joseph Lemper' Hellebore (Hellephorus niger) One of the best qualities of this new cultivar is its upward facing flowers. But, the beautiful dark green foliage is attractive. Because it blooms so early, give 'HGC Josef Lemper' a spot where you can see the flowers without tripping over snow or mud. Althou...