Spring Gardening

Flowering Trees – The Cherry

Flowering Trees – The Cherry

Now that spring has officially sprung to life, I find myself gazing upwards and admiring flowering trees everywhere.  At the garden center, driving around town, walking around my neighborhood, traversing the local golf course… it is impossible not to be…

The Plant Enabler and the Plant Addict

The Plant Enabler and the Plant Addict

With April Fool’s Day this week, I find myself reminiscing about a fabled article from the legend himself, my esteemed predecessor at Sunnyside Nursery, Mr. Steve Smith.  The Whistling Gardener pontificated about the mythical “wonder shrub” for April Fool’s Day many moons ago -  luckily…

Powering Up Your Pollinators

Powering Up Your Pollinators

June has officially arrived, and as we head toward the Summer Solstice it means gardeners have some extra daylight for frivolities in the garden.  More importantly, we celebrate Pollinator Month (with National Pollinator Week June 17th-23rd as a highlight), a campaign created by the Pollinator Partnership to create harmony between us humans and nature.  We all need to pause and give thanks to…

Spring Into Container Gardens

Spring Into Container Gardens

Now that the temperatures have risen and we are heading towards the warmth of summer, it is the ideal time to add colorful containers to our decks, patios, porches and landscapes.  For many gardeners like me, this involves rejuvenating existing ones by…

Explore the World of Itoh Peonies

Explore the World of Itoh Peonies

During the months of May and June one of the all-time favorite plants of local gardeners, the peony, is bursting into bloom.  There are many excellent peonies available to utilize in our landscapes; including herbaceous cottage types in all sorts of colors (and varying fragrances) and larger growing tree peonies too.  I would never scold anyone for growing either of these types (since I do as well), but I want to bring attention to another fabulous peony option… what is known as the intersectional or Itoh Peony.