Fine Gardening – Issue 213

Subscribe View the Digital Issue

The Magazine

Learn to Spot and Treat Summer Plant Diseases

Gardeners are observant, and when a favorite plant is struggling, we tend to take notice. Knowing how to respond, however, is another matter entirely. Some folks head to the garden…
4 Ways to Get More Compost

My grandmother taught me that you cannot just take from a garden; you must always give back and care for the soil. This is a lesson I apply to any…
Unique Plants to Fill the Native Niche in Your Garden

Is there something missing in your garden? There's a native plant for that!
Pollinator Plants for the Northeast

Whether you have the space to create an expansive, pollinator-friendly landscape or just enough room to pot up a couple plants that are pollinator favorites, we can all do our…
7 Tough Pollinator Plants That Thrive in Punishing Conditions

These seven tough pollinator plants can take wind, heat, full sun, and extremely well-drained soil without much supplemental water. In An Urban Rooftop Garden for Pollinators, Hayden Regina writes: Standouts…
What Are the Differences Between Synthetic and Organic Pest and Disease Products?

How you manage garden pests and diseases is a personal choice, and there are many management philosophies. Two of the most common methodologies are integrated pest management (IPM) and organic…
Purple Roscoea Will Bring a Touch of the Exotic to Your Garden

We love plants—nearly all of them, truth be told—but it is without the slightest bit of hyperbole when we say that Roscoea is one of our favorite genera. Part of…
‘Blue Glimmer’ Sea Holly Adds a Sparkle to the Garden

Like many people, I periodically enjoy scrolling through social media to admire gardens. It’s a wonderful way to get a quick dose of beauty and to discover new plants. During…
‘Traveler’ Hemlock Is Resistant to Wooly Adelgid

If you’ve been heartbroken by the loss of a hemlock tree (Tsuga spp. and cvs., Zones 3–8) to woolly adelgid, you’re not alone. Researchers at the U.S. National Arboretum have…
How to Treat Verticillium Wilt

On your morning commute this spring, did you notice a magnolia tree (Magnolia spp. and cvs., Zones 3–9) that only had the left half of its canopy flush out? Did…
How to Choose a Garden Color Palette

Because color is so personal, it’s often one of the easiest design elements to nail down; people immediately know which colors they like and dislike. However, when choosing your garden…
9 of the Most Beautiful Berry-Producing Plants to Feed the Birds

Flowers are usually the first things that grab our attention when we are selecting plants to add to our landscapes. However, most plants only flower for a short period of…
Pollinator Plants for Your Region

As digital content editor Christine Alexander explains, pollinators play a vital role in our ecosystem and we should all be doing our part to support their populations: "Pollinators play an…
Pollinator Plants for the Mountain West

Whether you have the space to create an expansive, pollinator-friendly landscape or just enough room to pot up a couple plants that are pollinator favorites, we can all do our…
Pollinator Plants for California

Whether you have the space to create an expansive, pollinator-friendly landscape or just enough room to pot up a couple plants that are pollinator favorites, we can all do our…
Pollinator Plants for the Northwest

Whether you have the space to create an expansive, pollinator-friendly landscape or just enough room to pot up a couple plants that are pollinator favorites, we can all do our…
Pollinator Plants for the Southeast

Whether you have the space to create an expansive, pollinator-friendly landscape or just enough room to pot up a couple plants that are pollinator favorites, we can all do our…
Pollinator Plants for the Midwest

Whether you have the space to create an expansive, pollinator-friendly landscape or just enough room to pot up a couple plants that are pollinator favorites, we can all do our…
Reaching New Gardening Heights | Letter from the Editor

“Can bees even fly that high?” This was a comment made by one of our editors during a planning session for this issue of Fine Gardening. She was referring to…
A Landscape Plan for a Challenging Area and Conditions

Despite our best efforts, we humans can’t do it all. Life in the 21st century often moves at a busy pace and is jam-packed with responsibilities and wonderfully abundant ways…
Plants That Are Easy to Grow Even in Challenging Conditions

I am often asked to recommend plants for problematic garden areas during my call-in radio program or after public-speaking engagements. As a result, over the years I have developed a…
Planting Plan for a Landscape with Challenging Conditions

Living and working in northwestern Oregon, garden designer Wesley Younie is no stranger to dealing with challenging environments. When presented with this garden’s elevation changes, drainage management, and extreme climate…
3 Gorgeous Planting Plans for a Late-Summer Show

There's a reason they call these the dog days of summer. Much like our overworked air conditioners, our gardens are now looking rather exhausted. Soaring temps might be good for…
Pollinator Plants for the Southern Plains

Whether you have the space to create an expansive, pollinator-friendly landscape or just enough room to pot up a couple plants that are pollinator favorites, we can all do our…
How to Help Birds Survive in Winter

Our gardens can be valuable habitats for birds, providing nutritious food, nesting sites, and life-saving shelter, especially during the coldest months when overwintering birds are challenged. If we are mindful…
A Guide to Growing Reed Grasses: Best-Performing Varieties and Care

As native grasses such as little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium and cvs., Zones 3–9) and prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis and cvs., Zones 3–9) increasingly gain traction in gardens, exotics such as…
Growing Peace Lilies: Care and Unique Cultivars

Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum spp. and cvs., Zones 11–12) are evergreen perennials native to much of Central America and Southeast Asia. But their glossy leaves and tan, spiky flowers surrounded by…
An Urban Rooftop Garden for Pollinators

Each morning my partner, Steve, and I head up to our rooftop to greet the bees as they begin their days’ work. After all, time is honey. While I sometimes…
Tips on Cleaning a Water Feature, Defending Plants From Hungry Rabbits, and More

Winning Tip: I’m gonna wash that algae right outa my water feature A quick way to clean the algae out of a garden water feature after a long, dark, and…