Ornamental Gardens

Learn how to cultivate beautiful ornamental gardens and how to troubleshoot common pests, diseases, and growing problems!

Blooming Gaillardia perennials, planted in sunny July, feature lance-shaped, gray-green leaves and vibrant, daisy-like flowers with red centers and yellow tips.

Ornamental Gardens

21 Beautiful Perennials to Plant in July

With summer in full swing, the garden is alive with colorful flowers and dynamic foliage. Winged visitors are frittering from bloom to bloom. The temptation may arise to add plants to our beds, borders, and container arrangements. Join gardening expert Katherine Rowe in exploring heat-loving and showy perennials to supplement the garden in July.

A close-up of violet bigleaf hydrangea flowers nestled among lush green leaves, with additional blooms visible in the soft-focused background.

Shrubs

How to Plant, Grow, and Care For Bigleaf Hydrangeas

Bigleaf hydrangeas bring luscious blooms in dreamy pinks, blues, and whites with bold hues and blushes. After plants rest quietly in winter, lacecap and mophead flower clusters burst among attractive, large leaves for a warm season show. Explore these traditional summer hallmarks with contemporary twists with gardening expert Katherine Rowe.

Purple coneflowers in full bloom, surrounded by lush green foliage and orange milkweed flowers in a garden setting.

Ornamental Gardens

Are Native Plants Better Than Cultivars?

When you look at plants, do you ever wonder where they came from? Every plant originated somewhere but some have been bred to enhance certain characteristics. In this article, gardening expert Liessa Bowen takes a closer look at the differences between native plants and cultivars and attempts to answer the question, “Which is better?”

Coleus plants feature dark violet leaves with distinct green edges, showcasing a striking contrast.

Ornamental Gardens

13 Best Plants to Grow with Rhododendrons

If you love rhododendrons, you may wonder what other plants pair well with them. We’ve selected 13 ideal species to grow alongside small and giant rhododendrons. Read on with Jerad Bryant and discover which companion plants work best for your garden.

Vibrant red and soft pink tuberous begonias contrast beautifully with the deep green foliage.

Ornamental Gardens

21 Tropical Plants That Grow Well in the Shade

Many of the tropical plants we know and love today as annuals and houseplants originated in the understories of tropical rainforests. For the tropical shade garden, there is no shortage of shade-loving perennial plants. In this article, gardening expert Christina Conner shares some of her top tropical picks for the shade garden.

Clusters of deep purple heliotrope flowers stand out against a backdrop of green leaves and assorted plants in full bloom.

Flowers

How to Plant, Grow, and Care For Heliotrope

If you love fragrant flowers in the garden, you’ve simply got to add heliotrope to your flowerbeds. These wonderfully perfumed flowering plants are simply stunning. Gardening expert Melissa Strauss has the info on growing and taking care of these pretty perennials.

Hands delicately trim a white peony blossom with precise black pruning shears.

Flowers

When and How to Cut Back Peonies

If you are new to growing peonies, you may wonder when and how much you should cut them back. Gardening expert Melissa Strauss has the lowdown on pruning and cutting back your plants at the ideal time to make them come back bigger and even more beautiful in the spring.

A close-up of Kirigami Ornamental Oregano featuring light green leaves adorned with small purple flowers, glistening with moisture.

Ornamental Gardens

5 Gorgeous Varieties of Ornamental Oregano

Oregano is a spicy and aromatic herb that works wonders in the kitchen. Did you know it’s also a stunning ornamental that will bring pollinators to the garden? In this article gardening expert Melissa Strauss shares five beautiful varieties of this perennial herb for your garden.