Nina Koziol

Some decorative grasses spell trouble, but attractive alternatives exist

February 25, 2020 at 5:06 a.m.

In the realm of good-looking grasses, Miscanthus has long held a certain pride of place. In 1893, the cover of Gardening magazine, published in Chicago, featured a border of hardy...

'The Plant Lover's Guide to Hardy Geraniums'

Meet the real geraniums

May 23, 2019 at 1:54 p.m.

Geraniums. The word brings to mind images of baseball-size red or orange flowers that are boldly held above bright green scalloped leaves. They're a lot like lollipops of the plant...

"A Traveler's Journal on the Meaning of Life and Gardening: Gardens of Awe and Folly" by Vivian Swift

Garden road trip: A guide through nine exotic gardens

May 31, 2019 at 3:25 a.m.

There is no shortage of books on gardening or on travel, but Vivian Swift's book "Gardens of Awe and Folly: A Traveler's Journal on the Meaning of Life and Gardening"...

Fragrant plants such as lavender, pictured, and yarrow can deter deer, says Ruth Rogers Clausen. "I also plant ferns and things with milky sap like dogbane and milkweed that they won't go for," she says.

‘Essential Perennials’ is essential guidebook for planting today’s gardens

May 23, 2019 at 1:51 p.m.

English gardeners are renowned for their extravagant perennial borders. Look at most gardening books published "across the pond" and you'll find photos of long, colorful tapestries — delphiniums, lupines, Himalayan...

Seed packets will provide valuable information, such as planting depth and how long it will take before the seedlings are ready to be moved outdoors.

Starting from seed: Grow more plants, save some green

May 23, 2019 at 1:51 p.m.

The winter winds may howl and the snow may fall, but gardeners can find solace in seed catalogs as they dream of spring. "Starting plants from seeds gives such a...

Consider the allure of a focal point: "From a design perspective, at the start of a path we want to create a focal point," like a sculpture or specimen plant, says landscape architect Steve Kooyenga. "I want to go down the path and get a close look."

Stepping into the pleasures of a well-designed garden path

May 23, 2019 at 1:49 p.m.

"A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in — what more could he ask? A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars." — Victor Hugo,...

Blue lungwort and bleeding heart thrive by a carefully executed <a href="http://bancodeprofissionais.com/features/home/chi-garden-best05-story,0,1942269.story">garden</a> shed.

The Most Glorious Garden of 2005

June 16, 2018 at 1:50 p.m.

Walking through Joan and Gene Lemme's 14-acre garden in Dixon, Ill., is like walking with tour guides through a small arboretum. Stroll the wood-chip path through rolling oak and hickory...

Glorious in its sophistication: Inspired by Jens Jensen, Bruce Hochstadter’s 12-year-old garden captures contest’s top honor

June 16, 2018 at 2:01 p.m.

"A native crabapple, a group of violets, a bird bath with a cardinal flower, a virgin's bower clinging to the crabapple, and perhaps a dash of iris or phlox, or...

Keep those orchids blooming

June 16, 2018 at 2:02 p.m.

Pondering a few red poinsettias to deck your halls this month? Sure, those big, beefy, look-at-me plants are the holiday workhorses of the horticultural world. But if you're looking for...

Coral bells are wonderful additions to the shade garden, and are available in many hues. "For me Heuchera (villosa) 'Autumn Bride' is one of the best," says garden writer Barbara Ellis. "It forms a large clump of bold leaves and plumes of foamy flowers late in the season when not much else is in bloom." She pairs it with hostas and variegated knotweed.

Growing beyond hostas: Enliven your shade garden with something new

May 23, 2019 at 1:48 p.m.

Hostas are the workhorses of the shade garden. Once they're established, they're pretty much low-maintenance plants. They tolerate periods of drought, and they are reliably hardy in areas that freeze...

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