May is a banner month for public garden plant sales. This year at the San Francisco Botanical Garden, curator Don Mahoney is growing the fragrant luculia shrub, for which, he says, “a local nursery had a waiting list 35 people long.” At the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, director of horticulture Dorthe Hviid has been dividing some of the garden's historic collection of daylilies, readying them for sale.
The New York Times reports on how China has banned all mention and selling of jasmine, for fear of revolution. (Even poetry about jasmine has been banned.) Rural jasmine growers, unaware of the controversy, are left with falling prices on their unsold plants.
Our columnist Kevin Lee Jacobs shows us how to build a raised bed garden and explains why it's easy to grow vegetables, flowers, and herbs in these convenient elevated beds.
Inspired by a family trip to Palm Springs, our floral columnist creates fresh arrangements using succulents. Mixed with seasonal flowers and displayed in old silver containers, this is a whole new take on a trendy group of plants.
Peonies sell out fast, with yellow tree peonies going first. You can preorder herbaceous peonies now, and tree peonies are available spring through fall, as well as the hybrid Itohs or intersectionals. We take a quick look at the history of yellow peonies and why they command such high prices, as well as a reminder to start ordering new varieties for your garden.
There are many ways to see the rhododendron in its full splendor, including botanical gardens and specialty nurseries. Here are five great gardens to see the flowers in bloom.
After decades of undeserved exile, the king of shrubs has returned to the throne. Everything you ever wanted to know about rhododendrons. Plus: Great rhododendrons of note.
Photos from this year's National Cherry Blossom Festival, with a bit of history of the festival in D.C., hanami's origins, and a list of 11 cherry blossom festivals around the country. Plus: Photos of other spring blooms in our nation's capital.
