Bonsai is the Japanese practice of growing a full-size tree in miniature inside a shallow container, using pruning, wiring, and root control to copy the shape and scale of a mature specimen. Japanese maples rank among the most popular trees for the craft because their foliage turns brilliant shades of red, orange, and gold each […]
Spanish bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica) is a late-blooming spring bulb native to Spain, Portugal, and northwest Africa. European gardeners have grown it in woodland settings for centuries, and it performs best in exactly that kind of spot: sun-dappled light and well-drained sandy soil. Each bulb sends up two to six strap-shaped leaves around a rigid upright
The Incrediball hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Abetwo’) is a smooth hydrangea cultivar known for enormous white flower heads on branches strong enough to hold them upright. While the classic Annabelle hydrangea flops after heavy rain, Incrediball stems stay rigid, and the flower heads can reach 12 inches across. Shrubs grow 4 to 5 feet tall and
The autograph tree (Clusia rosea), also called balsam apple or pitch apple, is an evergreen tropical tree with a short trunk and thick, leathery leaves. Its common name comes from a party trick: scratch your name into a leaf with a fingernail and the scar stays for months as the leaf grows. Indoors, the plant
The rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa) is a hardy shrub rose grown for fragrant five-petaled blooms, wrinkled dark green foliage, and densely thorny canes. Shrubs grow in a rounded form, reach about 4 to 6 feet tall and equally wide, and spread through suckers until they form a thicket. That combination of vigor and toughness makes
The paper birch (Betula papyrifera) is a fast-growing but short-lived tree that often develops multiple trunks as it matures. Its peeling white bark contrasts sharply with green leaves that turn bright yellow in fall, and the pale trunks blend naturally into snowy winter scenery. Native Americans built birch-bark canoes from this species, which is why
The Autumn Blaze maple is a hybrid of the red maple and the silver maple, both native to North America, and it combines the best traits of each parent. The tree boasts dense, balanced, ascending branches and an oval crown, and it matures quickly, growing as much as two feet per year under the right
Japan’s mountainous topography supports an extraordinary range of plants. Some thrive in hot, humid summers, while others demand dry conditions, heavy snowfall, and a period of winter dormancy. Gardeners who borrow from that tradition can build a planting that feels calm and deliberate, whether the space is a full yard or a narrow side garden.
Ginkgo biloba, also called maidenhair, is a large broadleaf deciduous tree with a sculptural pyramid shape. Despite dropping its leaves each winter, this ancient tree is classified as a conifer, and it is dioecious, meaning some trees are male while others are female. Native to China, ginkgo is slow growing but extraordinarily long lived, and
The flame tree, also known as royal poinciana (Delonix regia), is a fast-growing tropical tree famous for its abundance of crimson blossoms. This African native has become a favorite in tropical and subtropical locations around the world, prized for the clusters of red flowers that blanket the canopy in the warm summer months. Each of
