Fine Gardening Magazine

Written for passionate gardeners, Fine Gardening provides inspired ideas backed by detailed instructions for creating healthy gardens, outdoor rooms, and beautiful landscapes suited to the region. Horticulturists, nurserymen, and designers share their expertise on plants, care, soil, eco-friendly pest control, propagation, design, and landscaping.

We have much to learn from the natural world

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OVER THE FENCE • READER COMMENTS AND OPINIONS

Fine Gardening Magazine

CONTRIBUTING THIS ISSUE

READERS’ TIPS • FROM ONE GARDENER TO ANOTHER

GARDEN SHED • USE LESS EFFORT TO GET MORE DONE WITH THESE ERGONOMIC TOOLS

A MORE RELIABLE PATH TO Hydrangea Blooms

SUPER COOL PLANTS • FIND OUT WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE GROWING

Gardening Natives CONTAINER CHALLENGE

HEALTHY GARDEN • SCIENCE-BASED INSIGHT FROM SOURCES YOU CAN TRUST

Want Healthy Trees? • The spring is one of the best times to feed your trees (This is when they pull in nutrition for the spring and summer months)

Turn Your shade garden into a Destination • Using a creative mix of plants and unique structures makes a woodland setting feel intentional, inviting, and full of character

How to interplant in the shade • Dealing with root competition can be tricky enough in a sunny perennial border, but tree roots running through the ground pose even more of a challenge. Neighboring plants compete with each other for space, nutrients, and water. Here are a few tips to get the best out of your understory plantings and let perennials and woodies grow together in harmony.

Multiseason show-stoppers for shade • Far from just a wash of green in summer, some plants for lower-light conditions can offer eye-catching foliage, flowers, or structural forms throughout the year. The following selections earn their keep by providing interest in multiple seasons, making them great additions to a shaded space.

The Best New Perennials • Our expert sorts through hundreds of recent introductions to reveal which ones are worthy investments

Behind the scenes of plant evaluation • The Chicago Botanic Garden’s plant trials are among the premier programs in the United States. Below, program director Richard Hawke answers some frequently asked questions about the trials.

Bring harmony and cohesion to any PLANTING PLAN • A limited color palette and waves of texture can help tie a landscape to its surroundings

Putting a limited color palette to work • During summer, garden beds filled with harmonious waves of color lead the eye down the slope from the house to the water. Grasses and perennials sway in the wind, making you feel like you are part of the garden. With no jarring pops of contrasting hues, the effect is calm, serene, and warm, like a Puget Sound sunset.

PLANTS FOR THE Senses • An engaging, immersive experience starts with selections that spark joy and curiosity

Tips for making any garden more immersive • We get busy in our day-to-day lives and often don’t have time or the inclination to seek out a sensory experience in the garden. Careful consideration of the design and placement of these plants is the key to making sensory interactions accessible even when you don’t think you have time.

16 NATIVE SUBSTITUTES FOR OVERUSED PERENNIALS • Trade in those expected garden staples for more eco-friendly options

Create a stunning native perennial border with multiseason interest • To plan a perennial border with native species, start by considering what time of year you want the planting to peak. Then, consider how to balance the textures to carry the garden from early spring through fall, with a strong summer display in between. This summer-peaking border is designed with...