Reimagining Daylilies

Daylilies are as common as lawn turf these days, and their displays are often about as interesting. They blanket medial strips at the mall, brighten business parks, dot roadsides and figure in nearly everyone’s landscaping plan at some point.

And no wonder. Daylilies are fantastic problem-solvers. They routinely survive harsh conditions, need virtually no care and provide oodles of color when it’s needed most, midsummer.

Even so, waves of Stella d’Oros and Happy Returns have lost much of their mojo for many of us. Let’s explore how else we can utilize daylilies, primarily through color, form, and companion plantings.

Why You Need Beardtongue

This post was updated on June 18, 2023

Many people consider beardtongue or penstemon, sometimes called foxglove beard-tongue, a wildflower best left to native settings rather than featured in a suburban flowerbed. That’s because in its native forms, the petite flowers and slim profile doesn’t draw immediate attention.

Striking hybrids are starting to change that. Let’s take a closer look.

Growing Foxgloves

Hybrid Dalmation Purple

Digitalis, better known as foxgloves, are among the most impressive of the tall perennials in any garden setting. Cottage gardens especially owe much of their charm to these statuesque, bumblebee-friendly flowers. (Foxes have nothing to do with them other than inspiring their whimsical name.)

Despite their charm, foxgloves have a reputation for being difficult to cultivate. They grow easily but can be tricky to sustain if you’re unfamiliar with their quirky lifecycle. Fortunately foxgloves can be managed successfully if you know what you’re dealing with. I’ll try to dispel some of the mystery here, and provide a few tips.