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.

All gardens have teachable moments

DIGITAL DIRECTORY • CHECK OUT WHAT’S NEW ONLINE

OVER THE FENCE • READER COMMENTS AND OPINIONS

Fine Gardening Magazine

CONTRIBUTING THIS ISSUE

READERS’ TIPS • FROM ONE GARDENER TO ANOTHER

GARDEN SHED • THE BEST GLOVES FOR EVERY KIND OF TASK

SUPER COOL PLANTS • FIND OUT WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE GROWING

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

GARDENING ANSWERS all access forum

GARDEN PHOTO OF THE DAY • CELEBRATING OUR READERS’ LANDSCAPES

Build a four-season, grass-forward garden • Making these low-care, attractive plants the backbone of a plan can allow your landscape to shine well beyond fall

Two methods for dividing overgrown grasses

The best grasses for every season • There are countless ornamental grasses to choose from, so narrowing down a list of my favorites is tough. However, the following assortment—categorized by their best season of interest—is a good start. Choosing at least one from each season will ensure that your grass-forward garden always has something spectacular going on.

Follow a Grass Garden Through the Seasons • The border I created certainly relies heavily on ornamental grasses to form the backbone of the bed. But the supporting cast of perennials, evergreens, and even bulbs ensures there is interest during all 12 months.

CREATE A Captivating Container Display • Even if your entire garden is in pots, you can still have a purposeful and beautiful design

Small details make all the difference in a maximalist container garden • To keep a container display looking cohesive, it is helpful to establish ground rules to guide your aesthetic decisions. Here are some of Clarke’s rules of thumb.

Rock Gardening 101 • No matter where you garden, this versatile technique can be adapted to fit your needs

Can’t commit? Try a trough garden • If arranging stones and caring for rock-garden plants sounds like fun, why not try an affordable, small-scale project first? A trough container planting offers an excellent introduction to all the skills involved with rock gardening, and you can assemble one in just a few hours. Remember that your garden will be very heavy once it is filled and planted, so choose your location and get the planter situated before you add rocks, soil, and plants.

Great rock-garden plants for beginners • If you are just starting out, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the variety of rock-garden plants available. However, many classic rock-garden plants are available in choice garden centers across North America. Here are some of the most adaptable, which can serve as the impetus for you to launch your new rock garden. Most of these selections stay fairly compact, under 6 to 12 inches tall and wide, and unless otherwise noted will thrive in full sun and well-drained soil.

MAKE A BOLD STATEMENT WITH elephant’s ears • With options for sun and shade, these tropical dynamos offer just the right kind of drama

HOW TO TELL ELEPHANT’S EARS APART • This group of plants typically includes three unique genera with different but sometimes overlapping native ranges and preferred conditions. In the absence of precise classification for this group, and with some other tropicals being incorrectly labeled as elephant’s ears, it can be difficult to tell these plants apart. It can feel like trying to learn about cat care when Karen owns...