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.

Praise for the “other” evergreens

CONTRIBUTING THIS ISSUE

Fine Gardening Magazine

FineGardening.com • HOW TO FIND YOUR WAY AROUND OUR WEBSITE

READERS’ TIPS • FROM ONE GARDENER TO ANOTHER

OVER THE FENCE • READER COMMENTS AND OPINIONS

GARDEN SHED • 4 MUST-HAVE TOOLS FOR SEED STARTING

GROWING FROM SEED • INEXPENSIVELY GIVE YOUR GARDEN SOME FLAIR WITH THESE UNUSUAL ANNUALS

Tips for indoor seed-starting success • While growing plants from seed is less expensive, it does require extra steps when compared to growing plants or starts from your local garden center. Before you start your annual seeds indoors, here are some tips for greater success.

From garden to vase

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

Tips for using wood ash in the garden

SUPER COOL PLANTS • FIND OUT WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE GROWING

Let’s Argue About Plants • THE FINE GARDENING PODCAS

Stylish Dry Streambeds for any situation • Learn how to build this essential piece of garden infrastructure to beautifully manage stormwater runoff

Building instructions for a simple dry streambed • Before grabbing that shovel, contact your local utility companies to have power and water lines marked. Then determine the best site for your streambed, ideally in an existing depression if your property has provided this for you. If not, you can create small rolling berms along the banks later if desired. Consider where the water originates and where you would like it to dissipate. Whenever possible, keeping water on-site is preferable to directing it into a storm drain. Many municipalities even reward homeowners for keeping stormwater on their property.

A gallery of inspiring ideas • The following five garden spaces are a good representation of the variety of styles that dry streambeds can encompass. Each of these designs also solved a unique issue stemming from a challenging site prone to runoff.

Great options for softening the edges

CACTI & SUCCULENTS FOR COLD CLIMATES • These low-care jewels give the harshest part of your landscape four-season appeal

Tips for growing cacti and succulents in cold zones • While these plants can take the cold, they may need special care to thrive in certain environments. Follow these guidelines to ensure that your hardy cacti and succulents last for years to come.

Fine textures and contrasting colors create a dynamic, drought-tolerant display

JUNIPERS DESERVE MORE LOVE • Forget your preconceived notions and give these deer-proof, ecologically friendly plants a chance

What makes junipers so special? • Many of the detractors of junipers lose sight of their many good and ecologically important qualities. Yes, they are prickly and require gloves to handle in some cases. But this adaptation is for good reasons. Below are some of the traits that make junipers as a group so incredible.

Pruning dos and don’ts

The science of PLANT SURVIVAL STRATEGIES • Understanding the adaptations that have helped species withstand stress and disturbance will help you become a better gardener

Three survival strategies • Plants can’t move out of the way of danger, so over countless generations they have evolved traits to help them survive environmental stresses and disturbances. It is fascinating to see how plant species around the world have responded in similar ways to...