The Blog

We love perennials that come back each year in the garden. Perennials are considered to be ornamental plants that reappear for more than one growing season. This does not mean they live forever, but they do offer a repeat performance for many seasons! The term perennial is generally reserved for plants with showy flowers, excluding ornamental grasses, trees, shrubs and other woody stemmed plants. Perennials are great planted in the landscape or in containers. With so many varieties to choose from, there is one that is perfectly suited for your garden. Here's our top summer perennials...

There are some plants that should be in every garden and Hydrangeas are at the top of our list ~ an absolute must-have! Nothing says summer like these beautiful blooming shrubs. In colors ranging from white to pink to blue, these softball-sized flowers brighten up any landscape. These shade-loving shrubs infuse color in the garden at a time when most spring-blooming plants are no longer flowering. Hydrangeas make a great addition as a stand-alone “feature” plant, or grown in rows to create a privacy hedge. Their blooms also make some of the best cut flower arrangements.

It's official, grilling season has begun. Get prepared for your outdoor cooking and entertaining by adding Barbeque Rosemary to your landscape. This plant boasts long, upright stems which are perfect for skewering and roasting vegetables and meats, and it's foliage is especially good flavor for grilling. It will quickly form an upright hedge of aromatic needles with profuse, blue-purple flowers. Barbeque Rosemary can grow to be four to six feet tall. Best of all it is heat tolerant, drought tolerant and deer resistant.

A Guide to Container Planting

Decadent and rich but with a fresh and fragrant nuances, this strawberry chocolate mint pie is a heavenly balance of sweet and soothing.

Crust:
200g flour
100g butter
1 egg yolk
Water

Crème pâtissière:
1/2L whole milk
5 egg yolks
125g sugar
50g flour
1 vanilla bean

1 pound of strawberries
Chef Jeff’s Chocolate Mint
Ceramic balls (or dry beans) for baking crust

Crust: