Groundcover Grasses:  Liriope, Acorus, Othiopogon, and Carex

(Liriope muscari ‘Big Blue’)

Every spring I get emails from friends and family asking me to identify a grassy green plant with pretty purple flowers that is blooming everywhere.  The answer – Liriope!  While I used to be surprised at the number of people asking me about this (somewhat boring, in my opinion) plant, I have since come to appreciate everything it has to offer.  A shade tolerant, flowering, evergreen groundcover, Liriope is available in two main types – Liriope muscari a clump forming variety and Liriope spicata a vigorously spreading variety.  While Liriope is universally popular, there are many other groundcover grasses worth considering.

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Selecting a Dogwood

Spring is here and the Dogwoods are blooming! Many of our clients love Dogwoods and want to incorporate one (or more) into their landscape design. Fortunately, there are a variety of Dogwoods available in the landscape industry, making it easy to find one that will work for almost any site. Read on to learn about how to pick the best Dogwood for your property.

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Spring Ephemerals

While most everyone is familiar with the appearance of spring flowering bulbs there is another group of plants that can add a great deal of spring interest to your garden – spring ephemerals. Ephemerals are plants that emerge in spring and progress through their flowering and fruiting and enter dormancy by the beginning of summer. These plants take advantage of ample spring moisture and the sunlight that streams through deciduous trees (before they develop their yearly foliage). Read on for a few examples of spring ephemerals that work well in North Carolina.

Trillium sp. – Wild Trillium

A field of wild Trillium blooming in the spring.

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February – Cutting Back Ornamental Grasses

With spring around the corner now is the time to perform some routine winter maintenance – cutting back your ornamental grasses. The dried foliage of these plants has provided great fall and winter interest, but to encourage healthy new growth and a neat appearance, this foliage now needs to be removed. Read on for easy step by step directions. Read the rest of this entry »

Winter Plants that Work in the Snow

As winter settles in the garden can seem to be on hold – few things are blooming and cold temperatures keep everyone inside. Add the threat of a winter storm and few people are thinking about garden beautification! However, there are many plants that can really shine with a coat of ice or snow – consider adding one or a combination of these in a spot that can be viewed from your favorite cold weather spot inside the house.

Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ – Coral Bark Japanese Maple

While most Japanese Maples have interesting foliage and vibrant fall color ‘Sango-Kaku’ has the additional benefit of bright red stems, especially on the newest growth. When covered in snow the red becomes even more vibrant, and would make a great focal point at the back of a planting bed.

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