Want to grow an exotic fruit that is delicious, nutritious, beautiful and incredibly hip? You really should consider planting a pomegranate! It’s not as difficult as you may think.

Why Pomegranates are Popular

Pomegranate is a stunning superfood rich in antioxidants, folic acid and vitamins A, C and E. It has no cholesterol, and is also rich in fiber and potassium. Because of these nutritional advantages, pomegranate is showing up in a multitude of supermarket products like yogurts, juices, salad dressings, jellies and desserts. It can be added to sauces, fruit crisps, salsas, relishes, dips and more. You can even make a pomegranate martini! And, of course, it’s an extraordinary experience eating a fresh pomegranate. These are stunning, delicious fruits that are rarely seen in backyard gardens, but can make a great landscaping statement when properly grown.

Growing Pomegranates in the Landscape

Pomegranates grow as multi-stemmed, small trees or large shrubs. They reach 15 feet tall by up to 15 feet wide. In spring, vibrant, gorgeous orange-red flowers grace the branches of this plant. These beautiful blossoms develop into the luscious pomegranate fruit containing dozens of tart and tangy bright red seeds and pulp. The fruit ripens somewhat square in the early fall and has a leathery skin that can be yellow to red in color.

The cultivar ‘Wonderful’ is hardy to zone 7 and is easy to grow. Plant your tree in full sun. It will thrive in the summer heat and in most soils. Pomegranates are drought tolerant, however, the fruit is better and the seeds more plump with regular deep irrigation. Because this fruit tree is self-fertile, there is no need to plant a second one for pollination.

Enjoying Your Pomegranates

If you’ve never cut your own pomegranate, it can be frustrating to learn how to separate the juicy seeds from the husk and membrane. To access the seeds…

1. Cut off the crown of the fruit.
2. Score the leathery husk in quarters from stem to crown end.
3. Set the scored fruit in a bowl of cool water and let soak for a few minutes.
4. Hold the fruit under water and break scored sections apart with your fingers, separating the seeds from membrane. The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl.
5. Discard the skin and membrane.
6. Drain the seeds on paper towels.
7. Toss pomegranate seeds into your salad, mix them in your yogurt or smoothie or shake them into a martini and enjoy!

We just love incorporating natives into the home landscape, and it’s easier to do than many gardeners realize. Including native plants is an important part of sustaining local pollinators and wildlife. Furthermore, native plants are naturally lower maintenance and pest-resistant, and wow, are they beautiful!

Favorite Native Shrubs

It’s easy to find native shrubs to provide interest in the garden the whole year through, from fresh spring growth to brilliant summer blooms to outrageous autumn foliage to stunning winter structure. Our list offers outstanding selections that will do well in a variety of moisture levels, soil types and sun exposures. Cultivars of these species offer variations in size, form, leaf color and shape as well as flower colors.

• Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia)
  Deciduous shrub, 3-8 feet high x 4-6 feet wide. Fragrant white blooms in July to August. Full sun to part shade, but will tolerate heavy shade. Moist to wet soil, tolerates erosion and clay soil. Use as a hedge, to naturalize or in rain garden. Attracts butterflies.
• Sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina)
  Deciduous shrub, 2-5 feet high x 4-8 feet wide. Insignificant flower, ornamental and fragrant leaf. Full sun to part shade. Medium moist soil preferred, but also drought tolerant. Use to naturalize or in rain gardens.
• Silky Dogwood (Cornus amomum)
  Deciduous shrub, 6-12 feet high x 6-12 feet wide. Yellowish-white flowers in May to June followed by showy fruit. Full sun to part shade. Medium to wet soil. Deer tolerant. Good for erosion control. Use as a hedge or in a rain garden. Attracts birds.
• Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
  Deciduous shrub, 3-12 feet high x 3-12 feet wide. Showy red fruit in the winter. Full sun to part shade. Medium to wet soil and tolerates clay soil. Tolerates air pollution. Controls erosion. Use as a hedge or in a rain garden. Attracts birds.
• Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
  Broadleaf evergreen, 5-15 feet high x 5-15 feet wide. May-blooming with rose to white flowers with purple markings. Sun to part shade. Medium moist soil. Deer and rabbit tolerant.
• Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
  Deciduous shrub, 6-12 feet high x 6-12 feet wide. Fragrant greenish-yellow, flowers and showy fruit. Part shade but can tolerate heavy shade. Medium soil moisture and drought tolerant. Deer tolerant. Can grow in clay soil. Attracts birds and butterflies.
• Northern Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica)
  Deciduous shrub, 5-10 feet high x 5-10 feet wide. Showy fruit in the winter. Full sun to part shade. Dry to medium soil moisture. Use as a hedge, naturalize or in a rain garden. Attracts birds.
• Pinxterbloom Azalea (Rhododendron viscosum)
  Deciduous shrub, 3-5 feet high x 3-5 feet wide. Blooms white to pale pink in May to July. Part shade. Medium to wet soil moisture. Very ornamental and good as a cut flower. Tolerant of rabbits. Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.
• American Cranberry Bush (Viburnum opulus ‘americanum’)
  Deciduous shrub, 8-12 feet high x 8-12 feet wide. White lacecap flowers in April to May. Edible fruit. Full sun to part shade. Medium soil moisture. Use as a hedge or in the shrub border. Attracts birds and butterflies.

If none of these suggestions quite meet your preferences for a year-round native shrub, stop in to see our experts for more tips and options – new species and cultivars are always arriving!

Ornamental grasses are becoming increasingly popular, and there is now an over-abundance of options available at garden centers. So many choices can make the selection process difficult, even overwhelming. There is one ornamental grass, however, that takes the cake. Pink Muhley Grass is arguably the most colorful ornamental grass around and it is sure wow your friends and neighbors.

About Pink Muhley Grass

Pink Muhley Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) is a native grass that is deer, drought and salt tolerant. It is hardy in zones 7-10 and may be grown as an annual elsewhere. Broadly adaptable, this grass prefers sun but will tolerate part shade and will grow well in just about any soil type. ‘Regal Mist’, or also called ‘Lenca’, is a cultivar known for the deepest plume color.

Perfect used as a specimen plant in containers or in groupings in beds and borders as well as naturalized in a meadow garden, this fall bloomer is an outstanding ornamental plant. The pink-purple flower plumes that grow up to 4 feet are also exceptional for use in cut and dried floral arranging.

Proper Care

This ornamental grass is very easy to care for. Simply prune your Pink Muhley Grass clump back hard in late winter or very early spring before the attractive new growth begins to show. Although drought tolerant, the plant will be fuller and lusher with regular, consistent watering. It is especially adaptable to poorly drained soils, and can grow in full sun or partial shade locations.

In the Garden and Landscape

There are many stunning uses for this outstanding grass, whether you are cultivating a formal garden or a more relaxed landscape. Consider these popular options…

• When not flowering, the green clump creates a textured mound acting as a groundcover or background for other smaller plants. It can also soften harsh garden corners, walkway edges or awkward intersections.
• As a finely textured grass, plant Pink Muhley Grass with contrasting companions such as calla lilies, evergreen shrubs or low growing groundcovers to create interest in the landscape.
• Plant in front of the larger smoketree Cotinus coggygria ‘Grace’ for an exquisite coordinating display of color and texture.
• Plant where it will be backlit. It positively glows where it catches the early morning or late afternoon sun.
• Use as a beautiful and unusual addition to floral arrangements.

Do you need another reason to grow Pink Muhley Grass? Oh, yes, the birds will thank you – they love the seeds!

Espalier is the process of training trees or shrubs, by pruning and trellising, to create a vertical, two-dimensional, formal pattern. The purpose of espalier is to artfully train a tree to grow in limited space, to provide pattern and texture on a solid wall, to grow fruit in a limited space and to create privacy in the garden.

It is possible to purchase plants that have been already been espaliered, however, your selection of plant choices will be limited and it’s not nearly as much fun as doing it yourself. Fortunately, it’s not as hard to do as it may sound!

Espalier Basics

To begin, choose a spot in full sun where you have garden space at the foot of a bare wall or fence. It is important to remember to leave about 6 inches of space between the wall or fence and the plant to allow sufficient room for roots to grow. A wire frame is often used in place of a trellis when choosing this type of plant training, though a trellis may be used when training a plant for privacy when no wall is available. Screw eyebolts into the side of a building at 1-foot intervals, horizontally and vertically. Tie wire between the bolts to create a grid. There are many styles and patterns, of espalier to choose from, some simple, some complicated. It may help to layout your design on graph paper first to solidify your plan and to visualize its complete form.

Select a tree that is young as its branches will be more flexible and more readily trainable. All branches must be pruned from the side that will be flush with the wall or trellis. Tie the main trunk to the wire grid with a twist tie, then prune away all branches that grow forward leaving only laterally spreading branches. Next, begin tying the lateral branches to the frame at approximately a 45-degree angle from the ground. You now have the beginnings of an espalier! This process will require annual maintenance. Branches chosen to be part of your original design should be retrained and retied yearly. Check the ties twice a year to make sure that they are not strangling the branches, and loosen them as necessary. Branches that are not needed to maintain your design should be removed.

Pruning Your Plant for the Best Espalier

Pruning and training will continue throughout the life of your chosen plant. Generally, most major pruning is done in late winter to early spring before new growth begins, but pruning at different times can have different advantages. Pruning during the dormant season or early spring, for example, will stimulate new growth that can help fill a pattern in more quickly. Pruning in mid-summer (June, July) tends to have a dwarfing effect, ideal to keep a more mature plant under control in a smaller space. Pruning should not be done in late summer, however, as this could stimulate new growth that will not have time to harden off before a heavy frost sets in.

An espalier design can take years to fill into a luxurious form, but the effort and meticulous nature of this type of plant training can be well worthwhile for a unique and eye-catching feature in your garden.

The durability of some plants is absolutely amazing. A number of them are so robust that they may even be tread on! These are the plants to choose when filling in the space between pavers, walkways, patios and steps. Placing plants in the gaps of your hardscape will soften its appearance and will keep weeds from taking over that space, as well as prevent erosion that will loosen stones. These ground covers will creep and crawl around the stone bringing the garden to your feet and closer for you to enjoy. 

There are resilient, low-growing, easy maintenance plants for just about any situation. Many even have showy flowers. But which is right for your yard? Before planting, scope out your site. Take into consideration the amount of sun or shade the plant will receive, the amount of foot traffic the area gets and the size of the space that the plant needs to fill. Still not sure which groundcover will work best? Stop in and speak with a member of our knowledgeable staff. We can help make your selection easier. 

Groundcovers for Moderate to Heavy Foot Traffic 

Areas that receive moderate to heavy foot traffic – backyard patios, front walkways, terrace steps, etc. – can be the most difficult to fill in. Depending on the light the site receives, some of the most popular groundcover options include… 

Full Sun 

• Alpine Cinquefoil (Potentilla) – 12” spread, yellow flowers, green foliage
• Carpet Speedwell (Veronica) – 3” spread, light blue flowers
• Creeping Sunshine Speedwell (Veronica) – 12” spread, gold foliage
• Creeping Thyme Doone Valley (Thymus) – 23” spread, variegated gold foliage
• Creeping Thyme Purple Carpet (Thymus) – 18” spread, mauve flowers
• Creeping Thyme Elfin (Thymus) –  8” spread, light pink flowers
• Creeping Thyme Coccineus (Thymus) –  18” spread, red flowers
• Creeping Thyme Pink Chintz (Thymus) – 23” spread, deep pink flowers
• Creeping Thyme Ruby Glow (Thymus) –  18” spread, purple-red flowers
• Golden Stonecrop (Sedum) – 23” spread, yellow flowers and foliage
• Hartington Silver Thyme (Thymus) – 12” spread, light pink flowers
• Mediterranean Creeping Thyme (Thymus) – 18” spread, deep pink flowers
• Nutmeg Thyme (Thymus) – 18” spread, scented foliage
• Orange-scented Thyme (Thymus) – 12” spread, scented foliage
• Pink Pussy-toes (Antennaria) – 12” spread, deep pink flowers
• Pussy-toes (Antennaria) – 12” spread, white flowers
• White Moss Thyme (Thymus) – 18” spread, white flowers
• Whitley’s Speedwell (Veronica) – 23” spread, deep blue flowers
• Woolly Thyme (Thymus) – 23” spread, grey-green foliage

Sun to Part Sun 

• Blue Star Creeper (Isotom) – 12” spread, light blue flowers
• Black Brass Buttons (Leptinella) – 12” spread, purple-black foliage
• Black-Leaved Clover (Trifolium) – 18” spread, green and purple foliage
• Celestial Spice Pratia (Pratia) – 8” spread, deep blue flowers
• County Park Pratia (Pratia) – 12” spread, deep blue flowers
• Creeping Mazus (Mazus) – 18” spread, mauve flowers
• Creeping Wire Vine (Muehlenbeckia) – 29” spread, wiry stems
• Cushion Bolax (Azorella) – 8” spread, yellow flowers
• Green Brass Buttons (Leptinella squalida) – 12” spread, yellow flowers
• Irish Moss (Sagina subulata) – 12” spread, small white flowers
• White Creeping Mazus (Mazus) – 18” spread, white flowers
• Miniature Brass Buttons (Leptinella) – 16” spread, white flowers
• Rupturewort (Herniaria) – 12” spread, tiny leaves
• Scotch Moss Golden (Sagina) – 12” spread, golden foliage
• Turkey Tangle Fogfruit (Phyla) – 23” spread, gray-green foliage
• White Creeping Pratia (Pratia) – 12” spread, white flowers 

Shade 

• Corsican Mint (Mentha) – 12” spread, mauve flowers
• Miniature Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia) – 18” spread, yellow flowers
• Miniature Wintercreeper (Euonymus) – 18” spread, leathery foliage