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Modern Takes on a Garden ClassicNo perennial garden can call itself complete without a complement of Dianthus. And neither can your perennial offering. These charmers are especially indispensable to the quintessential English cottage garden look. But they’re equally at home wherever they get what they need: Full sun, well-drained fertile soil, and adequate moisture. Dianthus is a cosmopolitan genus with over 300 species. A breeders’ favorite for centuries, its hybrids now number litera

The Eponymous Garden Rides Again!The green industries embrace many careers and companies that could be described as “a hobby that got out of hand.” You may know – or be – one of those ex-hobbyists.One such entity gave the world a popular herb: Lavandula ‘Otto Quast’. Let’s meet its namesake.Born in 1924 in Hamburg, Germany, Otto Quast emigrated to California. He worked as a shipyard carpenter and dabbled in gardening. When an accident ended his woodworking career, he turned his pastime into a fu

Yes, it’s Lavandula, all right. Nothing else can match the fresh, clean fragrance of this legendary herb. We know that fragrance well, since we grow 12 varieties in several species. Let’s look at four of them, shall we?L. angustifolia The specific epithet means “narrow-leaved.” Which is much more accurate than the common name “English lavender”, since it’s of Mediterranean origin. It acquired its nickname because it grows great in Great Britain.Big Time Blue PP24827 Wider than it is tall at ma