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Poor Snow White. Imagine having to deal with 14 dwarf garters every laundry day! It’s a Grimm fate.Luckily, there’s a version that’s a lot prettier and much lower-maintenance than those nasty things. Phalaris ‘Dwarf Garters’ is an easy-to-grow ornamental grass with green and white striped foliage that takes on a pink blush in cool weather. It thrives in moist areas, whether streamside, pondside or in a container. It even grows in shallow water.Height: 12 – 15” Hardy in Zones 4 – 9 Full sun or pa

Doesn’t ‘Lime Zinger’ sound like a sparkling, citrus-y summer cocktail? Perfect for a tailgate party at the polo match, or poolside? Oh, waiter! Another round of Lime Zingers, please!Well, our version is as succulent as it sounds, but it brings a different kind of sparkle to a sunny setting. ‘Lime Zinger’ is one of our favorites from the famous SunSparkler® series of nifty, hardy, low-growing Sedum.Your customers will love the firm, lime-green leaves with nicely-contrasting cherry-red picotee ed

We’re euphoric about this Euphorbia, and that’s no euphemism. ‘Ascot Rainbow’ is a riot of ever-changing color. Blue-green leaves with creamy yellow edges are its summer wardrobe. Cool weather inspires a costume change, with intense red tones.Euphorbia xmartinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’ PP21401Like many spurges, ‘Ascot Rainbow’ performs best with well-drained soils and resents wet feet in winter. Keep it happy, and you’ll soon know why this Australian introduction earned the Royal Horticultural Society’s

Geography Lessons in the GardenA good mixed perennial garden can be a trip around the world – or at least across a continent or two. Today’s tour involves a plant whose name sounds deceptively like a land it did NOT come from. Nepeta kubanica Neptune (‘Bokratune’ PP29556)Is that a funky way to spell Cuba, land of cigars and Castro? Nyet! The specific epithet refers to “big-leaf catmint’s” ancestral home on the Kuban Peninsula in Southern Russia, on the Black Sea. This particular beauty was bred

So you think Latin names are difficult, you silly English-speaking person? Hah!Let’s examine first a popular perennial, then the less-familiar story behind its name. GaillardiaA backbone of the sunny garden, “blanket flower” is known and loved world-wide for its array of bright, cheerful, often bicolor blooms.Complex daisy-like flowers feature a plethora of petals with toothy, pointed or fluted tips. Puffy gold/red centers remain attractive and interesting even after petals fade. As you mig