hen in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

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While we may at times bemoan the shortened growing season of the northern garden, the variety of plants that are available to us as perennials is astonishing in its vastness and diversity.

Take, for example, the intoxicating Weigela florida Alexandra 'Wine and Rose,' bred by Herman Geers of Holland.  Winner of a Gold Medal from the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society and a Silver Medal from the Boskoop Royal Horticulture Society, it is the only weigela to receive each of these awards.

Its rich dark burgundy foliage, much darker than that of older varieties like Java Red, contrasts beautifully with the rosy pink flowers that are copiously produced in spring, and that re-bloom throughout the summer.  Trumpet shaped, these flowers are an attractant to hummingbirds, our Harriers of the garden.  They are also irresistible to butterflies, but not, fortunately, to deer, who will avoid them.  After the first few weeks, they are drought tolerant, and these upright beauties will grow to a height of 4-5’ with an equal spacing as they mature to ten years. 

They love full sun, are not fussy about their soil as long as it’s well-draining, and are hardy in USDA zones 4-8.  Whether you use them as shrub borders, grouping, mass plantings, specimen plants, or as container plants, the weigela 'Wine and Roses' provides three full seasons of glorious color.  In early spring, its foliage emerges as green flushed with purple, and quickly takes on deeper burgundy tones.  In early summer the deep rosy-pink tubular flowers line the shrub’s gracefully arching stems, and in fall the foliage deepens to its signature glossy dark burgundy purple.

Planted en masse for monochromatic impact, it also blends well with lavender and blue-green colored plants such as perovskia or caryopteris. The weigela foliage bursts like a fountain from a base grouping of tall sedums.  And don’t hesitate to introduce yellow by combining this verdurous victor with coreopsis and coneflowers. 

Some will say that the previously listed flowers are zone 5, but this zone 4 gardener has extremely harsh winters, and extreme luck with all of these plants.

Weigela 'Wine and Roses' is truly a Proven Winner® for any garden.

Regardless of whether they are created out of desire or of necessity, rock gardens provide a unique opportunity to tame difficult landscape terrain or add interest to a garden setting. Whether they are set in naturally rocky terrain or in a man-made area, a couple of considerations will add to your overall success.

Because of the relatively shallow pockets of soil, water can drain away very quickly. The most exposed and shallow places are excellent sites for planting drought-tolerant creeping or trailing plants, especially where they can cascade over a ledge. Plants that prefer a little more moisture will be happier around the base of the rock garden, where water will not drain or evaporate so quickly.

Many rock garden plants are beautiful bloomers, so you can enjoy loads of color throughout your rock garden. The plants suggested below are mostly sun lovers. If your rocky site is in a woodland or other shady area, our staff of nursery experts will be happy to make suggestions for substitutes.

Every rock garden is a unique setting. The rule of thumb is to plant single plants of separate varieties for smaller space gardens, and groupings of three or more of particular varieties for larger areas. Any time is great time to plant a rock garden, so we invite you to come into the nursery and get started today. We promise you'll have a rockin' good time!

Click here to see our collection of great rock garden plants!

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Some gardens can be pretty, some can be manicured and some can look wild and woolly, but there's nothing like a fragrance garden to tickle the nose and stimulate the senses. Fragrance gardens can be created using many different garden design themes; the only requirements are using plants with flowers or foliage that are pleasingly fragrant.

You can go Cottage, Mediterranean, Victorian, Woodland or something in between, since all can benefit from the use of fragrant plants and flowers. A fragrance garden doesn't have to be just sweet and perfumed. It can also be soothingly aromatic, with both delicate and bold scents. You can even select when you want your garden to emit its fragrance, be it morning, mid-day or night time!

Plant your garden using a good quality soil amendment and feed in the summer to ensure healthy growth. Most plants get their fragrance from essential oils in various parts of the plant foliage or flowers. Foliage fragrance is often released by touch, while flowers don't need an extra nudge to share their delights. Position foliage-fragrant plants along pathways borders or overhead on an arbor or trellis where their aroma will be released when you brush past them.

Some flowers can be enjoyed from far away, while others might require you to get close to inhale their sweet perfume. We're sure you'll find some scents you love among our selection.

This Week's Question:
When this seed is planted, it takes five years to yield consumable fruit. What is this plant called?

This Week's Prize:
$10 Gift Certificate

Last Trivia Question:
This bulb flower has tall stems that rise out of strappy leaves topped with a large head of loose, funnel-shaped flowers colored in vivid blues and whites. Hint: The flower has now naturalized on the sand dunes on Tresco, in the Isles of Sicily and near Torquay.

With striking shades of blue and white, Agapanthus praecox was one of the first plants to arrive from South Africa in about 1650 and was first cultivated in the Netherlands in 1687. Agapanthus is now found growing wild on the sand dunes on Tresco, in the Isles of Scilly, and near Torquay.

The name agapanthus derives from agape, the Greek word for the highest and purest form of love--a love that surpasses all other types of affection and anthos, the word for flower. The plant's common name is African lily.

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You've won a $10 Gift Certificate.

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To claim your prize, bring in a valid form of ID to Sun River Gardens.

The leaves on some of my plants are starting to turn brown. How can I tell if the cause is lack of water, or salt or chemical damage?

Answer:

That's fairly simple.

• If a plant is too dry, the tips of the leaves will turn brown. The longer without water, the farther down the leaf the burn will extend.
• If a plant is suffering from salt damage, the entire leaf edge will appear brown or dry.
• If it's chemical damage, the foliage will generally have burn spots all over the leaf surface.

And here are the usual causes:

• If a plant is too dry, it needs deeper or more frequent watering.
• Salt burn is most often caused by excessive fertilization.
• Chemical damage results from weed killer drifting onto a plant, a chemical solution being mixed stronger than label recommendations, or a spray being applied to (or to near to) a plant that is sensitive to that spray.

Please note that all three scenarios have man-made causes.