(Japanese Falsecypress, Yadkin Gold Japanese Falsecypress)

Japanese falsecypress is a hardy evergreen conifer best known for its legions of interesting cultivated varieties. Wild-type specimens in Japan become large trees, but most cultivated forms are far more compact and have foliage in an array of textures and colors. In fact, garden varieties have been separated into three groups that differ in their foliage textures. These include the Filifera Group, with scale-like leaves held in cascading, rope-like branchlets; the Plumosa Group, with feathery masses...

(Leatherleaf)

Leatherleaf is often the first woody shrub to colonize a bog once sphagnum peat is established. A broadleaf evergreen native to continents around the North Pole, it grows in cool wetlands, bogs and on pond edges in thickets. It spreads by underground swollen stems called rhizomes. In North America it's found across all of Canada and Alaska southward into the northern United States.

The foliage is leathery and tough and often is held upward on the many twiggy branches. The upper leaf side is...

(Matted Sandmat, Prostrate Spurge)

Practically every gardener has come across this warm-season, summer weed. Prostrate spurge forms nearly flat, spreading mats of small, deep green or green and burgundy-blotched leaves that can be found in sunny beds and pavement crevices across the whole of the United States, southern Canada and northern Mexico. It is an annual weed that produces loads and loads of seeds, so it's essential to pull plants as soon as they pop up in the garden.

Dense, spreading mats of small, oval leaves supported...

(Fireweed)

Commonly known as fireweed in North America, this pretty wildflower bears tall spikes of bright rose flowers in summer and fall. It is native across much of the northerly regions of the northern hemisphere where it thrives in moist ditches, old fields, open woods and along forest and stream edges. It is commonly called "fireweed" because this true pioneer species responds well to fire and is one of the first plants to seed in and thrive after a fire. It spreads by both seed and wide-spreading rhizomes...

(Fireweed, White Fireweed)

White flowers don this vigorous fireweed cultivar from summer to fall. Commonly known as fireweed in North America, this pretty wildflower bears tall spikes of white flowers. Chamerion angustifolium is native across much of the northerly regions of the northern hemisphere where it thrives in moist ditches, old fields, open woods and along forest and stream edges. It is commonly called "fireweed" because this true pioneer species responds well to fire and is one of the first plants to seed...

(Chionodoxa, Glory-of-the-Snow)

Carpeting the garden with starry flowers very early in the year, these little bulbs from the eastern Mediterranean are wonderful for massing in borders and lawns. Hardy and self-reliant, they produce clusters of blue, violet, pink, or white blooms atop short leafless stems in late winter and early spring. Two short grass-like leaves emerge with the flowers, going dormant within a few weeks. The flowers and leaves grow from small rounded bulbs covered with brown tunics. Plants often self-seed to form...

(Chionodoxa, Pink Giant Glory-of-the-Snow, Pink Glory-of-the-Snow)

Carpeting the garden with starry flowers very early in the year, 'Pink Giant' is wonderful for massing in borders and lawns. A selection or hybrid of the Turkish native Chionodoxa forbesii, this hardy, self-reliant little bulb produces clusters of pink, white-eyed blooms atop short leafless stems in late winter and early spring. Two short grass-like leaves emerge with the flowers, going dormant within a few weeks. The flowers and leaves grow from small rounded bulbs covered with brown tunics....

(Chionodoxa, Glory-of-the-Snow)

Carpeting the garden with starry flowers very early in the year, this little bulb from Turkey is wonderful for massing in borders and lawns. Hardy and self-reliant, it produces clusters of four to 12 deep blue blooms atop short leafless stems in late winter and early spring. The flowers have a small white eye. Two grass-like leaves emerge with the blooms, going dormant within a few weeks. The flowers and leaves grow from small rounded bulbs covered with brown tunics. Plants often self-sow to form...

(Chionodoxa, White Chionodoxa, White Glory-of-the-Snow)

Carpeting the garden with starry flowers very early in the year, 'Alba' is wonderful for massing in borders and lawns. A selection of the Turkish native Chionodoxa forbesii, this hardy, self-reliant little bulb produces clusters of pure dazzling white blooms atop short leafless stems in late winter and early spring. Two short grass-like leaves emerge with the flowers, going dormant within a few weeks. The flowers and leaves grow from small rounded bulbs covered with brown tunics. Plants...

(Chionodoxa, Glory-of-the-Snow)

Charming small bulbous plants that are among the first of all garden plants to bloom in spring. The short tapering leaves precede the thin flowers stems which divide at the top into clusters of up to three star-shaped blue flowers with white centers. Foliage remains for a few weeks after the spring blooming before withering and the plant goes dormant by early summer.

Native to Turkey, this bulb should be planted in sun or part shade exposures in fertile, well drained soil. It will grow and multiply...