Some plants rise above the rest with their extraordinarily brilliant blooms and foliage that are so distinctive that you can instantly identify them from a distance. We call them 55mph varieties – plants that turn heads even when you’re speeding past them down the highway. They make great flowers for front yards. If flashy flower colors are your style, try adding a few of these bright beauties to your containers and landscape. BRILLIANT ANNUALS Santa Cruz® cascading begonia Thriving in containers in both sun and shade, this cascading begonia forms a lava-like curtain of fiery orange-red ..read more

If you garden where the summer’s heat seems unrelenting, choosing suitable plants for your landscape that can handle consistently high temperatures is especially critical. Maybe you’ve found that some shrubs in your garden just can’t seem to take the heat like they used to. Instead of spending your time and energy pampering them along, consider swapping them out for varieties that will naturally thrive in your climate instead. Here’s a closer look at ten shrubs that like full sun and heat. Perfecto Mundo® reblooming azaleas Designed by southern plant breeders to perform in the heat, you w ..read more

Interested in adding window boxes to dress up your home’s curb appeal? We’ve got you covered with these window box ideas for summer. Here are some helpful planting and maintenance tips plus ten fun recipes to try this year. Window Box Gardening Tips Growing plants in window boxes is a lot like growing them in patio planters when it comes to design, planting, soil and fertilizing. We’ve covered all of those important topics in detail for you on our annual care page. Now, let’s look at a few more key items you will need to consider before you begin. Box Size – Bigger is better when it comes ..read more

One of the questions we receive most from home gardeners is how to grow and prune lavender. So, join us in learning everything you need to know about how to grow this classically fragrant perennial in your garden. We’ll cover when to plant, the best locations to grow it, how to prune and much more in this handy guide. Photo courtesy of Proven Winners In the plant world, many plants fit neatly into categories like annuals, perennials or shrubs. However, there are some that fall in a gray area, including lavender. Most people think of it as a perennial, but it could also be considered an e ..read more

Maybe you are new to gardening and wondering where to begin. Or, maybe you’ve been gardening for as long as you can remember and will relate to the gardening advice you read here. Either way, we bet you will pull a nugget or two of wisdom from this seasoned gardener’s column. After growing her own garden for more than twenty years and coaching others on how to garden for nearly as long, Susan has picked up a few gems to share. Author's garden. Photo courtesy of Susan Martin I was one of the lucky ones. Both my mother and father loved to work outside, and from the impressionable age of fou ..read more

We’re back with this year’s edition of Heidi and Rod’s Top 10 New Plants for 2024! They know a good plant when they see one and since they have the advantage of growing many of the new varieties before they are introduced, you’ll get to benefit from their experience. Let’s see who made the list for 2024. #1 – Supertunia® Saffron Finch™ Petunia What’s Heidi’s favorite new annual she trialed last year? Supertunia Saffron Finch petunia – the most vibrant yellow petunia she has ever seen or grown. It performed beautifully in the landscape at Garden Crossings last summer in full sun paired with ..read more

Meet the national plants of the year 2024! Each year, Proven Winners awards top prizes for their most exemplary annuals, perennials, shrubs and container recipes under the National Plants and Recipes of the Year program. This makes it easy for home gardeners like you to identify the very best plants in each plant category. If you are looking for a great place to start your wish list for the new season, this is it! Let’s take a closer look at the plants of the year 2024.  Annual of the Year™ – Supertunia Vista® Jazzberry® Petunia If you’ve been following along on our socials or Yo ..read more

Knowing your hardiness growing zone is important if you plan to grow trees, shrubs and perennials. We’ll walk you through exactly what a hardiness zone is, how to find yours, whether or not the new USDA map affects you, how to interpret zones on plant labels, and other factors that affect plants’ hardiness in this detailed article.   . Photo courtesy of Susan Martin If you are thinking about growing hardy plants like trees, shrubs and perennials in your yard, one of the first things you will need to know is what your hardiness zone is. Find your zone by entering your zip cod ..read more

Have you ever enjoyed a piece of art, wreath or bath salts that incorporated dried flowers and thought about drying your own? It’s an easy way to extend the use of the flowers and plants from your garden and bring nature inside. Let’s take a look at some types of plants you could be growing for this purpose, as well as a few tips on preserving them. Best Flowers for Drying Consider growing some of these flowers to harvest for drying for use in bouquets, crafts, making biodegradable confetti, potpourri and more. Baby’s breath Hydrangeas Yarrow Roses Lavender Globe amaranth Strawflower Pan ..read more

What a year it has been! 2023 was a gorgeous year in our expanded display gardens here at Garden Crossings in Zeeland, Michigan. With fairly moderate temperatures and decent rainfall, our plants flourished, creating a vibrant swathe of color across the front of our retail garden center. Let’s take a look back at ten of the most outstanding plants from our gardens this season. #1 – Supertunia Vista® Jazzberry® petunia This intense magenta-flowered petunia has been one of our favorites from the very first time we grew it, and it has been an extraordinary performer in our containers and land ..read more