Astilbe has long been a staple in my shade garden. They are so striking when they bloom, with their tall plume-like flowers in delicious shades of pink, red and white. Their feathery tops contrast strikingly against broad leaved shade garden classics like hosta, bergenia, ligularia, and Solomon’s seal. Before and after blooming, their fern-like foliage…

If you have a damp garden or a pond and you want a plant with impact, you cannot do better than ligularia. Several species of ligularia grow well in the North, providing interest with their large, kidney-shaped leaves and tall spikes of yellow flowers. Ligularia bloom for several weeks in the mid to late summer, but…

This article on our MSHS gardening webinars originally appeared in the July/August issue of Northern Gardener. To help our members grow as gardeners, MSHS has been offering more digital classes than ever before. In fact, hundreds of new and experienced gardeners have taken advantage of our free and reduced price gardening webinars during the past…