Author Archives: roxannward_eplwpc

I first noticed euphorbias when I lived in England, and they struck me then as both handsome and quirky, but I never considered them again until I was working as a designer years later. One summer our wholesale grower listed a few different euphorbias as accent plants for the upcoming fall season. Those of usContinue reading “Handsome Euphorbias for the Southern Garden”

It’s February, and by the end of this month Southerners will be anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring. If you’re thinking about doing any type of gardening this year, now is a great time to pin down what you’d like to try. On these rainy, cold days we’re all daydreaming about doing something-anything-outdoors. If youContinue reading “Getting Started: Tips for New Gardeners Living in the South”

I’ve always liked the idea of a meadow filled with swaying grasses, sweetly-scented wildflowers, and humming insects. I’m drawn to the meadow-style plantings that remind me of the grasslands of the mid-west, where I once lived. I wonder if now that I live in the land of pine forests, I simply want what I can’tContinue reading “The Meadow Project”

The dark month of January is not a happy one for me, even in a normal year, and 2020 has left me feeling adrift, along with the rest of the world. This month we are passengers on our own tiny life rafts, clinging to the hope that 2021 represents, when life will perhaps begin toContinue reading “Good Things to Come”

So many homes in the South have back yards that are framed by woodland. When lots are cleared for housing, builders tend to leave existing trees in side yards and back yards, while carving out a space for that much sought-after lawn for children and pets. While most homeowners are focused on greening up theirContinue reading “Creating a Simple Woodland Garden”

My fellow plant-lover, If today finds you in a new home, looking out the window at a landscape planted by someone else, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed, and a little frustrated. Even if creating a garden at this new home is important to you, it will likely go on the back burner until you’ve taken downContinue reading “Starting Over: How to Keep Your Sanity While Planning a New Garden”

I fell hard for flowering shrubs during my first spring in the South. There is no doubt that the spring and summer borders of shocking-pink azaleas and voluptuous hydrangeas I saw around town led to my obsession with all things flowering. When I lived in the Midwest I was perhaps too preoccupied with the worriesContinue reading “Simple Pairings for Beautiful Blooms”

I’ve spent the last few years writing a book. In all honesty, this wasn’t something I set out to do. I never wanted to be a published writer, though I do have a degree in Journalism from a fine school, where I imagined I might have a career writing advertising copy. Like many who graduatedContinue reading “How an Idea Became a Book About Gardening and Happiness”

As Halloween came and went this year, I found myself considering the cast of creepy crawly things and four-legged nocturnal creatures that roam our gardens while we sleep. The sound of my metal compost bucket being turned over in the night no longer startles me. It is likely a possum, raccoon, or possibly a ratContinue reading “Snails, Slugs, and Things That Go Bump in the Night”

Most people would feel disappointment once they realize that part of their yard is a mud pit after a rainstorm. Not me. I like a challenge. After living in my new home for a year or so, I noticed that part of an unplanted border was consistently damp. Rain would puddle in this area andContinue reading “Designing with Plants that Like Wet Feet”