About this time last summer, I briefly mentioned a plant disease the gardeners and I were dealing with in the Minnetrista Boulevard planting bed. Called crown rot or southern blight, it was making quick work of hostas.

One year later, I wanted to write about it again, because guess what? We still have it and it is killing more hostas.

Behind The Orchard Shop at Minnetrista, there is a secret garden. Unassuming as it is, you might walk right past it. But take a closer look. This garden is bursting with food! And people! And…dogs? This is the Permaculture Demonstration Garden at Minnetrista, started in partnership with The Permaculture Initiative.

Ornamental grasses can bring height, texture, and color to your garden. They also provide food, shelter, and nesting material for birds and other wildlife. When you stop by your local plant seller, consider trying one of these.

The weather is warming, the days are longer, and the familiar sight of daffodil and tulip foliage emerging from their dormant rest is telling us it is spring! I’d say that this time of year, like no other, really gets the gardener motivated.

Did you know that some flowers begin growth in the winter? Spring ephemerals often start blooming before spring even arrives. Even now, with six inches of snow accumulation and a temperature of 14 degrees, winter aconite, scilla, , crocus, and many more are inching above ground, unfurling leaves, and producing flower buds. The best time to see these early beauties is approaching—they bloom from mid-March through April.

Large annuals may be just what you need in certain spots in the landscape. They can add some height to a flower garden. You can also get more for your money by filling up a large space with just a few plants. Large perennials, like grasses, could also be used for these purposes. These are great because they come back every year, but unlike annuals they take more than a year to reach their full size.