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Here's what's new to plant and use in the garden
Saturday, May 13, 2006

Ball Horticultural Co.

'Rosy Dawn' Easy Wave petunias can add color to this year's garden beds.

Compiled by Susan Banks
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Few gardens ever remain the same. Plants spread, reseed themselves in a new spot or die, making room for something new. If you're in search of the perfect replacements, local nurseries and garden centers are happy to oblige. Here are some ideas:

'Rosy Dawn' Easy Wave petunias look great in containers or in garden beds.
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Bedner's Greenhouse, 315 Coleman Road, McDonald. 724-926-2541 . Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat., Sun.

New and interesting plants: Daylily 'Rosy Returns'; Brunnera 'Looking Glass'; 'Double Knockout' rose; Nicotiana 'Perfume Deep Purple'; Begonia 'Baby Wing Pink'; Easy Wave petunia 'Rosy Dawn'; Penstemon 'Phoenix' series.

Also, antiques used for containers and water-absorbent polymers to reduce watering.

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Beechwood Garden Center, 510 Maryland Ave., Shadyside. 412-363-1901 . Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun.; Closed Mon.

Specializes in locally grown annuals, perennials and herbs. Hanging baskets, perennials, shrubs and trees. Also, unique pottery, furniture and organic products.

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Best Feeds, 1410 Wildwood Road, North Park, 412-487-5802 ; 2105 Babcock Blvd., Ross, 412-822-7777 . Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun.

Arborvitae fern (Selaginella involvens) -- clumps of dark green fanlike foliage, resembles a small conifer; hosta 'Stained Glass' -- 2-inch-wide green margin, sun-tolerant with fragrant lavender flowers; Acer palmatum 'Orangeola' -- weeping Japanese maple with lacy, dissected leaves; magnolia 'Edith Bogue' -- Southern magnolia with evergreen glossy foliage, suitable for northern climes; echinacea 'Sunrise' -- new coneflower with light lemon yellow flowers; hibiscus 'Copper King' -- maple-cut purple bronze foliage and white flowers that can be 12 inches across.

Other products include Motomoco mole killer, retail-size Alliette to control Phytophthora on rhododendron and Pythium in turf and ornamentals; and Sucker Stopper.

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Brenckle's Greenhouse, 3814 Mt. Troy Road, Reserve. 412-821-2566. Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Daily; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sun.

Annuals: yellow geranium 'Sunrise'; Calibrachoa 'Minifamous Pink,' 'Superbells Plum,' 'Callie' and 'Rose Star'; Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost'; Oxalis 'Charmed Velvet'; Supertunias 'Vista Fuschia' and 'Bubble Gum'; Diascia 'Whisper Pumpkin'; Petunia 'Wave Double Blue Velvet'; three new Angelonia colors; snapdragon 'Sugarplum'; Verbena 'Wildfire'; Calitunia (petunia and calibrachoa cross); Ageratum 'Island Mist' -- tall with purple flowers.

Also, 40 varieties of tomatoes, including hybrids and heirlooms; 30 varieties of peppers; cucumbers and herbs; wide selection of perennials; huge planted hanging baskets and patio pots; garden ornaments, fertilizer and potting soil.

Fleuroselect
'Double Click' cosmos are one of the many new selections available this year in local garden beds.
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Franklin Nursery, 2437 Rochester Road, Franklin Park. 412-366-8765. Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun.; Closed Monday.

'Cameo' quince; 'Mellow Yellow' spirea; 'Purple Emperor' 'Peacock' and 'Adonis Blue' butterfly bushes; 'Double Knock Out' rose; Sambucus 'Black Lace'; 'Climbing White Eden' rose; Limbar pine; Japanese umbrella pine; Chamaecyparis crippsi; 'Bizon Blue' spruce; Weeping Camperdown elm; 'Jack Frost' Brunnera; 'Purple Smoke' Baptisia; and 'Amber Wave' Heuchera.

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Friday's Perennials, 372 Locust Hill Road, Cheswick. 412-828-8250 . Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily except Tues.; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tues.; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m Sat.; Closed Sunday.

Heucheras: 'Peach Flambe' -- red-stemmed coralbells with glowing peach foliage that turns plum-purple in autumn; 'Hollywood' -- purple leaves with a silver overlay and dense coral spikes spring through summer.

Rodgersia 'Chocolate Wings' -- shrub-size perennial with bold, quilted leaves for the moist shade garden. Hosta 'Deja Blue' -- smallish blue hosta with yellow margins and creamy lightning-bolt variegation. Buddleia 'Santana' -- 6- to 8-foot-tall butterfly bush with variegated green and yellow foliage and purple-red blooms.

Echinaceas: 'Twilight' -- rose-red with an unusual deep cone; 'Fragrant Angel' -- large white blooms in summer.

Alstroemeria 'Glory of the Andes' -- variegated form of 'Sweet Laura' hardy Peruvian lily.

Cimicifuga 'Black Negligee' -- lacy, almost black foliage on dark stems with arching bottle-brush flowers of fragrant purple-tinged white.

Sedum 'Purple Emperor' -- dark reddish-purple foliage and a semi-upright habit.

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Gala Rhododendron, 6179 William Flynn Highway, Richland. 724-444-0944 . Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun. Magnolias: 'Jon Jon' -- huge white flowers; 'Elizabeth' and 'Yellow Bird' -- creamy yellow flowers.

Variegated dogwood (Cornus controversa variegata); 400 varieties of Japanese maple; unusual conifers, including tall green and gol d Chamaecyparis such as Kosteri fast form, gracilis and aurea; and many dwarf spruce, pine and hemlocks.

Rhododendrons: early-blooming pink yakushimanum varieties 'Ken Janeck' and 'Fantastica'; yellow and pink 'Percy Wiseman'; yellow 'Capistrano'; and mid-May-blooming 'Solidarity' (pink), 'Hachmann's Charmant' (white and pink picotee) and 'Sefton Purple.'

The new shade of zinnia 'Zowie Yellow Flame' is a 2006 All-America selection winner.
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Gardener's Eye, Hartwood Towne Center (at Harts Run Road and Saxonburg Boulevard), Indiana Township. 412-487-7802 . Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat. ( Opens May 16.)

Sculptural ORE fire pits; architect-designed birdhouses; copper garden lights; metal garden sculpture; art glass ornaments for the garden; English garden troughs; elegant Italian urns; French bistro sets in playful colors; unique and exciting children's gardening gear.

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Hahn Nursery, 5443 Babcock Blvd. Ross. 412-635-7475 . Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sat.; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun.

Pharm Solutions -- insecticide soaps with meticides and fungicides in six fragrances.

Pennkoted Penn State Grass Seed -- Penn State mix with a protectant coating to increase root growth, protect against fungus and make seed less attractive to birds.

Organic Preen -- corn gluten-based, stops weeds in vegetables.

Cepia power sprayers that run on AA batteries and H. Potter garden lanterns.

Garden art: Whimsy sticks -- 3- to 4-foot high sticks in brilliant colors and jewels to add a whimsical touch to the landscape; Sugar Post -- ladybugs and turtles made from Army helmets, nuts and bolts and salvage yard scrapes; Clifford Fredericks -- local artist who makes unusual contemporary fountains and benches that are functional works of art; Geeky Beeks -- colorful metal creatures of all sizes that move with the wind.

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Home Depot, 20 Pittsburgh-area stores.Hours may vary slightly, but most are open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mon.-Sat; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sun.

Viva SunPatiens -- Impatiens that thrive in full sun and high heat, available in orange, white, purple and red.

Viva Veggies -- 'Old Time Tasty' heirloom tomato offering exceptional taste and modern disease resistance. Container tomatoes 'Bush Champion,' 'Health Kick' and 'Sugary.'

Vigoro products:

Dumping garden cart -- features easy unloading and a durable rust-proof plastic bed that can haul up to 600 pounds and can dump 300 pounds.

Premium mulch with weed stop.

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Hothouse Landscape & Water Gardening, 24 Hothouse Lane, Washington, Pa. 724-222-6739 . Hours: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wed.-Sun; closed Mon. and Tues.

Tree faces; Large-sized koi; Koi Castles fish heron protectors; 'Black Beauty' waterlily; algae fix combo pack; pressurized pond filters with UV clarifiers; mosquito killer; four-tiered grand cast stone water fountains; large trees.

Ball Horticultural Co.
Three new shades of Angelonia will hit the stores this spring. The 'Serena' series is sure to brighten up containers or flower beds.
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Iannetti's Garden Center, 728 Steubenville Pike, Burgettstown. 724-729-3500 . Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat., Sun. Perennials: Dianthus 'Firewitch'; New Music series of astilbes; Viola 'Silver Samurai'; more than 20 varieties of hosta; Heucheras 'Peach Flambe' and 'Obsidian'; sweet pepper 'Carmen.'

Shrubs: dwarf Weigela; dwarf crabapples; Hydrangeas 'Endless Summer' and 'Lady in Red.'

Also, pottery from Masart in Mexico.

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Kaelin Farm Market and Greenhouse, 2546 Brandt School Road, Franklin Park, 724-935-6780 . Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat., Sun.

Garden Meister fuchsia; Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost'; Dahlia 'Matisse'; Elephant ears .

Perennials Brunnera 'Jack Frost' and Fiber Optic grass. Also, annuals and hanging baskets.

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Norris Nursery, 1140 Pittsburgh Road, Middlesex. 724-898-2732 . May hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Hours change in later in the season.

'Covey' weeping redbud -- extremely hardy weeping redbud with pink flowers and green leaves.

'Royal Frost' clump birch -- burgundy leaves that turn yellow-orange and red in fall, borer-resistant.

Winter hardy peach trees developed in Michigan. Varieties 'PF-7' and 'Allstar' selected for flavor, good storage and disease resistance and few split seeds.

'Sun Spire' magnolia -- very narrow upright form with spectacular large deep yellow fragrant flowers.

'Jeans Dilly' Alberta spruce -- shorter tree with thinner needles than 'Conica,' very slow grower.

'Dooley' hydrangea -- flowers on old and new wood, 6-inch mops of blue/pink flowers.

'Red Hot Returns' daylily -- first hardy red multiple repeater, 5-inch flower; 'Romantic Returns' daylily -- coral/rose with a lemon-cream throat, repeat bloomer.

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LMS Nursery & Greenhouse, 3312 Wagner Road, Hampton. 412-767-7020 . Hours: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; noon to 5 p.m. Sun.

Perennials: Corydalis 'Blackberry Wine'; Echinacea 'Sunrise' and 'Sunset'; Sedum 'Black Jack.'

Annuals and bedding plants: Athens Select Ruellia 'Ragin Cajun'; Millet 'Purple Baron'; Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost.'

Trees and shrubs: 'Forest Pansy' and 'Lavender Twist' redbud; 'Endless Summer' and 'Limelight' hydrangeas; Physocarpus (Ninebark) 'Diablo'; four varieties of 'Knock Out' roses; Sambucus 'Black Lace'; and Seven Son Tree (Heptacodium).

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North Hills Water Gardens, 1615 Babcock Blvd., Ross. 412-821-6525 . Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat.; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun. 4195 Old William Penn Highway, Monroeville. 412-666-0199 . Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat.; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun.

Dancing fountains; hardy and tropical aquatic plants; water lilies; concrete and resin fountains; pond supplies; koi and goldfish; floating planters; floating pond foggers; underwater lighting and garden statuary.

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Penny Pinchers Perennials, 3575 Beck Road, Butler. 724-287-3472 . Hours: May hours, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily; June hours, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

Asiatic lilies 'Dordogne' and 'White Stargazer'; more than 50 varieties of daylilies; Echinacea 'Sunrise' and 'Sunset'; Gaillardia 'Fanfare'; more than 25 types of hosta, including 'Island Charm,' 'Mama Mia,' 'First Frost' and Amber Tiara.'

Ferns 'Brilliance,' 'Silver Falls,' 'Branford Beauty,' 'Painted Lady' and Japanese painted fern.

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Plant It Earth, 4 miles from Homer City, off Route 119. 724-479-0808 . Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon.-Sat. (Open house on May 21, from noon to 5 p.m.)

'Heaven's Gate' coreopsis with 10- to 12-inch tall pink flowers.

Echineca 'Sunrise' (yellow) and 'Sunset' (rusty orange).

Geranium 'Hocus Pocus' -- dark purple-leaved with lavender flowers.

Helenium 'Double Trouble' -- first double Helenium with a bright yellow flower. 'Chelsey' -- also a double but the flower has a brown center with orange petals, fringed with yellow.

Hemerocallis 'Rosy Returns' -- pink repeat bloomer.

Hibiscus 'Bordeaux' -- hardy in this zone and grows to a height of about 3 feet with large blossoms.

Phlox 'Natural Feelings' -- flowers that resemble statice, in muted shades of lavender.

Polemonium 'Stairway to Heaven' -- variegated pink-tinged foliage with pale blue flowers.

Also, 75 varieties of tomatoes, including 'Pineapple,' 'Sun Gold,' 'Porter's Pride' and 'Polish Linguisa.' Fifty varieties of peppers, including colored bells and 'Inferno,' the pepper that seems to have replaced 'Hungarian Hot.'

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Plumline Nursery, 4151 Logan Ferry Road, Murrysville. 724-327-6775 . Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat.; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun.

Fifty varieties of Japanese maples, including upright growers with lime-green foliage, 'Shishigashira' and 'Orangeola,' a weeping cut-leaf variety.

Wilsoni rhododendron -- pink/lavender flowers, dwarf to low grower.

Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Boyko's Sundown Gold' -- golden weeping Alaskan cedar. Picea glauca pendula -- narrow and tall weeping white spruce. Microbiota decussata -- a standard that makes a soft, lovely green topiary.

Leptodermis oblongata -- woody shrub that blooms all summer with purple flowers that attract butterflies. Four colors of Scotch Broom. Several types of larches, including weeping, upright and standards.

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Reilly's Garden Center, 1120 Roosevelt Road, Ohio Township. 412-364-8270 . Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun.

Ornamental 'Black Pearl' pepper -- remains bushy and compact with black foliage. Peppers are edible but very hot.

Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' -- heat- and drought-tolerant, low maintenance and continuous bloom.

Percallis 'Senetti Blue Bicolor' -- blue daisy-like flowers, excellent for spring containers.

Easy Wave 'Rosy Dawn' petunia -- ruffled edge and contrasting throat, carefree and will spread 2 to 3 feet.

Zinnia 'Zowie Yellow Flame' -- very intense bi-color with a scarlet-rose center and yellow edges.

Angelonia 'Serena Purple' -- good for hot and humid or dry conditions, blooms continuously with no dead-heading.

Crossandra 'Orange Marmalade' -- ever-blooming tropical-like plant. Needs some shade but can tolerate heat and humidity.

Schizanthus 'Treasure Trove' -- good for spring conditions, flourishes in cool weather.

Cosmo 'Double Click' mix -- pink, white and carmine double flowers.

Sestili Nursery, 3721 Swinburne St., Oakland. 412-681-1200 . Hours: May and June 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sun.

Spiraea 'Pink Parasols' -- large, fluffy pink, umbrella-like blooms that cover a mounding shrub in June. Turns a nice orange in fall.

Syringa laciniata -- 6 to 8-foot lilac with serrated, mildew-resistant leaves, fragrant.

Syringa julianae 'Hers' -- 5 to 7-foot lilac with small delicate leaves, fragrant mauve flowers and gently weeping habit.

Hedera helix 'Max's Special' -- unique form of English ivy, rich textured groundcover discovered in Pittsburgh by Max Sestili.

Seven Son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides) -- white fragrant flowers open in September, light tan exfoliating bark that provides winter interest.

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Sewickley Creek Greenhouses (formerly Brookside), 2639 Big Sewickley Creek Road, Franklin Park. 724-935-8500 . Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun.

A huge selection of colors in geraniums and of annuals in 41\u20442-inch pots; Hibiscus trees, bushes, palms and ferns; clay, ceramic and cast iron pots; birdbaths, arbors, trellis and window trays.

Soergel's Garden Center, 2573 Brandt School Road, Franklin Park. 724-935-2090 . Hours: 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat., Sun.

Sun-tolerant coleus 'Molten Lava,' an orange red, and 'Kiwi Fern,' green-edged with red.

Sweet Caroline series of sweet potato vines -- more compact habit, good for use in window boxes.

'Intensia Cabernet' phlox; Agastache 'Acapulco Salmon and Pink.'

Wide selection of pots and garden ornaments. Also, Pennsylvania Pride trees and shrubs that are guaranteed for three years.

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Stonebridge Farm, 2 Merriman Road, Ambridge. 724-266-7312 . Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun.

Black and gold nasturtiums in 2-inch pots or hanging baskets (Go Steelers!); white heliotrope; 'Black and Blue' salvia; 'Pink Parfait' verbena; Alternathera 'Red Threads'; 'Gardenmeister' fuschia (upright and tall with cylindrical red flowers); Begonia 'Dragon Wing.'

Phlox 'Tapestry' -- tall with a mix of colors and heavy fragrance; Castor beans; Cosmos 'Pied Piper Red' and 'Sonata' mix.

Silver colorations: 'Silver Shield' plectranthus; Centauria 'Colchester White'; and big leaf Centaura 'Cirrus' and some Eucalyptus standards. Also, scented geraniums such as 'Lime,' 'Chocolate,' 'Variegated Rose' and 'Lemon.'

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Sylvania Natives, Ira Way, Squirrel Hill. 412-421-8551 . Hours: noon to 5 p.m. Sun.-Fri.; closed Tues. and Sat.

Natives for dry shade: Downy skullcap (Scutellaria incana) deep blue flowers; Creeping ground mint (Meehania cordata); Spikenard (Aralia racemosa), large heart-shaped leaves and colored berries in the fall; Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), season-long cut-leafed foliage with arching foot-long flower spikes in July.

Shrubs: Steeplebush (Spirea tomentosa) rose-pink flowers; Meadowsweet (Spirea alba) white to very pale pink flowers; American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) twining vine with red-orange berries in the fall.

Full sun natives: Tassle rue (Trauvetteria carolinensis) white flowers in June and large umbrella-like cut foliage. Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis) vibrant purple flowers; Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) clouds of small white flowers.

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Urban Gardener, 1901 Brighton Road, North Side. 412-323-GROW . Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thurs.; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun.

Annuals: Anagalis 'Cinnamon' -- long-blooming pink blossoms, spicy fragrance and trailing habit. Spreading angel wing begonia), -- arching habit with deep pink and white flowers; great for containers. Hebe speciosa 'Variagata' -- bright magenta flowers that fade to lavender, does well in sun to part shade.

Trees and shrubs: Franklin tree (Franklinia alatamaha) -- shiny dark foliage, large camellia-like flowers August through October. Seven son flower (Heptacodium miconioides) -- tall arching shrub or small tree with fragrant white flowers. Hydrangea 'Penny Mac' -- blooms on new and old wood, clear blue flowers. Quercus robur 'Fastigiata' -- a narrow oak for the city, grows to 40 feet high but only 15 feet wide. Taxodium distichum 'Cascade Falls' -- spectacular weeping cypress, can be trained up a stake, will arch to the ground.

Perennials: Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) -- groundcover for part shade, shiny dark leaves, red flowers and edible berries. Geranium dalmaticum -- full sun to part shade, mound of glossy, rounded foliage, pink flowers in late spring. Symphytum grandifolium 'Goldsmith' -- foliage plant for part shade, hanging clusters of pale blue, pink or cream tubular flowers, gold and cream-edged dark green leaves. Hostas 'Sun Power' and 'Aureomarginata' -- irregular gold margins. Tricyrtis hirta 'Moonlight' -- chartreuse foliage with lilac flowers, thrives in part shade.

Also, garden artwork from the Pittsburgh Glass Center.

First published on May 13, 2006 at 12:00 am
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