cotinus ‘grace vs royal purple

The cotinus, or smoke bush, is an important shrub for the garden because it has bright fall colors and early flower plumes. Shrub expert Andy McIndoe advises on how to grow them. Photographs by Richard Bloom. Cotinus are big, hardy flowering shrubs that lose their leaves every year. They have pretty, round green, purple, or … Read more

Are Onions Good for Compost? The Truth About Adding Onions to Your Pile

  It’s beautiful how compost can turn organic matter that wouldn’t do anything else into plant food and garden soil improver. Almost any organic material, unless diseased or radioactive, can be added to the compost pile. There are a few restrictions, though, and even those may just need to be properly treated before being added … Read more