Penstemons are one of the most useful and long-flowering of our garden plants: they hold no fascination for slugs, they shrug off the depredations of both drought and rain, and they are pretty happy ...

Penstemons are an incredibly reliable plant that are very easy to upkeep. You might notice that your penstemons start to develop new shoots over the coming weeks, ready for the summer. When should you ...

Dear Garden Coach: Can I prune my perennials, like salvias and penstemons? What about other semi-woody shrubs like California native sages and a shrub called cream bush. We cut off the brown flowers ...

Gardening with native plants means working with plants that need less supplemental water, less pruning and less amendments. July, August and September are typically dry in California. Caring for ...

Penstemons have long been a favourite plant of mine and I tend to use them in most garden plans I draw. And here's the reason. They are pretty, undemanding and repay you by the bucket load. Bucket ...

The summer solstice is still a month away, but the brief hot spell was certainly a reminder of what is ahead for the next few months. It is the time of the year when dragonflies emerge from their ...

Although May signals the start of the blooming season for numerous plants, it's also the time when we need to be a little ruthless and cut back certain varieties that have already flowered or are ...

Walking aound the garden at Sissinghurst today, it's the penstemons that really shine. I saw six varieties in full and abundant flower this morning – 'Evelyn', 'Sour Grapes' and 'Alice Hindley' in the ...

Dear Joan: I am often asked this question from late summer into early autumn. The Chinese refer to this time of year as the fifth season, or the time to transition from active to reflective. In the ...