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 ...

Hybrid penstemons -- those plump, colorful bells with intricately patterned throats -- lap up all the sunshine July and August can muster and bloom through frost. Penstemons need excellent drainage ...

Penstemons have been valued for centuries, but it's only in recent decades that they've become more widely planted in Iowa gardens. Their common name is beardtongues because of the often-hairy stamen ...

When I moved to Grass Valley in 1992, I bought a house, which was surrounded by two acres of old overgrown manzanita. A fire trap to be sure. After hiring a brush-clearing firm, I was left with an ...

The appeal of penstemons is gentle and seductive and they add real richness without being dramatic plants. Many have a reputation for not being fully hardy but as long as they have good drainage most ...