Interest in native plants, such as Coreopsis, continues to surge as gardeners realize their benefits. Breeders respond with a dizzying array of new cultivars, but which one is right for you? A research report issued in December 2015 by Mt. Cuba Center can help you decide. They trialed 67 different varieties of perennial coreopsis over a three-year period, and after speaking with George Coombs, research horticulturist at Mt. Cuba Center, it’s clear that only the toughest survived.

To every flower there is a season. As winter breathes its last breath, the spring bulbs put on a show of color that gardeners and non-gardeners alike welcome as much as the warmer temperatures. The bright yellows, purples and reds of daffodils, tulips and other ephemerals carry us into early summer, when a whole new wave of color greets us ...

Primrose, cowslip, oxslip — no matter what you call them, these old-fashioned favorites are easy-to-grow early spring bloomers. Here a few to consider for your own shady garden.