Don't be fooled by the chic look of the tassel-like blooms on Chinese fringe flowers (Loropetalum)! These plants are a wonderful choice for beginner gardeners, due to their low-maintenance nature.

Given the hard freeze of last week, many of us will be outside pruning our damaged tropicals. (For frozen landscape repair, see last week's column.) But while we're outside with the shears, there are ...