Spiders and their relatives may seem scary but they are fascinating animals and play an important role in our environment. Cathryn Sill’s non-fiction book, About Arachnids, introduces young children to spiders and their relatives: scorpions, mites, ticks, and harvestmen. Written for preschoolers up to grade 2 it describes the physical characteristics of all arachnids and then shows how various members of the group feed, move about, and take care of their young. [click to read full post]
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Named for the French king that ruled from 1830 to 1848 this rose is held in more regard than the king it’s named for. It has bright crimson flowers with yellow 
The thrush family includes the familiar robin and bluebirds as well as many birds called thrushes. They are small to medium birds with plump bodies, round heads, relatively long tails, strong bills,and legs and feet adapted for perching. The most colorful of the thrush is probably the bluebird, with the robin in second place, as most of the other thrushes are shades of brown, black and gray, sometimes spotted or barred. Some thrushes such as the wood thrush, hermit thrush, and veery, are known for their beautiful songs. Thrushes have a world-wide distribution and are common in the United States. Some like the American robin, hermit thrush, and Swainson’s thrush may be found across the country, while others like Townsend’s solitaire and varied thrush are found only in the West. Thrushes tend to be non-migratory but move around in their territory as the seasons change. They are insectivorous and enjoy beetles, ants, sowbugs, crickets and grasshoppers as well as spiders but also may eat worms, snails, slugs, salamanders, and berries. Although American robins and bluebirds often come out into the open most thrushes prefer the low dense cover that shrubs can provide. 
Also called tropical hibiscus, this evergreen perennial is a popular landscape plant in warm climates but also makes a good container plant in cool areas. The large shiny dark green leaves create a fitting background to show off the large colorful flowers in shades of white, pink, red, yellow, and orange. In cool climates the plants bloom in summer but in warm climates they bloom for most of the year. Each bell-shaped flower is four to eight inches wide and may have a single or double row of petals. Although a flower only lasts for a couple of days the plant blooms continuousy in warm weather if adequately fertilized and watered during the growing season. Where hibiscus are hardy they can be used as hedges, foundation plantings, or specimens, attractting butterflies and hummingbirds as well as adding a tropical note to any place they are planted. There are hundreds of cultivars varying in size, color, and number of petals. 
Alice Waters’ philosophy of using sustainable, seasonal, local ingredients and cooking them simply to produce delicious, healthful meals is very appealing. This concept underlies her book, In the Green Kitchen, that sets out the basic techniques of cooking with recipes employing these techniques. Waters’ idea is that once you learn the basic techniques of cooking by heart , you are freed from an over-dependence on recipes and the fear of improvisation. Although the target audience may be young people who grew up on pre-packaged and processed foods, there is something in the book for cooks of every skill level. 
The name only tells half the story. Yes, the plant does have a distinct skunk smell but its very large green leaves and bright yellow sheaths make it a knockout in the wet woods or swampy areas it calls home. Western skunk cabbage belongs to the Arum family and has the unique inflorescence typical of that family. The yellow sheath, called a 
Ornamental grasses that grow in clumps vary in form from stiff and upright to relaxed and floppy. When classifying grasses by form only the foliage is considered, not the flowering stems. Likewise, height is not a factor but the shortest grasses tend to be clumping while the tallest tend to be upright and arching. Most grasses can be classified in one of six groups but, of course, some grasses may fall somewhere in between. Varying the forms of the grasses planted together in the garden is one way of introducing variety into a planting and can add excitement and interest to the garden. 
A native of central America, this small semi-evergreen tree is widely grown around the world where it is found in parks, cemeteries, and temples. Its distribution in the United States, however, is confined to coastal Southern California, Hawaii, and southern Florida. Frangipani has a single trunk with fleshy branches of similar length that grow in a candelabrum-like shape. The thick tapered leaves are twelve to twenty-two inches long, seven inches wide, are pointed at the tip, and are produced in clusters at branch tips. The five-petaled waxy flowers are exceptionally fragrant and are produced in terminal clusters in spring before the leaves appear. They may be white, red, yellow, or pink but the form with white petals and a yellow center is the most widely planted. The fruits grow in pairs and are long leathery pods six inches in length. Frangipani is a good choice for use as a patio tree and in containers as well as in gardens, street plantings, and parks. High salt and drought tolerance makes it suitable for seaside planting. In Hawaii the flowers are used to make leis because of their high color and fragrance retention. The branches contain a poisonous sap. 
