Plant Profile: Pomegranate (Punica granatum)
Karen A native Iran and Iraq, the pomegranate is a deciduous tree or shrub that has been grown since ancient times and is widely cultivated for the juicy seeds of its…
Book Review: Just Weeds: History, Myths, and Uses
Don’t like weeds? Perhaps you need an attitude adjustment and Pamela Jones’ book Just Weeds is just the thing to help you. Jones does not regard weeds as the scourge…
Weeds and Their Control: Spiny Sowthistle (Sonchus asper)
A native of Europe, spiny sow thistle is a common annual weed throughout the United States. It thrives in sun and can be found in gardens, lawns, pastures, and waste…
Plant Profile: Persimmon (Diospyros kaki)
Grown in China for over 2000 years, the persimmon is a popular small deciduous tree grown in California for its sweet fruit and beautiful fall coloration. There are two types…
Saturnalia: Christmas in the Time of Julius Caesar and his Friends
The title of this post is misleading; Caesar and his friends lived decades before the birth of Christ so could not have celebrated it. But they did celebrate a festival…
Plant Profile: New South Wales Christmas Bush (Ceratopetalum gummiferum)
A native of southeastern Australia, this Christmas bush is a small tree or tall shrub that has bright carmine red flowers at Christmas time in its native land. Like poinsettas,…
Book Review: Weeding Without Chemicals
If you garden you have weeds and know the aggravation of trying to eliminate them. A weed, of course, is a plant in the wrong place so yesterday’s treasure might…
Weeds and Their Control: Common Vetch (Vicia sativa)
Common vetch is climbing annual vine brought to North American from southern Europe as a covercrop but has since escaped and become a troublesome weed in shrub and perennial beds…
Plant Profile: Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles speciosus)
A native of China, flowering quince, was widely grown for in this country and Europe in hedges for many years until they were replaced by Japanese barberry which was more…
Christmas Butterfly (Papillon demodocus)
The Christmas butterfly is a swallowtail native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is also known as citrus butterfly because of the damage it does to citrus crops, and as orange dog…