Plant Profile: Japanese Larch (Larix kaempferi)
Karen Japanese larch like other larches is a deciduous conifer. In spring the needle-like sea green foliage marked with two white bands appears on the pendulous brachlets turning dark green in…
Book Review: Greenhouse Gardener’s Companion: Growing Food and Flowers in Your Greenhouse or Sunspace
Working on assumption that growing plants in a greenhouse can be both good for the table and the spirit, Shane Smith present a vast amount of information about setting up…
Botany for Gardeners: Taxonomy of Dicots: Identification of the Parsley Family (Umbelliferae)
Also known as the Apiaceae and Umbelliferae, the parsley family consists primarily of herbaceous annuals, biennials, and perennials, and a few shrubs and trees. In addition to parsley, the family…
Plant Profile: Dove Tree (Davidia involucrata)
This small deciduous tree from China, also called the Handerchief Tree, is a treasure with its large creamy white flowers that droop from its branches in mid- to late-spring. The…
Gardens in Ancient Pompeii: The Peristyle
The houses of the wealthy ancient Pompeians usually were large and had many rooms organized around an open space. The open space was used as a garden and was surrounded…
Plant Profile: Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea )
This southeastern native provides year round interest for those living in areas where summers are hot and winters are cold. The foot-long wisteria-like clusters of fragrant flowers appear in late…
Book Review: Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History
Bill Law’s book, Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History is a great read for those who love plants and history. It is filled with interesting tidbits and morsels…
Weeds and Their Control: Crabgrass (Smooth, Digitaria ischaemum; large, Digitaria sanguinalis)
There are many kinds of crabgrass but the two that are the most prevalent in the United States are smooth crabgrass and large crabgrass. They are very similar in appearance…
Plant Profile: Golden hinoke cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Crippsii’)
This dense pyramidal conifer with feathery branchlets tipped with gold is not a cypress at all and is better called a false-cypress. Like other false cypress it prefers humid areas…
How to Choose Hydrangeas
The large flowerheads of hydrangea bring an old fashioned charm to a garden. The flowers may be white, pink, blue, or a shade of purple, they can be round or…