Weeds and Their Control: Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)
Karen Bull thistle is a biennial weed common in Europe and Asia. It was introduced into North America in the 1800s and has naturalized all over the United States including Hawaii…
Plant Profile: Macedonian Pine (Pinus peuce)
A native of the mountains of Yugoslavia, Albania, and Greece, this evergreen tree is popular in Scandinavia due to its cold tolerance and adaptability. It grows consistently and slowly, and…
How to Care for Bonsai: Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides)
Few plants offer the delicious fragrance of a gardenia when it blooms. It doesn’t take many flowers to fill a whole room with the sweet scent so one small plant…
Plant Profile: Incense Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens)
An evergreen native of the Pacific-northwest, California and western Nevada incense cedar is an excellent ornamental tree that can be used in the garden to add a stately ambiance even…
Book Review: Covering Ground
You may think of ground covers being plants of last resort for planting in waste areas where nothing else will grow but that is not necessarily the case. Author, Barbara…
Holiday Roses: Thanksgiving
Roses at Thanksgiving can be beautiful additions to holiday arrangements especially those with an apricot or copper color. There are many beautiful roses available in the appropriate shades but how…
Plant Profile: Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)
This medium-sized evergreen tree native to China and Japan is an attractive ornamental dual purpose tree with edible fruit. It has large prominently veined leaves that are dark green on…
Hanukkah or Thanksgiving?
This year the beginning of Hanukkah falls on November 28, the same day as Thanksgiving. Hanukkah, also called the Festival of Lights and Feast of Dedication, is an eight day…
Plant Profile: Rosa ‘Lavaglut’
One of the top floribundas for exhibition, ‘Lavaglut’ has deep red flowers with 24-30 petals. The flowers are produced in clusters of 10-20 and open flat so that the golden…
Book Review: Planting the Dry Shade Garden
As any gardener knows, a dry shady area is the most difficult site to grow plants. The lack of both light and moisture combine to inhibit plant growth and produce…