Book Review: Zen Gardens: The Complete Works of Shunmyo Masuno
Karen Shunmyo Masuno, “wearing two pairs of straw sandals”, is both a Zen Buddhist priest and landscape architect. He has combined his talents and interest to design Zen gardens in both…
Butterflies in the Garden and How to Attract Them: Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
With a wing span of up to 6.3 inches the giant swallowtail is one of the largest butterflies in North America. It is found from southern Canada east of the…
Plant Profile: Chinese Gooseberry aka kiwi (Actinidia chinensis)
Closely related to camellias, Chinese gooseberry is a fine garden plant with its fragrant flowers and edible fruit. Although also known as kiwi, however, A. chinensis is not the same…
Botanical Latin: Acanthus
Acanthus (uh KAN thuhs) Latin form from Greek akanthos, meaning thorn or prickle Acanthus is used as the name for the family Acanthaceae composed mostly of perennial herbs and shrubs…
Plant Profile: Climbing Monkshood (Aconitum hemslehannum)
The slender stems of this climbing monkshood look especially well scrambling over medium sized shrubs. Indigo-violet flowers are produced in pendulous clusters with about seven flowers per cluster. Each flower…
Book Review: Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond Volume 2: Water-Harvesting Earthworks
Whether you live in the desert, the Pacific Northwest, the East or anyplace in between, the management of water resources is important and is becoming more so as demand increases.…
Bold Plants for the Garden
Every garden needs focal points and a few bold plants can fill the need. Focal points draw and direct the eye around the garden and help the visitor appreciate the…
Plant Profile: Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum var. heptalobum)
There are many beautiful Japanese maples and this is one of them. With its elegant form and superb autumn coloration it is a fine choice for a courtyard, cottage garden,…
Birds in the Garden: Plants that Attract the Kinglet Family (Regulidae)
This small family of birds consists of just one genus with six species, two of which are found in the United States: the ruby-crowned kinglet and the golden-crowned kinglet. Both…
Plant Profile: Rosa ‘Old Blush’
‘Old Blush’ is a memorable rose as it was the source of the gene for continuous bloom in modern roses. Grown in China for at least 1,000 years, it was…