Book Review: Chez Panisse Vegetables
Karen If you are a vegetable lover as I am, Alice Water’s book Chez Panisse Vegetables, will appeal. Known for her focus on fresh locally grown food, Water’s presents over 375…
Award of Excellence 2018: Miniature and Miniflora Roses
The American Rose Society has announced two selections for the Award of Excellcne among minature and miniflora roses. Eligible roses are evaluated for two years (three for climbers) growing in…
Plant Profile: Narrow-spiked Ligularia (Ligularia stenocephala)
and is closely related to Senico (ragworts and groundsels). It has light green heart-shaped to triangular one to two feet long leaves that have toothed margins and are carried on…
Botanical Latin: Abronia
Abronia (a BRO ni a) from the Greek word abros, meaning delicate The bracts beneath the flowers of this group of plants is delicate, giving them this generic name. Abronia…
Plant Profile: Moonshine Yarrow (Achillea x ‘Moonshine’)
‘Moonshine’ yarrow is a compact, clump-forming herbaceous perennial and member of the aster family, Asteraceae that also includes goldenrod, daisy, and lettuce. It is a hybrid between A. clypeolata and…
Book Review: The Creative Shrub Garden
There are many books written on mixed borers but few that focus on shrubs. Andy McIndoe fills this void with his book, The Creative Shrub Garden, that shows readers how…
Gardens of Maderia: Jardim de Sao Francisco and Jardim Sata Catarina, Funchal, Maderia
Madeira is known for its wine and flowers, and the capital city Funchal takes both seriously. A frequent stop for cruise ships, the city of Funchal dates back the 1505…
Plant Profile: Alpine Columbine (Aquilegia alpina)
A native of meadows in the Swiss Alps, this short lived perennial is a member of the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, and closely related to baneberry (Actaea spp.) and monkshood/wolfsbane (Aconitum…
Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra spp.) for the Garden
Bleeding hearts are one of the most popular plants for shade gardens. They belong to a genus composed of about twenty species of herbaceous perennials or annuals native to North…
Plant Profile: Snakeweed (Polygonum bistorta aka Persicaria bistorta)
Snakeweed is a clump forming herbaceous perennial native to Europe and western and central Asia where it grows near water and damp meadows. It is a member of the knotweed…