Book Review: Fanny in France
Karen Alice Waters, owner of the famous restaurant Chez Panisse and early advocate of organically grown,, fresh, local produce, shares the stories of the culinary adventures her daughter, Fanny, in France.…
Garden Plants for Flower Arrangements: Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii)
This herbaceous perennial is a sterile hybrid from N. racemosa and N. nepetella and although variable in habit is usually upright and billowy. The narrowly ovate leaves are 1.5 inches…
Plant Profile: Borago laxiflora (aka B. pygmaea)
This herbaceous perennial is native to Corsica and Sardinnia where it grows shady, rocky places and is particularly abundant after forest fires. It is a member of the borage family,…
Botanical Latin: Bidens
Bidens (BI’ dens) from Latin bis meaning two and Latin dens meaning tooth. Two teeth refers to the two sharp structures (pappi) on the fruit. The fruit is usually mistaken…
Plant Profile: Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
Pin oak, also known as swamp Spanish oak, is a deciduous tree native of Eastern and Central US where it grows in areas with moist acid soils such as floodplains,…
Book Review: Sun Drenched Gardens
The interest in the mediterranean style of gardening has been growing as water shortages have increased and made xeriscaping desirable or necessary. Mediterranean gardens have many appealing features and Jan…
Weeds and Their Control: Cat’s Ear (Hypochaeris radicata)
A native of North Africa, Europe, and Asia, this perennial weed is now widespread in the US where it grows in disturbed soil such as roadsides, pastures, and lawns. It…
Plant Profile: Russian Comfrey (Symphytum x uplandicum)
Russian comfrey is a natural hybrid from a cross between S. asperum and the herb, S. officinale. It is a member of the borage family, Boraginaceae, that also includes Virginia…
Adonis for the Garden
Native to Europe, Africa and Asia, Adonis is a genus in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that also includes anemone, delphinium, and hellebore. There are about twenty species but only a…
Plant Profile: Chinese Pistache (Pistacia chinensis)
Chinese pistacihe is a deciduous tree native to the Philippines, and central and western China where it is a popular garden plant. It is a member of cashew family, Anacardiaceae,…