Book Review: Eat Fresh Food
Karen Considering how few moms cook for their family these days it is refreshing to see a cookbook designed to entice kids to get into cooking. Even better is the fact…
Garden Plants for Flower Arrangements: Lupine (Lupinus) Russell Hybrid
If you grow lupines in the US the chances are great that they are the Russell Hybrids. These herbaceous perennials are beautiful garden plants but don’t tolerate heat and humidity…
Plant Profile: Snowdrop Anemone (Anemone sylvestris)
Snowdrop anemone is an herbaceous perennial native to Asia and central and western Europe where it grows in meadows and dry deciduous woodlands. It is a member of the buttercup…
Botanical Latin: Boronia
Boronia (bor O’ ni a) From the name of Francesco Borone from Milan Italy who was hired by English Botanist J. E. Smith as a servant to collect plants with…
Plant Profile: California Blue Oak (Quercus douglasii)
Also known as mountain oak and iron oak, California blue oak is found only in California where it grows on dry slopes of the interior hills surrounding the Central Valley.…
Book Review: A Seed is Sleepy
A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston is an introduction to seeds and the life cycle of plants in a unique way that has a wide appeal. It combines…
Weeds and Their Control: Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris)
Also called wild chervil, this herbaceous biennial or short lived perennial is a native of Europe, western Asia and parts of Africa but is a common weed in parts of…
Plant Profile: Persian Onion (Allium aflatunense)
Persian onion is a bulbous perennial native to central Asia. It is a member of the amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae) that also includes agapanthus, daffodils, and snow drops. The fleshy, strap-shaped…
Abelmoschus for the Garden
Abelmoschus is a genus of annuals and herbaceous perennials native to tropical Africa, Asian, and northern Australia and belongs to the mallow family, Malvaceae, that also include cotton, hollyhock, and…
Plant Profile: Green Dragon (Arisaema dracontium)
Green dragon is an herbaceous perennial native to eastern North America where it grows in damp forests. It is a member of the arum family, Araceae, that also includes Jack…