Baptisias for the Garden
Karen Baptisia, also called false indigo, is a long lived herbaceous perennial and a member of the legume family (Fabeaceae) that also includes mimosa, lupine, and black locust. There are about…
Plant Profile: Angels’ Trumpets (Brugmansia suaveolens aka Datura suaveolens)
Also called angel’s tears, this tender perennial is a semi woody shrub or small tree and a member of the nightshade family, (Solonaceae) that also includes potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and…
Book Review: Designing with Plants
Piet Oudolf, a Dutch garden designer and nurseryman, is known for his naturalistic style of landscape design featuring herbaceous perennials and grasses. Designing with Plants explains his unique approach to…
Edible Alliums
Allium is a genus of herbaceous biennials or perennials in the amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae) with over eight hundred species, mostly native to the Northern Hemisphere. Some, like star of Persia…
Plant Profile: Empress Tree (Paulownia tomentosa)
Also known as princess tree and foxglove-tree, this flowering deciduous tree belongs to the Paulowniaceae family and is a native of central and western China but has is cultivated in…
Plant Combination: Meadow Sage (Salvia) ’East Friesland’ and Achillea ‘Beacon’
Beginning in early summer this dynamic combination lasts for weeks. The upright violet purple spikes of Salvia ‘East Friesland’ contrast with the large crimson red heads of Achillea ‘Beacon’ in…
Plant Profile: Black Mulberry (Morus nigra)
Black mulberry is a slow growing deciduous tree originally from southwestern Asia and a member of the mulberry family that also includes figs, Osage-orange, and banyan. It has wide spreading…
Book Review: Heaven is a Garden
Gardens traditionally have been said to be a piece of paradise for their owners but have you ever tried to create such a paradise for yourself? It is not easy…
Old Time recipes for Home Made Wine: Apricot Wine
My grandmother’s book, Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wines, written in 1909, contains recipes for making wine from all sorts of plant material from fruits and vegetables to herbs…
Plant Profile: Common Fig (Ficus carica)
Native to the Middle East and Asia this deciduous shrub or small tree is a member of the mulberry family, Moraceae, that also includes banyan, breadfruit, and Osage-orange. It grows…