Shakespeare’s Garden: Parsley
Karen Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is a biennial native to the Mediterranean area. It grows wild from Sardinia east to Lebanon but is cultivated throughout the temperate zones. It belong to the…
Plant Profile: Rose Fourth of July
Known in England as ‘Crazy for You’ , Fourth of July ‘bears clusters of five to twenty red and white splashed flowers with attractive golden stamens. The flowers are crimson…
Book Review: American Grown
In her book, American Grown, Michelle Obama details her experience establishing a kitchen garden on the White House’s South Lawn in an attempt to start a national conversation about the…
Growing Plants From Seeds: Melons (Cucumis melo)
Muskmelon, honeydew, Crenshaw, casaba, cantaloup, Persian melon Christmas melon, and Armenian cucumber (not really a cucumber) are all varieties or cultivars of Cucumis melo and can cross with each but…
Plant Profile: Cushion Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila muralis)
Cushion baby’s breath, also called low baby’s breath, is an annual native to Europe, Asia and North Africa where it grows in disturbed sites such as meadows, fields, and roadsides.…
Garden Plants for Flower Arrangements: Love-Lies-Bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus)
Also known as tassel flower, this annual is native to India, Africa, and Peru, and a member of the Amaranth family (Amaranthaceae), a diverse family that also includes beets, spinach,…
Book Review: Because of an Acorn
Introducing children to ecology when they a young is a very good thing and Lola Schaefer’s book, Because of an Acorn, is a good way to do it. The author…
Earth-Kind Roses: Old Garden Roses
Old garden roses are those types that existed prior to 1867 when the first hybrid tea, ‘La France’ was introduced. These roses were generally extolled for their form and fragrance…
Plant Profile: Blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida aka Cercidium florida)
This small deciduous tree to large shrub is native to the Sonoran desert of southeastern California, Arizona, and Mexico where it grows in intermittent streams, arroyos, and riverbanks. It is…
Beneficial Insects and How to Attract Them: Minute Pirate Bugs
Minute pirate bugs are predatory insects belonging to the Anthocoridae family. There are up to six hundred species worldwide of which about seventy species occur in North America. Most are…