Plant Profile: Bottle Tree (Brachychiton populneus)
Karen Commonly known as the kurrajong, this small to medium-sized evergreen tree is native to Australia where it grows in diverse habitats. It is member of the mallow family, Malveaceae, that…
Gardens in Art: Medieval Monastic Garden-St. Gall
The plan of St. Gall dates from 820-830 AD and showed an ideal Benedictine monastic compound including buildings and gardens for a total of 110 monks, 115 visitors, and 150…
Plant Profile: Scrub Oak (Quercus gambelii)
Also known as gambe oak, oak brush, and Rocky Mountain white oak, this deciduous small tree or large shrub is native to the foothills and lower mountains elevations of western…
Plant Profile: Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata)
This annual warm season herbaceous legume , also known as black-eye pea, southen pea, niebe, field pea, yardlong bean, and cowder pea, is probably native to west Africa where it…
Edible Mushrooms: The Off-White Parasol (Leucoagaricus leucothites)
With a world wide distribution including North America, the off-white parasol is found from summer to fall solitary, scattered, or in groups in disturbed areas such as roadsides, fields, meadows,…
Plant Profile: Silk Tree (Grevillea robusta)
Native to the eastern coast of Australia, this fast growing evergreen tree is also called southern silky oak, silver oak, and Australian silver oak. It is a member of the…
Herbaceous Perennials for Wall Gardens in Partial Shade
Plants that prefer good drainage are excellent subjects for inclusion in wall gardens especially if they are small so they can be tucked into crevices. The plants soften the look…
Plant Profile: Western Sand Cherry (Prunus besseyi)
This deciduous suckering, spreading shrub is native to the Northern Great Plains from Manitoba to Wyoming and Colorado, east to Minnesota and Kansas where it grows on sandy hills, rocky…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Lavender
Lavender belongs to the genus Lavendula that belongs to the mint family Lamiaceae and has thirty nine species. It is native to the Old World including the Canary Islands, southern…
Evergreen Vines for Shady Sites
Shady wall often offer cool moist conditions that sites in full sun do not. Some climbers can tolerate sun, some full shade, but few thrive in all three equally. Most…