Plant Profile: Four-O’Clock (Mirabilis jalapa)
Karen Native to the dry tropical regions of North, Central, and South America, this herbaceous perennial, also known as marvel of Peru, is a member of the family Nyctaginaceae that also…
Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wine: Gooseberry Wine 2
Although my paternal grandmother, Helen S Wright, author of the book, Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wine (published in 1909), includes 8 recipes using gooseberries, she does not specify…
Plant Profile: Stinging Lupine (Lupinus hirsutissimus)
Native to dry rocky slopes of the coastal mountains of California and Baja California, this herbaceous annual is a member of the legume family, Fabaceae, that also includes beans, mimosa,…
Book Review: Flower School
Karen Meyers Calvert Crary’s book, Flower School, is a philosophical guide to flower arranging that urges the reader to take joy in the process of making arrangement and experiment often. The book…
Poisonous Plants: Pokeweed (Phytolaccaceae americana)
Pokeweed, also called inkberry and scoke, is a herbaceous perennial native to eastern United States, the Midwest, and the Gulf Coast where it grows in open woods, thickets and disturbed…
Plant Profile: Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus)
Also known as rock poppy, wartwort, tetterwort, nipplewort, and swallowwort, this herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial is native to Europe and western Asia but has been introduced as an ornamental…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Giant Bindweed (Calystegia silvatica ?)
A fresco in the House of the Golden Bracelet shows a vine with heart shaped leaves and white trumpet-shaped flowers. This plant has been identified by some scholars as a…
Plant Profile: Sky Lupine (Lupinus nanus)
Also known as field lupine, dwarf lupine, ocean-blue lupine and Douglas’ annual lupine, this native of western US grows on slopes and open or disturbed areas of California, Nevada, and…
Book Review: Celia Planted a Garden
Phyllis Root and Gary Schmidt introduce young readers to the life of Celia Laughton Thaxter, New England poet, artist, gardener, and nature lover, in their book, Celia Planted a Garden.…
Plants That Attract Beneficial Insects: Suckering Shadbush (Amelanchier canadensis)
Suckering shadbush is a deciduous, multi-stemmed large shrub or small tree native to eastern North America from Canada to Alabama. It is a member of the rose family, Rosaceae, that…