Plants for a Mary Garden: Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)
Karen Native to woodlands in colder parts of Europe and Asia, this herbaceous perennial grows 6-12″ tall from a rhizomatous root system and often form large colonies. Each plant has one…
Plant Profile: Smooth Witherod (Viburnum nudum)
Also known as withe-rod, possumhaw, and wild raisin, this deciduous shrub is native to eastern North America where it lives in swamps, bogs, and low woods. It is a member…
Book Review: Self-Love Potions
Self-Love Potions by Cosmicvaleria (aka Valeria Kapusta) is a collection of herbal rituals and recipes aimed at enhancing one’s own happiness. Described as a witch and herbalist, the author brings…
Weeds and Their Control: Brazilian Jasmine (Jasminum fluminense)
Brazilian jasmine is an evergreen, climbing, woody vine and a member of the olive family, Olaceae, that also includes lilac, privet, and forsythia. It is native to tropical west Africa…
Plant Profile: Swamp Rose (Rosa palustris aka R. lancifolia)
This suckering deciduous shrub is native to eastern North America from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, south to Florida and west to Arkansas and Ontario where it occurs along stream…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Common Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris)
Also called Granny’s bonnet and European crowfoot, this herbaceous perennial is native to woodlands and meadows of Europe. It is a member of the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that also includes…
Plant Profile: Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
This mounding to rounded deciduous shrub is native to open woods, lakeshores, streambanks, rock outcroppings, and prairies in central and eastern US from New Brunswick to Ontario, south to Georgia…
Book Review: Mushroom Rain
Karen Meyers Laura K. Zimmermann’s book, Mushroom Rain, introduces young children to the life cycle of mushrooms. Using short lyrical sentences she begins with the sudden appearance of of mushrooms and follows…
Weeds and Their Control: Oxeye Daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum aka Leucanthemum vulgare)
Oxeye daisy is a rhizomatous perennial and belongs to the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes sunflowers, yarrow, and lettuce. It is native to Europe and Asia but was introduced…
Plant Profile: Common Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis aka Sambucus nigra subsp. canadensis)
Also called American elder, this deciduous shrub or small tree is native to North America east of the Rocky Mountains, south to Bolivia, where it usually grows in moist areas…