Plant Profile: Arrowwood (Viburnum dentata)
Karen Native to grasslands, woodlands, marshes, swamps and shores of rivers and lakes from Massachusetts south to Florida and west to Texas, this deciduous shrub is a member of the moschatel…
Plants for a Mary Garden: English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia aka L. officinalis) ” Mary’s Drying Plant”
Karen Meyers Lavender has been valued for its scent, flavor and medicinal properties since ancient times. Called nard in the Bible, it is most frequently associated there with its desirable fragrance. Mary…
Plant Profile: Creeping Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’)
This low growing, spreading evergreen shrub is a cultivar of a plant native to the Mediterranean and a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae, that also includes beebalm, basal, and…
Book Review: Katya’s Book of Mushrooms
Katya’s Book of Mushrooms, by Katya Arnold, is an introduction to mushrooms aimed at children 10-14 years old. It is not a a field guided intended for use in identifying…
Edible Mushrooms: Wood Blewit (Lepista nuda/Clitocybe nuda)
The wood blewit is native to Europe and North America where it is found mostly in autumn growing in the leaf and needle litter of deciduous and coniferous woodlands. It…
Plant Profile: Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella)
Also called firewheel and sundance, this hairy annual is native to northern Mexico and southern and central US from Arizona east to Florida, and the Carolinas and north to Nebraska…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Common Daisy (Bellis perennis)
Common daisy is often included in Mary gardens although it is most closely associated with Mary Magdalene rather than with the Virgin Mary. Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus’ most…
Plant Profile: Persian Stonecress (Aethionema grandiflorum aka A. pulchellum)
Persian stonecress is an evergreen rounded subshrub native to eastern Turkey, the southern Caucasus, and northern Iran where it grows on limestone slopes . It is a member of the…
Book Review: The Good Garden
Chris McLaughlin’s book, The Good Garden, outlines a sustainable approach to gardening that respects the long-term health of the environment and emphasizes biodiversity, conservation, and stewardship. The author covers all…
Weeds and Their Control: Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens pallida)
Also called, jewelweed, touch-me-not is an annual and a member of the balsam family, Balsaminaceae, that also includes busy lizzie. It is native to Canada and the US and grows…