Plant Profile: Candy Corn Plant (Cuphea micropetala)
Karen Native to Mexico, this tender evergreen or deciduous perennial shrub is often grown as an annual or houseplant. It is a member of the loosestrife family, Lytharaceae, that also includes…
Plant Profile: Rose Pink Perpetue
Vigorous, compact plants bear upright clusters of 5-7 flowers in flushes throughout the summer. The flowers are almost 3″ across and have short petals that are clear pink on their…
Plant Profile: Strawflower ( Xerochrysanum bracteatum aka Helichrysum brateactum)
Also called golden everlasting, this short-lived tender perennial or annual is native to Australia where it grows in grasslands. It is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also…
Book Review: Family
Family is a vegetarian cook book based on the belief that at the heart of every family there is a complex story of food. Chef and author Hetty McKinnon believes…
Plant Profile: Statice (Limonium sinuatum)
Also known as sea lavender, sea pink, and notch leaf marsh rosemary, this tender short-lived perennial is often grown as an annual, and is a member of the leadwort family,…
Edible Mushrooms: Plums and Custard (Tricholomopsis rutilans)
Found singly or in clumps from summer through fall, this plum-streaked fungi grows on stumps and logs in coniferous woodlands in the northern temperate zone including North America. It grows…
Plant Profile: Annual Baby’s Breath (Gypsophilia elegans)
A native of the Caucasus, this short lived annual is a member of the carnation family, Caryophyllaceae, that also includes pinks and campions. Plants grow 12-18″ tall, tend to branch…
Book Review: The Ultimate Guide to Urban Farming
Urban farming is not new but to many it is daunting and outside their comfort range. Nicole Faires shares her knowledge of the subject in her book, The Ultimate Guide…
Plants That Attract Beneficial Insects: Common Yarrow (Achillea millifolium)
A native of Europe this herbaceous perennial is widely distributed in the US growing in disturbed soil such as roadsides, old fields, and waste sites. The plants spread rapidly by…
Plant Profile: Larkspur (Consolida ajacis aka C. ambigua)
Also called doubtful knight’s spur and rocket larkspur, this cool weather annual is native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean. It is in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that also includes…