Plant Profile: Smooth Phlox (Phlox glaberrima)
Karen This herbaceous perennial, also called marsh phlox, is a member of the Polemoniaceae family that also include Jacob’s ladder. It is native to midwesternand southeastern US from Maryland to Wisconsin,…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Crown Vetch (Securigera varia aka Coronilla varia)
Also called purple vetch, this herbaceous perennial is native to Europe, southwest Asia, and northern Africa but was introduced to North America in the 1950s and was used as a…
Plant Profile: Rocky Mountain Beard-Tongue (Penstemon stricta)
Rocky Mountain beard-tongue is a semi evergreen perennial native to western US from southern Wyoming and western Colorado to northeastern Arizona and northern New Mexico, with an isolated population in…
Book Review: The Imperfect Garden
In her book The Imperfect Garden, author Melissa Assaly presents a simple story with a big message. The story is about a mother and her young son who plant a…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus)
Bilberry , also called common bilberry or blue whortleberry, is a deciduous shrub with many branches. It is native to Europe including England, northern Asia, Greenland, Western Canada, and the…
Plant Profile: American White Water Lily (Nymphaea odorata)
Also known as fragrant water lily and beaver root, this aquatic deciduous perennial is a member of the Nymphaeaceae, a family of 75 species of aquatic plants including pond lilies.…
Diatomaceous Earth in the Garden
Diatomaceous earth is a a naturally occurring substance formed from fossilized diatoms, a single celled organism with an outer coating containing silica, the primary ingredient in glass. It has numerous…
Book Review: We are the Weather
Have you wondered why there is so much talk about climate change and its affects on people yet so little seems to be done about it? Author Jonathan Safran Foer…
Old Time Recipies for Homemade Wines: Damson Wine
Damsons are a type of plum that are especially good for wine making because of their distinctive rich flavor and high sugar and tannin content. The egg-shaped fruits are about…
Plant Profile: Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)
Dames rocket is a biennial or short-lived perennial known by a variety of names including dame’s violet, mother of the evening, and sweet rocket. It is a member of the…