Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wine: Tomato Wine
Karen Tomato wine has been around from the mid 1800s but has never been very popular. Although it resembles white wine in aroma and taste it is also rather acidic which…
Plant Profile: Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus)
Also called monk’s pepper, chaste tree is a sprawling deciduous shrub and a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae, that also includes basil, deadnettle and ajuga. It is native to…
The Language of Flowers: Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus aka Althea frutex)
Rose of Sharon is a vigorous deciduous flowering shrub growing 8-10’ tall and is a member of the mallow family, Malvaceae ,that also includes okra, cotton, coffee, and hollyhock. It…
Plant Profile: Small Flowered Foxglove (Digitalis parviflora)
A native of the mountains of northern Spain, this short-lived herbaceous perennial is a member of the plantian family, Plantaginaceae, that also includes snapdragon, turtlehead, and Veronica. A basal rosette…
Book Review: The Clean Energy Age
In his book The Clean Energy Age author BF Nagy brings together the research and experience of hundreds of experts who have been involved in solving the problem of climate…
Poisonous Plants : Castor Bean (Ricinus communis)
Castor bean is native to Africa, Middle East and India but has naturalized all over the world in subtropical and tropical areas where it can be found in disturbed areas…
Plant Profile: European Cranberry (Viburnum opulus var. opulus)
European cranberry is a large deciduous suckering shrub and a member of the moschatel family, Adoxaceae, a small family of flowering plants that includes viburnums and elders. It is native…
Plant Combination: Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) and Threadleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis verticiliata)’ Zagreb’
Heat up a sunny border in mid-summer with this sizzling combination of yellow and orange. The coreopsis is a golden yellow that seems to shine with inner warmth. The butterfly…
Plant Profile: California Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium californicum)
California lady’s slipper is a herbaceous perennial and a member of the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is native to the mountains of northern California and southwestern Oregon where it grows…
Plant Profile: Choke Cherry (Prunus viginiana)
Growing 20-30 ‘tall, choke cherry is a deciduous suckering shrub or small tree and a member of the rose family, Rosaceae, that also includes lady’s mantle, pyracantha, and almonds. It…