Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wine: Champagne Cup
Karen Sparkling wine makes an everyday event special so champagne is a wonderful drink to lift the spirts and make an occasion memorable. My dear paternal grandmother, Helen S. Wright, in…
Plant Profile: Wandflower (Galax urceolata)
Also called beetleweed, this evergreen herbaceous perennial is native to southeastern US from where it grows in the forests of the southern Appalachian Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain. It is…
Plant Combination: Bear’s Breeches (Acanthus spp.) and Coral Bells (Heuchera micrantha var. diversifolia) ‘Palace Purple’
These two herbaceous perennials have outstanding foliage that will add texture and color all season long. The combination will peak, however, when bear’s breeches produces its stalks of pink or…
Plant Profile: Siberian meadowsweet (Filipendula palmata)
Siberian meadowsweet is a herbaceous perennial native to Siberia and a member of the rose family, Rosaceae, that also includes lady’s mantle, apples, and almonds. It is a compact plant…
Book Review: Private Gardens of Paris
The mention of Paris may bring images to mind of the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Tiomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral or perhaps Jardin des Tuileries, but probably not the private gardens…
Self-Cleaning Floribunda Roses
Self-cleaning roses are a boon to gardeners that dislike deadheading but want the attractive bushes and abundance of blooms that deadheading brings. The bloom, fade, drop their petals and form…
Plant Profile: Mediterranean Spurge (Euphorbia myrsinites)
Also called donkey tail, this succulent perennial is native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor where it is found in grassy and rocky areas. It is a member of the…
Beneficial Insects and how to Attract Them: Praying Mantids
Mantids, also known as praying mantises, are a group of insects that include about twenty different species in North America where they live grasselands, meadows shrublands, and gardens . The…
Plant Profile: Star Astilbe (Astilbe simplicifolia)
Star astilbe is a dwarf herbaceous perennial native to Japan. It is a member of the saxifrage family, Saxifragaceae, that also includes Bergenia, coral bells (Heuchera), and foamflower (Tiarella). The…
Book Review: The Book of Gardening Projects for Kids
Encouraging kids to get outside and enjoy the natural world is not always easy especially now that ipads have become common toys for them. Whitney Cohen and John Fisher’s book,…