Botanical Latin: Lunaria
Karen Lunaria ( loon AIR ee a) from the Latin word luna meaning moon Lunaria is the genus name plants in the mustard family, Brassicaceae, that also includes cabbage, candytuft, and…
Plant Profile: Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)
Pagoda dogwood, also known as green osier, is a small deciduous tree or large shrub native to Eastern North America west to Minnesota and south to Georgia and Missouri where…
Plant Combinations: Spirea japonica ‘Goldflame’ and Coral Bells (Heuchera) ‘Obsidian’
This handsome combination adds color and textural contrast over a long season. Beginning in spring the large, dark purple leaves of coral bells ‘Obsidian’ provide contrast to the small leaves…
Plant Profile: Alpine Aster (Aster alpinus)
Alpine aster is a shot-lived herbaceous perennial native to Canada, US, and the mountains of Europe including the Alps and the Pyrenees. It is a member of the Asteraceae family…
Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wines: Strawberry Wines
Strawberry wine conjures up thoughts of spring and a cool refreshing drink with a great aroma and taste. Although modern recipes call for such things as pectin enzyme, wine tannins,…
Weeds and Their Control: Moneywort (Leonurus cardiaca)
Also called lion’s tail, lion’s ea and cowthwort, this perennial weed is a member of the mint family and is native to Eurasia. It has spread to North American and…
Plant Profile: American Smoke Tree (Cotinus obovatus)
American smoke tree is a deciduous large shrub or small tree native to Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama, and Tennessee where it grows in woodland edges, clearings, glades, and rock…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Aconitum
Also known as wolfsbane and monkshood, Shakespeare’s Aconitum is probably the perennial A. napellus, one of 100 species of Aconitum, a genus in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. A. nepallus is…
Plant Profile: Rose ‘Parade’
The cup-shaped flowers are mildly fragrant and produced singly or in cluster of up to five. They are deep pink to cherry carmine with paler edges and have a slightly…
Book Review: Nature Crafts with a Microwave
The microwave offers crafter a quick easy way to dry plant material for a variety of craft uses. Dawn Cusick’s book, Nature Crafts with a Microwave, gives the novice crafter…