Plant Profile: Rose ‘Compassion’
Karen Classic Hybrid Tea-like buds open to flowers with ruffled petals in a mixture of apricot, salmon pink and orange. The flowers fade to a dirty white and fail to drop…
Book Review: Two Little Gardeners
This classic Little Golden Book tells the story of a brother and sister who plant a garden in the spring, take care of it all summer, and enjoy the fruits…
Weeds and Their Control: Mousetail (Myosurus minimus)
A member of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), mousetail is an annual native to the Northern Hemisphere including North America, Europe, Asia and north Africa. It prefers light shade and moist…
Plant Profile: Chinese Parasol Tree (Firmiana simplex)
Also known as varnish tree and Phoenix tree, this deciduous tree is native to China, Japan, and Korea. It is a member of the mallow family, Malvaceae, that also includes…
Baptisias for the Garden
Baptisia, also called false indigo, is a long lived herbaceous perennial and a member of the legume family (Fabeaceae) that also includes mimosa, lupine, and black locust. There are about…
Plant Profile: Angels’ Trumpets (Brugmansia suaveolens aka Datura suaveolens)
Also called angel’s tears, this tender perennial is a semi woody shrub or small tree and a member of the nightshade family, (Solonaceae) that also includes potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and…
Book Review: Designing with Plants
Piet Oudolf, a Dutch garden designer and nurseryman, is known for his naturalistic style of landscape design featuring herbaceous perennials and grasses. Designing with Plants explains his unique approach to…
Edible Alliums
Allium is a genus of herbaceous biennials or perennials in the amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae) with over eight hundred species, mostly native to the Northern Hemisphere. Some, like star of Persia…
Plant Profile: Empress Tree (Paulownia tomentosa)
Also known as princess tree and foxglove-tree, this flowering deciduous tree belongs to the Paulowniaceae family and is a native of central and western China but has is cultivated in…
Plant Combination: Meadow Sage (Salvia) ’East Friesland’ and Achillea ‘Beacon’
Beginning in early summer this dynamic combination lasts for weeks. The upright violet purple spikes of Salvia ‘East Friesland’ contrast with the large crimson red heads of Achillea ‘Beacon’ in…