Plant Profile: Elephant Ear (Alocasia macrorrhiza)
Karen Also called giant taro, this tender herbaceous perennial is native to tropical areas from India to Queensland, Australia where it grows in the understory and along streams. It grows very…
Book Review: Small Spaces Big Ideas
You might think your backyard, patio, or balcony is too small for a garden but author Philippa Pearson will prove you wrong with her book, Small Space Big Ideas. In…
Edible Flowers: Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis)
Pot marigold is a short lived herbaceous perennial in the aster family (Asteraceae) native to southern Europe but cultivated now all over the world. It grows up to two feet…
Plant Profile: American Chestnut (Castanea dentata)
Native to Eastern US, the American chestnut is almost extinct in the wild because of the chestnut blight that was introduced on Japanese nursery stock in the late 1800s. Most…
Noisette Roses for Climbing in Trees
Noisttes are are tall vigorous old garden roses that need room. They can grow over twenty feet tall or long, and can easily overwhelm a small garden. A good solution…
Plant Profile: Flossflower (Ageratum houstonianum)
Flossflower is an annual belonging to the aster family (Asteraceae)and native to Mexico. It has become an invasive weed in some areas of the world while bred into a common…
Book Review: Small Holding Manual
We all have dreams for the “Good Life”; for some of us it is a house in a rural area with an acre of land, for others it is a…
A Visit to the Gardens of Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria
Most people come to see the church, the library, and the Benedictine abbey itself but few take the time to explore the grounds. As spectacular as the buildings are, the…
Plant Profile: Sweetshade (Hymenosporum flavum)
Sweetshade is a slender evergreen tree native to New Guinea and Queensland and New South Wales, Australia where it grows in rainforests and tall open forest habitats. It is closely…
Garden Plants for Flower Arrangements: Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus) Headborne Hybrids
There are many different kinds of agapanthus but the ‘Headborne Hybrids’ are considered the hardiest. They are rhizomatous perennials with fleshy roots and grey-green leathery strap-shaped leaves. Their funnel-shaped flowers…