Plant Profile: Vine Maple (Acer circinatum)
Karen Vine maple is a deciduous small tree or large shrub native to the Pacific Northwest where it grows in mountainous area from British Columbia to Northern California. It has twisted…
Book Review: Shrubs: A Gardener’s Handbook
Many gardeners may consider shrubs second class citizens of their garden but these perennial plants actually have a great deal to offer. Ian Cooke’s book, Shrubs: A Gardener’s Handbook, introduces…
Five Fragrant Night Blooming Plants for the Garden
Plants that bloom during the night add an exotic touch to the garden. Most are tropical natives but there are some that actually do best in cool climates. Some have…
Plant Profile: Plume Poppy (Macleaya cordata)
Plume poppy is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial native to east China and Japan where it grows in woodland margins, along lake and river edges, and within scrub. Plants have lobed…
A Visit to The Winter Garden, Auckland, New Zealand
Located in the Auckland Domain in the center of the city, the Winter Garden is offers two huge greenhouses filled with plants and a giant fernery. One of the greenhouses…
Plant Profile: Rose ‘Felicite Parmentier’
Round buds with long sepals open to lightly cupped flowers that are usually quartered and sometimes have a button eye. The numerous small petals are pink with white edges at…
Book Review: Seven Flowers and How They Shaped the World
Author Jennifer Potter takes a unique look at seven flowers that have significantly influenced civilization for hundreds and sometimes thousands of years. The focus of her study is the lotus,…
Edible Flowers: Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)
A native of southwestern China, this hollyhock is a member of the mallow family, Malvaceae, and related to hibiscus, cotton, okra, and cacao. It may be an annual, biennial, or…
Plant Profile: Corsican Hellebore (Helleborus arguitifoliius )
Corsican hellebore is a clump-forming perennial native to Corsica and Sardinia where it grows in a variety of habitats from woodlands to roadsides, streambeds, and exposed mountain tops. It is…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Cypress
The Mediterranean cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) is an evergreen conifer tree native to southern Europe and western Asia, including Persia where a 4000 year old tree still grows. The dark gray-green…