Botanical Latin: Hebe
Karen Hebe (HEE bee) Greek hebe meaning youth; named for the Greek goddess of youth Hebe is the name of a genus in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae) and are closely related…
Plant Profile: Golden Trumpet (Allamanda cathartica)
Golden trumpet is a tropical evergreen vine native to Brazil where it grows over other plants in mangrove swamps and other wet areas. They can be grown outside in warm…
Book Review: In Your Garden
The famous creator of Sissinghurst Garden, Vita Sackville-West, wrote a weekly garden column for the Observer for fifteen years between 1946 and 1961. In You Garden is a collection of…
Plant Combination: Oriental Poppy (Papaver orientalis) ‘Turkenlouis’ and Hybrid Sage (Salvia x sylvestris) ‘May Night’
Not for the timid, this bold combination is full of intense color and is sure to grab attention in late spring to early summer when it comes into bloom. The…
Plant Profile: Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)
Comfrey is coarse perennial herb native to Europe and Asia where it inhabits rich moist soils. It is a member of the borgage family (Boraginaceae) along with forget-me-not, lungwort and…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Nutmeg
Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) is a small evergreen tree growing up to 43 feet native to Blanda islands that are part of the Moluccas, or Spice islands, of Indonesia. It has…
Plant Profile: Bishop’s Hat (Epimedium stellulatum ‘Wudang Star’)
Also called fairy wings and short root barrenwort, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the barberry family, Berberidaceae, and native to the Wudang Mountains of central China where it…
Book Review: What’s Wrong with My Houseplant ?
Houseplants bring life and add color to any décor but unfortunately are often plagued by problems. What’s Wrong with My Houseplant? by authors David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth provides a…
Beneficial Insects and how to Attract Them: Tachinid Flies
There are over 1300 species of tachinid fly in North America, all belonging to the family Tachinidae from which they get their common name. Most trachinid larvae are non-selective parasites…
Plant Profile: Italian Bugloss (Anchusa azurea)
Italian bugloss is a biennial or short-lived perennial native to Europe, western Asia and pars of North Africa. It is a member of the borge family (Boraginaceae) along with forget-me-nots,…