Book Review: Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History
Karen Bill Law’s book, Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History is a great read for those who love plants and history. It is filled with interesting tidbits and morsels…
Weeds and Their Control: Crabgrass (Smooth, Digitaria ischaemum; large, Digitaria sanguinalis)
There are many kinds of crabgrass but the two that are the most prevalent in the United States are smooth crabgrass and large crabgrass. They are very similar in appearance…
Plant Profile: Golden hinoke cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Crippsii’)
This dense pyramidal conifer with feathery branchlets tipped with gold is not a cypress at all and is better called a false-cypress. Like other false cypress it prefers humid areas…
How to Choose Hydrangeas
The large flowerheads of hydrangea bring an old fashioned charm to a garden. The flowers may be white, pink, blue, or a shade of purple, they can be round or…
Plant Profile: European Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
With its fine texture and beautiful oval to round crown, European hornbeam is an excellent tree for the home landscape. It can be pruned and sheared repeatedly so can be…
Book Review: Fantastic Fabric Folding: Innovative Quilting Projects
Rebecca Wat’s book, Fantastic Fabric Folding, takes origami to a new level. Introduced from Japan, origami is traditionally the art of paper folding but Wat presents techniques to produce flowers…
Valentine’s Day Flowers and Cards
Flowers are as traditional as cards for Valentine’s Day celebrations. In bygone eras, Valentine’s cards often featured flowers as part of the sentimental message the card was trying to convey.…
Five Red Miniature Roses for Containers
In spite of their delicate appearance, miniature roses are tough plants that offer a lot to gardeners. They can be used in the landscape like other roses but are especially…
The Goddess Flora and her Garden
Flora was an ancient Italian diety and was the goddess of the flowers and mother of spring. She may be recognized in art by a garland of flowers on her…
Plant Profile: ‘Red Racer’ (Helleborus ‘Red Racer’)
Hellebores are the one of the earliest flowers in spring to bloom and begin the gardening season. Most have white, lime-green, or pink to purple flowers, so ‘Red Racer’ is…