Book Review: The Art of Botanical Drawing: An Introductory Guide
Karen With the increasing interest in nature and gardening more and more people are becoming interested in trying their hand at botanical illustration. You don’t have to be an artist or…
Sweet Potatoes and Yams: What is the Difference?
When you sit down at the Thanksgiving table you are likely to see sweet potatoes; or are they yams? Whether they are baked, fried, or smothered in marshmallows their sweet…
Plant Profile: Colorado Columbine (Aquilegia caerulea)
Anyone who has seen the huge blue flowers of this columbine under the blue skies of the Rocky Mountains knows what a special plant this is. So special, in fact,…
Six Purple-Flowered Plants that Attract Hummingbirds and Butterflies
A garden a flutter with butterflies sipping nectar from the flowers on a sunny day is a beautiful sight. A visit of a hummingbird to the garden is a treat.…
Plant Profile: Olympic St. John’s Wort (Hypericum olympicum)
There are over 200 species of Hypericum, from shrubs, to sub-shrubs, to herbaceous perennials, and Hypericum olympicum is an excellent one for rock gardens. A native of southeast Europe and…
Characteristics of Old Garden Roses: Hybrid Perpetuals
With bourbon, Portland, and china ancestry, hybrid perpetual vary considerably but share a few characteristics that make them special. As their name implies they are repeating, some more so than…
Plant Profile: Creeping Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila repens)
Creeping baby’s breath is a herbaceous perennial native the mountains of central and southern Europe where it grows on dry, chalky slopes. It is a member of the carnation family,…
Herb Garden: Four Herbs for Hair Care
Beautiful hair is a virtue that every woman wants. They spend mega-bucks every year at the beauty parlor having their dyed, curled, straightened, conditioned, cut and styled. There are some…
Plant Profile: Blanket Flower (Gaillardia aristata ‘Fanfare’)
There are many kinds of blanket flower but ‘Fanfare’ is one of the most unique. The fluted orange petal-like flowers flaring out around the burgundy center give the flowerheads the…