History of Christmas Greens: White Pine (Pinus strobus)
Karen Decorating for the Christmas holidays inevitable leads to using white pine, valued for its long, flexible needles that stay on the branches for weeks after being cut. The bluish-green color…
Plant Profile: Bishop’s hat (Epimedium grandiflorum)
What a blessing this plant is for the shade garden! In addition to growing well in limited light it competes well with the roots of trees and can grow in…
How to Make a Christmas Star Ornament from Sticks
Outside our kitchen window are several bird feeders that attract a variety of our feathered friends that we enjoy watching as they cavort and eat their favorite seeds and other…
Plant Profile: Brazilian Vervain (Verbena bonariensis)
This is not a plant that will catch your eye the first moment you look at a garden but it creates a subtle mood especially when planted as a “see…
Top Six Live Christmas Trees
Over 27 million real Christmas trees were sold last year in the US. That’s a lot of trees! Many different kinds of trees are used as Christmas trees but some…
Plant Profile: Dusty Miller (Senecio cineraria)
Dusty miller is a half-hardy perennial native to the Mediterranean area and a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow, and lettuce. It grows 12-24″ tall…
How to Make a Flower from a Lemon, Lime, and Strawberry
When company is coming over you may want to dress up a tray of hors d’oeuvres or appetizers. Sure, parsley will add some color and texture but how about something…
Plant Profile: Purple heart (Setcreasea pallida/Tradescantia pallida)
Although experts can’t agree on a name for purple heart they do agree that it is one of the toughest plants for the South. Give it high heat and humidity…
History of Christmas Greens: Holly (Ilex spp.)
Christmas would not be the same without boughs of holly decorating the mantle, chandeliers and tables. Both English (Ilex aquifolium) and American Holly (I. opaca) are used, each with their…
Plant Profile: Creeping Zinnia (Sanvitalia procumbens)
When you see this plant for the first time covered with flowers you can’t help wonder how it ever got the name “zinnia”. Creeping is understandable, as it is very…