Plant Profile: Beebalm ‘Petite Wonder’ (Monarda didyma ‘Petite wonder’)
Karen One of the workhorses of my garden is the diminutive beebalm ‘Petite wonder’. My five plants occupy a sunny moist (but well drained) spot in a border and have bloomed…
Charateristics of the Traditional Cottage Garden
The cottage garden brings to mind images of a romantic scene overflowing with charming informality, abundant plant material, and quaint garden ornaments. But the original cottage gardens were borne out…
Plant Profile: Cabbage ‘Savoy Express’ hybrid (Brassica oleracea var. capitata ‘Savoy Express’ hybrid)
Cabbage is a cool weather crop so the number of days to harvest can be a very important factor in determining what variety of cabbage to grow. The “Express” in…
How to Grow Asparagus
If you like asparagus you know that it is usually a pricey vegetable and is more abundant and cheaper at some times of the year that others. It also can…
Plant Profile: Rose ‘Therese Bugnet’ (Rosa x rugosa‘Therese Bugnet’)
I am always on the lookout for roses that don’t need to be sprayed so I was instantly drawn to ‘Therese Bugnet’. Disease resistance is only one of this rose’s…
Five Favorite Heirloom Narcissi
With the increasing interest in heirloom plants the prospect of finding heirloom narcissus in bulb catalogs is very appealing. The world ‘Narcissus’ is used here as the botanical name for…
Plant Profile: Tomato ‘Cherokee Purple’ (Solanum lycopersicum ‘Cherokee Purple’)
The story goes that the Cherokee Indians gave ‘Cherokee Purple’ to a man in Tennessee in the late 1800s. If this is true, the tomato is an heirloom variety. Unfortunately,…
How to Extend the Vase Life of Roses
A bouquet of roses delights the senses and bring a good dose of cheer to every venue. It can make the dullest room look beautiful, put a smile on a…
Plant Profile: Mexican Sunflower ‘Fiesta Del Sol’ (Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Fiesta del Sol’)
‘Fiesta del Sol’ is the first truly dwarf Mexican sunflower topping out at 2½’ instead of 5-6’ like other varieties. The plants thrive in heat and humidity, are drought tolerant,…
Plant Profile: ‘Bell Boy’ Hybrid Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annuum ‘Bell Boy’ hybrid)
If you enjoy both green and red sweet peppers, consider ‘Bell Boy’. Its thick walled, four lobed, blocky fruits can be used when green or left to turn bright red.…