Plant Profile: Viola (Viola x wittrockiana)
Karen The cool temperatures of October always lead me to think of planting pansies and violas. How can anyone resist the adorable faces, rich colors, and long bloom period when nothing…
Why Lime and How Limestones Differ
If you live in an area where the soil is naturally acid you will probably need to apply lime to lawns and garden beds. Some plants like azaleas thrive in…
Plant Profile: Five-Leaf Akebia (Akebia quinata)
When we moved to our new house in the winter of 2006 there was nothing but mud and one lone tree outside. The property had been an old tobacco farm…
Characteristics of Chinese Gardens
A visit to a Chinese garden is a very different experience than visiting an American or European one. Like many other art forms of China, garden design is closely related…
Plant Profile: Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana)
Native to Brazil, Argentina and Chile, this perennial grass is a member of the grass family, Poaceae, that also includes bamboo, rice, and corn. Plants form large clumps of arching,…
Coring your Lawn: What, Why, When and How
A well grown lawn is a beautiful thing and the result of many choices and much labor and one of the jobs that may be needed to keep a lawn…
Plant Profile: Black-Eyed Susan Vine (Thunbergia alata)
When I was looking for a vine to plant in a container in the middle of the formal garden the head gardener saw a yellow flowered black-eyed Susan vine and…
How to Bring House Plants Indoors
I like to put my house plants outdoors in summer and as the days shorten and the temperatures fall I have to plan for the move back into the house.…
Plant Profile: Mexican Feather Grass (Stipa tenuissima aka Nasellela tenuissima)
Also known as ponytail grass, finestem needle grass, fineleaved nassella and Argentine needle-grass this perennial grass is native to south-western US, northern Mexico and Argentina. It is a member of…
Five Favorite Dwarf Blue Conifers
I have a special interest in dwarf conifers. They are evergreen and so provide year round interest, and because they are dwarf they will fit into small spaces and I…