Plant Profile: Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla syn. A. citrodora)
Karen The scent of lemon is always welcome in my garden and lemon verbena is one of the most delightfully lemony. Just brush by the plant and it will release its…
Plant Profile: Maidenhair tree (Ginkgo bibloba)
The maidenhair tree is one of the most interesting trees alive! Fossil leaves from ancient trees have been found in rock dating to Jurassic times, almost 200 million years ago,…
Ten Interesting Facts about Groundhogs
The furry little critter that emerges from his hole in spring is cute but is he a good garden visitor? He certainly captured the imagination of the American movie going…
A Visit to West Lake, Hangzhou, China
If you like gardens and visit China try to include a visit to the city of Hangzhou, 112 miles south of Shanghai. You will not visit lots of gardens there,…
Plant profile: Sweet Marjoram (Origanum majorana)
Endemic to Cypris, this tender perennial is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae, that also includes basil, rosemary and deadnettle. It grows up to 2′ tall and has gray-green…
Botany for Gardeners: The Leaf-Margins
When you read the description of a plant you may see terms like “entire”, “dentate”, and “crenate”. They are probably referring to the margin/edges of the leaf and are important…
Plant Profile: Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)
Crape myrtle is an outstanding plant with the only drawback that it is hardy only to zone 7. It comes in many varieties that produce frilly, crepe like flower heads,…
A Visit to Prince Gong’s Garden, Beijing, China
I had no idea what to expect as we were driven to Prince Gong’s palace and garden north of the Forbidden City in Beijing but once we arrived we were…
Plant Profile: Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
Native to Eurasia, this short lived herbaceous perennial is also known as catmint and is a member of the mint family, Labiaceae, that also includes rosemary, basil, and beebalm. Plants…
Botany for Gardeners: The Leaf-Shape
Leaf shape is an important characteristic when gardening because it is used for the identification of plants and, more importantly, influences the texture that the plant will give to the…