Plant Profile: Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)
Karen Snapdragons are tender perennials usually grown as annual and are native to Europe, North Africa and the US. They are members of the plantago family, Plantaginaceae, that also includes foxgloves,…
Botany for Gardeners: The Leaf – General Characteristics
Leaves are important to plants for manufacturing food and important to the gardener for the color and texture they provide the garden. They are also important as a means of…
Plant Profile: Ornamental Cabbage and Kale (Brassica oleracea)
Cool temperatures provide a great opportunity for planting some beauties that will not thrive during warmer times so when October arrives I head for the local farmers’ market where I…
A Visit to the Zhang House and Garden, Zhouzhuang, China
The Zhang house lies in the water town of Zhouzhuang, known to some as the “Venice of the Orient” because of its rivers and extensive canals. We had never heard…
Plant Profile: Viola (Viola x wittrockiana)
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…