Garden Journal: June 13, 2010
Karen High temperatures and humidity, with occasional torrential rains set the stage for the gardens this week. The rain was wonderful for the vegetable but was a negative for the roses…
Plant Profile: Guinea hen flower(Fritillaria meleagris)
Guinea Hen Flower, Chequered Lily, or Snakeshead Lily, all apply to this old fashioned plant. A half dozen bulbs would flower in my mother’s Long Island garden every spring and…
Plant Profile: Catmint (Nepeta x fassenii ‘Walkers Low’)
Picture a medium sized mound of lavender-blue flowers with silver-gray foliage in front of your favorite pink rose bush and you are probably seeing ‘Walker’s Low ‘ catmint. Beloved by…
Pollination of Cucumbers, Squash, and Melons
As you plant cucumbers, squash, and melons you may think about the possibility of these plants cross pollinating and producing fruits with off flavors or some bizarre new fruit you…
Garden Journal: June 6, 2010
Many hot and sunny days have pushed the plants to grow and flower but some are looking floppier than in other years. This was a productive week of work as…
Plant Profile: Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius)
Scotch broom is a deciduous to evergreen, nitrogen-fixing shrub growing 4-8’ tall and is member of the pea family, Fabaceae, that also includes lupine, mimosa, and black locust. It is…
Facts about Thrips that Eat Roses
There are many different kinds of thrips; some are beneficial (can you believe it?) others are not, and this post is only on the destructive kinds, that feast on rose…
Plant Profile: Japanese Iris (Iris ensata syn. kaemperi)
The Japanese have spent over 500 years breeding this beardless iris and have created a spectacular flower that are very different from those of the more familiar German or Siberian…
Garden Journal: May 30, 2010
After days of clouds and rain the sun finally came out bringing warm to hot temperatures and lots of flowers in all parts of the garden. This was a week…
Plant Profile: Annual Cornflower aka Bachelor’s Button (Centaurea cyanus)
Also known as bluebottle, bluet, and bluecap, this cool weather annual is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, sunflower, and lettuce. It is native to…