Plant Profile: Winter Honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima)
Karen If you looked at the botanic name for winter honeysuckle you probably noticed a word you partially recognized, “fragrantissima”. If you take off the suffix –issima, the name tells you…
A Visit to the Getty Center Gardens, March, 2010
A March visit to the Getty Center Garden introduced us to a very different look we had from past visits in the summer, fall and winter. Just as the art…
Plant Profile: Spike Winter Hazel (Corylopsis spicata)
Native to Japan, this flowering deciduous shrub is in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, that also includes fothergill and loropetalum. The unusual fragrant flowers that appear in late winter to…
What is a Bulb?
When spring arrives bulbs like tulips and narcissus come up and bloom everywhere. As summer approaches you watch for bulbs like gladiolas and lilies. And in autumn you might see…
Plant Profile: Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)
The bright yellow flowers of Winter Aconite stand out against the bare soil or the winter snow in late winter to early spring, a great reminder that spring really is…
Japanese Rice Art
Here’s a unique garden idea from Japan; growing different colored plants to create a picture. The Japanese do it with rice and the pictures they create are huge, covering a…
Plant Profile: Bodnant Viburnum (Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’)
The pink to white flowers of Bodnant viburnum in winter is a very welcome sight especially after a series of gray cold days. In mild climates the flowers may begin…
Ten Tips for Growing Broccoli
The cool weather of spring and fall invites the planting of broccoli, a vegetable that is tasty, versatile, and good for you. A ½ cup of cooked fresh broccoli contains…
Plant Profile: Pussy Willow (Salix discolor)
Pussy willow is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to moist and wet soils of northern regions of North America including parts of the US. It is a member…
A Visit to Ham House, Richmond, Surrey, England
The stately Stuart period Ham house and garden sit on the backs of The River Thames in the outskirts of London offering a glimpse of 17th century life. The mansion,…