Gardens in Art: Medieval Hermit Garden-The Thebaid of Gherardo Starnina
Karen This Thebaid attributed to Gherardo Starnina (1354-1413) is one of many such painting that told the stories of some early Christian monks and hermits who went in the areas of…
Plant Profile: Sagebrush (Artemesia tridentata)
This evergreen shrub or small tree is native to the western US and Canada where it grows in arid and semi-arid conditions in cold desert, steppe, amd mountain habitats. It…
Plants of the Bible: Twisted Acacia (Acacia raddiana aka Vachellia tortilis aka Acacia tortilis)
Also known as umbrella thorn and Israeli babool, this medium to large tree is native to arid and semi-arid regions of Africa but is also found in the Middle East…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Rice
The rice mentioned by Shakespeare is probably Asian rice, Oryza sativa, a member of the true grass family, Poaceae. It has a jointed stem that can grow two to ten…
Plant Profile: Clematis Nelly Moser
This early large flowered deciduous climber is a hybrid cultivar dating from Victorian times when species from Asia were imported to Europe. It is a member of the buttercup family,…
Genus Anemones for the Garden
The genus Anemone consists of over 120 species and is a member of the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that also includes delphinium, clematis, and hellabore. The garden worthy species are usually…
Plant Profile: Hardy Kiwi (Actinidia arguta)
Also known as tara vine, this deciduous woody climber is native to woodlands, mountainous forests, and streamsides of Japan, Korea, nothern China and far eastern Russia, and is a member…
Plants of the Bible: Coriander (Coriandrum sativa)
Also known as cilantro and Chinese parsley, coriander is a warm weather annual native to southern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean but is widely cultivated elsewhere as a culinary herb…
Butterflies in the Garden and How to Attract Them:Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
One of the most familiar butterflies in the eastern part of the US from the Rockies to the Atlantic coast, the eastern tiger swallowtail inhabits broadleaf woodlands, fields, roadsides, gardens,…
Plant Profile: Black Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifer) ‘Nigra’
Prunus cerasifer is native to southeastern Europe and western Asia and is a member of the rose family, Rosaceae, that also includes apple, almond, and lady’s mantle. The cultivar ‘Nnigra’…