Plants for a Mary Garden: Great Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) “Our Lady’s Candle”
Karen Meyers It is unlikely that Mary was familiar with candles as we know them because oil lamps were the usual source of artificial light in her time. By the late 4th…
Book Review: Bee & Flea and the Puddle Problem
Bee & Flea and the Puddle Problem by Anna Humphrey is a delightful chapter book in a series about two insect investigators, Bee and Flea. Written for children ages 6-9…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis) “Mary’s Heart”
Hearts have traditionally been associated with the love, compassion, and sorrow of the Virgin Mary. The unique shape of bleeding heart’s flower which resembles a heart with a droplet falling…
Plant Profile: Yellow Bedstraw (Galium vernum)
Native to grasslands and meadows of Europe, North Africa and southwestern Asia, this rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial is a member of the coffee family, Rubiaceae, that also includes gardenia and Pentas.…
Book Review: The Container Victory Garden
Maggie Stuckey’s book, The Container Victory Garden, is about growing vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers in containers. Aimed at beginning gardeners, the book shows readers new to container gardening how…
Edible Mushrooms: Mosaic Puffball (Calvatia utriformis aka Handkea utriformis aka Lycoperdon utriforme aka Lycoperdon caelatum)
Native to northern temperate zones, this puffball has been found in Europe, continental Asia, Japan, eastern Atlantic, North America, Mexico, South Africa, Chile, and New Zealand. It usually grows alone…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Heather (Calluna vulgaris) “Our Lady’s Adversary”
The connection between heather and the Virgin Mary is obscure and speculative. Most of the legends about heather come from areas where it grows abundantly, such as Scotland, Ireland, and…
Plant Profile: Woodbine (Lonicera periclymenum)
Also known as European honeysuckle, this twining deciduous shrub has a vine-like growth habit. It is native to woodlands, hedgerows and scrublands of Europe, North Africa and western Asia and…
Book Review: The 30-Minute Gardener
In his book, The 30-Minute Gardener, author Greg Loades shows readers how 30 minutes a day can be used to produce and maintain a garden. With a focus on enjoying…
Edible Mushrooms: Field Blewit (Lepista saeva aka L. personata aka Clitocybe saeva)
Less common than wood blewit (Lepista saeva), field blewit is native to Europe and the British Isles. It often appears in groups or fairy rings usually in chalk or limestone…