Five Sedges for Containers
Karen Most people think sedges are grasses. They certainly look like grasses but they aren’t; they are a different and distinct group of plants that belong to a different family, the…
Herb Companions for Old Garden Roses
There is nothing new about growing herbs and roses together. Roses were traditionally grown as an important part of the herb garden because of their supposed value for curing a…
Characteristic of Old Garden Roses: Portland
Portlands are a small group of roses with a mixed and uncertain heritage but probably have damask and gallica in their background. The group is named after the English Duchess…
Apricot-Colored English Roses for Cottage Gardens
The old fashioned look of English roses fit beautifully into a cottage garden. English roses, as the term is commonly used, refers to a modern type of shrub rose that…
Sweet Potatoes and Yams: What is the Difference?
When you sit down at the Thanksgiving table you are likely to see sweet potatoes; or are they yams? Whether they are baked, fried, or smothered in marshmallows their sweet…
Characteristics of Old Garden Roses: Hybrid Perpetuals
With bourbon, Portland, and china ancestry, hybrid perpetual vary considerably but share a few characteristics that make them special. As their name implies they are repeating, some more so than…
Silvered Leaved Companions for Roses
Some roses are beautiful in every way with abundant foliage and masses of colorful flowers. Many, however, could use a little help when out of bloom, or need something attractive…
Characteristics of Old Garden Roses: Bourbon Roses
Bourbon roses are generally believed to be the result of an accidental cross between the china “Old Blush’ and the autumn flowering damask, ‘Quatre Saisons’. The name comes from the…
Characteristics of Old Garden Roses: China Roses
When China roses were introduced into the West at the end of the 1700s, rose growing changed dramatically. Rosa chinensis brought a new gene pool to the West that introduced…
Native Plants as Groundcovers for Shade
Chuck Every garden seems to have places where a groundcover is needed. Often these places are problem areas due to such factors as shade, soil conditions, or slope. These places may…