Book Review: The Spice and Herb Bible
Karen As more and more people become interested in the diverse foods available around the world the need for a knowledge of spices and herbs becomes more important. Ian Hemphill’s book,…
Plant Profile: Yellow Butterflybush (Buddleja x weyeriana) ‘Sungold’
B. weyeriana ‘Sungold’ is the result of a cross between the familiar B. davidii and B. globosa ‘Orange Ball’. It has long arching branches with gra-white stems that bear eight…
Plant Profile: Blue Shrimp Plant (Cerinthe major ‘Purpurascens’)
Also called honeywort and waxflower this annual or half hardy perennial is from the Mediterranean and does well in hot sunny conditions. It is in the borage family (Boraginaceae) along…
Plant Profile: Plume Thistle (Cirsium rivulare) ‘ Atropurpureum’
Plume thistle ‘Atropurpureum’ is a clump forming perennial that provides an architectural element in the garden. It has a branched, smooth, almost leafless stem that arises from a basal rosette…
Book Review: Two Hour Cross Stitch: Flowers
If you need a source of small floral related designs for a cross stitch project, Trice Boeren’s book, Two Hour Cross Stitch: Flowers, is a great source of motifs. The…
Plant Profile: Angel’s Fishing Rod (Dierama pulcherrimum)
Also called fairy wand, wandflower, and hairbells, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the iris family (Iridaceae) and native to South Africa. In mid- to late summer flowers are…
Book Review: Kitchen Garden Experts
Sustainability, seasonality, and local sources are among the raising values in food growing and preparation. Cinead McTernan’s book, Kitchen Garden Experts, describes the combined efforts of twenty celebrated chefs and…
Plant Profile: Camellia x williamsii ‘Anticipation’
Camellia x williamsii are a group of hybrid evergreen shrubs resulting from a cross between Camellia saluenenensis and Camellia japonica. There are over 100 named cultivars from this cross and…
Plant Profile: Giant Scabiosa (Cephalaria gigantea)
This clump forming herbaceous perennial is native from the Caucasus to Siberia where it grows in meadows and mountain pastures. It is a member of the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, that…
Plant Profile: White Flowered Chinese Butterfly Bush (Buddleja fallowiana var alba)
A native of Yunnan in western China, this deciduous shrub grows in open woodland, and along forest edges and waterways. White felted shoots bear lanceolate silver-green leaves up to ten…