Book Review: Our Little Farm
Karen Meyers In his book, Our Little Farm, author Peter Wohlleben shares his decades long experience of sustainable living and the choices and adaptations he and his wife made along the way.…
Plant Profile: Tricolor Daisy (Chrysanthemum carinatum aka Ismelia carinata)
Karen Native to North Africa, this bushy cool weather annual is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes sunflower, yarrow, and lettuce. Plants grow 2-3′ tall and have…
Plant Profile: Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida columnifera)
Also called upright prairie coneflower and Mexican hat, this clump-forming herbaceous perennial is native to much of North American where it grows in prairies, plains, and disturbed areas. It is…
Plant Profile: Silverleaf Sunflower (Helianthus argophyllus)
This annual sunflower is native to Texas where it grows in sandy areas near the seacoast. It is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow,…
Plant Profile: Dusty Miller (Centaurea cineraria)
Also called silver dust, this herbaceous annual or tender perennial sub-shrub is native to the Island of Capraia in Italy and is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that…
Plant Profile: Rose Verbena (Glandularia canadensis aka Verbena canadensis)
Rose verbena is a herbaceous perennial and a member of the verbena family, Verbenaceae, that also includes teak and lantana. It is native to open clearings, meadows, fields, glades, waste…
Plant Profile: Wood Spurge (Euphorbia amygdaloides)
Native to the woodlands of Europe, Turkey and the Caucasus, this bushy evergreen herbaceous perennial is a member of the spurge family, Euphorbaceae, that also includes rubber plant, croton, and…
Plant Profile: Eastern Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa)
Also called devil’s-tongue and Indian fig, this perennial cactus is native to eastern US from coastal Connecticut to the Florida Keys west to the lower Great Lakes, to the dry…
Plant Profile: Ozark Sunflower (Helianthus silphioides)
Native to woodland edges of southcentral US, this little known herbaceous perennial is also called as rosinweed sunflower. It is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes…
Plant Profile: Alstromeomeria ligtu Hybrids
The Alstromoemeria ligtu hybrids are the result of a cross between closely related genera, A. haemantha and various subpecies of A. ligtu, all tender perennials native to Chile. They grow…