Plant Profile: Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
Karen Sweet basil is an annual culinary herb and a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae, that also includes rosemary, deadnettle, and ajuga. It is native to India, Africa and Asia…
Plant Profile: ‘Snow N Summer’ Asiatic Jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum ‘Snow N Summer’)
This was one of the plants that I saw in a nursery and could not resist. It called out to me and I knew immediately that I had to have…
Plant Profile: Stock (Matthiola incana)
Common stock is a cool weather tender perennial native to coastal areas of southern Europe and a member of the cabbage family, Cruciferae, that also includes turnip, alyssum, and wall-flower.…
Plant Profile: Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)
Snapdragons are tender perennials usually grown as annual and are native to Europe, North Africa and the US. They are members of the plantago family, Plantaginaceae, that also includes foxgloves,…
Plant Profile: Ornamental Cabbage and Kale (Brassica oleracea)
Cool temperatures provide a great opportunity for planting some beauties that will not thrive during warmer times so when October arrives I head for the local farmers’ market where I…
Plant Profile: Viola (Viola x wittrockiana)
The cool temperatures of October always lead me to think of planting pansies and violas. How can anyone resist the adorable faces, rich colors, and long bloom period when nothing…
Plant Profile: Five-Leaf Akebia (Akebia quinata)
When we moved to our new house in the winter of 2006 there was nothing but mud and one lone tree outside. The property had been an old tobacco farm…
Plant Profile: Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana)
Native to Brazil, Argentina and Chile, this perennial grass is a member of the grass family, Poaceae, that also includes bamboo, rice, and corn. Plants form large clumps of arching,…
Plant Profile: Black-Eyed Susan Vine (Thunbergia alata)
When I was looking for a vine to plant in a container in the middle of the formal garden the head gardener saw a yellow flowered black-eyed Susan vine and…
Plant Profile: Mexican Feather Grass (Stipa tenuissima aka Nasellela tenuissima)
Also known as ponytail grass, finestem needle grass, fineleaved nassella and Argentine needle-grass this perennial grass is native to south-western US, northern Mexico and Argentina. It is a member of…