Plant Profile: Crown Imperial (Fritillaria imperialis)
Karen If you want an unusual flower for your garden in late spring, try crown imperial. At 3 feet tall it is no shrinking violet and with its whorl of downward…
Plant Profile: Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Every year I have a private little war with the stinging nettles that grow in both my rose garden and formal garden. No matter how many I pull up, there…
Plant Profile: Grape Hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum)
One of the earliest bulbs in my garden to emerge in the spring is grape hyacinth. The dense spikes of fragrant cobalt-blue urn-shaped flowers resemble upside down bunches of grapes…
Plant Profile: Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus gunnii)
There are many different species of eucalyptus but this one is a good choice because it is more frost tolerant than most and can be kept as a shrub if…
Plant Profile: Japanese Primrose (Primula japonica)
Picture a shady glen with lots of moisture. Then put a large drift of Japanese primroses into the picture and you have created a beautiful scene. Japanese primroses are not…
Plant Profile: Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum)
I planted a clump of garlic chives in my vegetable garden and within a couple of years had garlic chives growing all over my patio, 30 feet away. The garlic…
Plant Profile: Polyanthus Primrose (Primula hybrid)
A recent trip to a local dollar store resulted in the purchase of a bright yellow polyanthus primrose. How could I resist? Spring was in the air and the desire…
Plant Profile: Sweet Violet (Viola odorata)
Native to Europe and Asia, the sweet violet is a herbaceous perennial belonging to the plant family Violaceae, that also includes pansies and johnny jump ups. It grows 4-10″ tall…
Plant Profile: Silverberry (Elaeagnus x ebbingei ‘Gilt Edge’)
Variegated plants have a special gift for lighting up a dark area but this silverberry goes beyond that. The underside of its yellow and green leaves are covered with silvery…
Plant Profile: Saffron Crocus (Crocus sativus)
Native to an unknown place in the Mediterranean region, this cormous perennial belongs to the iris family, Iridaceae, that also includes gladiolus, crocosmia, and blue-eyed grass. It is sometimes called…