Plant Profile: Black Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’)
Karen When I first saw this plant over ten years ago I was thrilled by its unique look: black leaves. Of course there really are no truly black leaves in nature…
Plant Profile: Wishbone flower (Torenia fournier)
I first met this charming plant in a small nursery in Annapolis MD, run by a husband and wife who seemed to love plants. They had all sorts of annuals…
Plant Profile: Hardy Iceplant ( Delospera cooperi)
Hardy iceplant is a tough little plant as long as it doesn’t get too much water. The succulent leaves form a dense low growing mat and appear to have tiny…
Plant Profile: Garden Cosmos aka Tall Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
Garden cosmos is a half hardy annual native to Arizona, Mexico and Guatemala to Costa Rica and is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow,…
Plant Profile: Love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus)
Love-lie-bleeding is a very special plant and not just because of its melodramatic name. It’s red flowers grow in rope-like tassels 12” long or longer all over the coarse leaved…
Plant Profile: Pigsqueak (Bergenia cordifolia)
Native to Russia, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the Saxifragaceae family that also includes foam flower, coral bells, and astilbe. The plants form a rosette of shiny, heart-shaped…
Plant Profile: Dwarf Chinese Astilbe (Astilbe chinensis var. pumila)
I used to think of astilbes in general as needing shade and moisture until I met this one. It thrives in shade and moist soil but it tolerates considerably more…
Plant Profile: Artemesia ‘Powis Castle’
I am inordinately attracted to plants with silver-gray foliage and I am in love with Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’. The finely divided foliage is exquisite and provides a lovely contrast to…
Plant Profile: Gooseneck Loosestrife (Lysimachia clethroides)
Native to moist soils of China and Japan, this clump-forming herbaceous perennial is a member of the primrose family, Primulaceae, that also includes cyclamen. It grows up to 3′ tall…
Plant Profile: Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)
There are few plants that create old-fashioned charm better than hollyhocks. I don’t have a wall or picket fence to set them off but they still bring the suggestion of…