Plant Profile: Smooth Phlox (Phlox glaberrima)
Karen This herbaceous perennial, also called marsh phlox, is a member of the Polemoniaceae family that also include Jacob’s ladder. It is native to midwesternand southeastern US from Maryland to Wisconsin,…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Crown Vetch (Securigera varia aka Coronilla varia)
Also called purple vetch, this herbaceous perennial is native to Europe, southwest Asia, and northern Africa but was introduced to North America in the 1950s and was used as a…
Plant Profile: Rocky Mountain Beard-Tongue (Penstemon stricta)
Rocky Mountain beard-tongue is a semi evergreen perennial native to western US from southern Wyoming and western Colorado to northeastern Arizona and northern New Mexico, with an isolated population in…
Book Review: The Imperfect Garden
In her book The Imperfect Garden, author Melissa Assaly presents a simple story with a big message. The story is about a mother and her young son who plant a…
Plant Profile: American White Water Lily (Nymphaea odorata)
Also known as fragrant water lily and beaver root, this aquatic deciduous perennial is a member of the Nymphaeaceae, a family of 75 species of aquatic plants including pond lilies.…
Plant Profile: Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)
Dames rocket is a biennial or short-lived perennial known by a variety of names including dame’s violet, mother of the evening, and sweet rocket. It is a member of the…
Plant Profile: Rosa Silver Jubilee
Broad peaked buds open to large flowers 4.7″ across with pale pink outer petals, dark pink inner ones, and apricot ones in between. All of the petals have darker backs…
Plant Profile: India Physic (Porteranthus trifoliatus aka Gillenia trifoliata)
Also called fawn’s breath, bowman’s root and American ipecac, this clump-forming herbaceous perennial is a member of the rose family, Rosaceae, that also includes apple, lady’s mantle, and pyracantha. It…
Plant Profile: Yellow Pond Lily (Nuphar lutea)
Also called brandy-bottle and spattercock, this aquatic deciduous perennial is a member of the Nymphaeaceae, a family of 75 specie of aquatic plants including and water lily. It is native…
Book Review: Seeds of Resistance
As our food supply is increasingly threatened by climate change, the importance of agricultural practices become more important and Mark Schapiro’s book, Seeds of Resistance, examines one of these: the…