Plant Profile: Stemless Carline Thistle (Carlina acaulis)
Karen Also called dwarf thistle and silver thistle, this short-lived herbaceous perennial is a native of alpine regions of central and southern Europe where it grows in poor soil in dry…
Invasive Plants and Their Native Alternatives: Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila paniculata)
Baby’s breath is a herbaceous perennial native to central and eastern Europe and central and western Asia but naturalized in North America and is now considered invasive from new Brunswick…
Plant Profile: Shoo-fly Plant (Nicandra physalodes)
Also known as apple of Peru, apple of Sodom, Peruvian bluebell, this annual is native to northwest Argentina, Bolivia, north and central Chile, and Peru where it grows in disturbed…
Plant Profile: Lewisia ‘George Henley’
Lewisias are herbaceous perennials native to north facing cliffs in western North America. They are members of the Montiaceae, a family that also includes Claytonia and purslanes. This cultivar is…
Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wine: Juniper-Berry Wine
Well known to gin drinkers, juniper berries are not true berries but the cones of Juniperus communis and made up of fleshy scales. They have a distinctive flavor and are…
Plant Profile: Candy Corn Plant (Cuphea micropetala)
Native to Mexico, this tender evergreen or deciduous perennial shrub is often grown as an annual or houseplant. It is a member of the loosestrife family, Lytharaceae, that also includes…
Plant Profile: Rose Pink Perpetue
Vigorous, compact plants bear upright clusters of 5-7 flowers in flushes throughout the summer. The flowers are almost 3″ across and have short petals that are clear pink on their…
Plant Profile: Strawflower ( Xerochrysanum bracteatum aka Helichrysum brateactum)
Also called golden everlasting, this short-lived tender perennial or annual is native to Australia where it grows in grasslands. It is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also…
Book Review: Family
Family is a vegetarian cook book based on the belief that at the heart of every family there is a complex story of food. Chef and author Hetty McKinnon believes…
Plant Profile: Statice (Limonium sinuatum)
Also known as sea lavender, sea pink, and notch leaf marsh rosemary, this tender short-lived perennial is often grown as an annual, and is a member of the leadwort family,…