Also known as spiral and earleaf bellflower, this rhizomatous herbaceous perennial is a member of the Campanulaceae family that also includes ladybells (Adenophora), balloon flower, and Lobelia). It is native…
Global warming is of great concern to many people who are concerned about the changes that they experience all around them with increasing frequency. Benjamin R. Barber’s book, Cool Cities,…
This evergreen shrub or small tree is native to Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil but was introduced into Florida by the mid 1800s as an ornamental and has spread and is…
Purple bergenia is an evergreen herbaceous perennial and a member of the Saxafragaceae family that also includes astilbe, foam flower (Tiarella), and coral bells (Heuchera). It is native to eastern…
Wikipedia tells us that “stover is the leaves and stalks of field crops, such corn (maize), sorghum or soybean that are commonly left in a field after harvesting the grain.”…
Tube clematis is a deciduous sub-shrub and a member of the buttercup family, Ranuncluaceae, that also includes anemone, delphinium, and columbine. Native to China and Korea, it grows 1-4′ tall…
Clara Caterpillar, by Pamela Duncan Edwards, is a delightful book that follows the life cycle of a butterfly from egg to adult. The story line is new but Edwards’ treatment…
My paternal grandmother, Helen S. Wright, included one recipe for spruce beer in her book, Old Time recipes for Home Made Wine. Spruce beer was important to the indigenous people…
Also called snakehead and balmony, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the plantain family, Plantaginaceae, that also includes foxglove, snapdragon, and angelonia. It is native to North America from…
Rose acacia is a flowering deciduous shrub and a member of the pea family, Fabaceae, that also includes mimosa, lupine, and alfalfa. It is native to eastern and central US…
Karen