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…
Also known as Marechal Leclerc, this French Hybrid Tea commemorates the hero of the liberation of Paris in 1945, Marechal Philippe Leclerc. It has pointed coral buds that slowly open…
If you are familiar with the term “nose to tail’ you will appreciate Steven Satterfield’s book Root to Leaf that reflects the same approach to cooking. With a concern for…
Common foxglove is a biennial or short-lived herbaceous perennial that is native to disturbed sites in Europe and Asia but naturalized in parts of North America and has become invasive…
Karen