Plant Profile: Silk Bay (Persea humulis)
Karen Silk bay is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to peninsular Florida where it grows in sandy low woods, and margins of swamps and ponds. It is a member…
Edible Flowers: English Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia)
Although known as English lavender this strongly aromatic shrub is not native to England but to the western Mediterranean especially the Pyrenees and northern mountains of Spain. It is a…
Plant Profile: Rose America
Pointed, ovoid buds are carried singly or in clusters of four to five, and open up to flowers with heavy salmon pink petals that are pale on the reverse. The…
Book Review: Grass Roots: The Rise and Fall of Marijuana in America
The importance of activist in the political process is the focus of Emily Dufton’s book, Grass Roots: The Rise and Fall of Marijuana in America. The author looks at the…
Weeds and Their Control: Herb Bennet (Geum urbanum)
Also known as wood avens, colewort, and St. Benedict’s herb, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the rose family, Rosaceae, that also includes cherry, lady’s mantle, and Potentilla. It…
Plant Profile: Marlberry (Ardisia escallonioides)
Marlberry is an evergreen small tree or large shrub native to southern Florida where it grows in pinelands, marl ridges, and hummocks. It is a member of the primrose family,…
Garden Plants for Flower Arrangements: Red Barrenwort (Epidmedium x rubrum)
Also called bishop’s hat, red barrenwort an herbaceous rhizomaceous perennial and a member of the barberry family (Berberidaceae). It is a hybrid between E. alpinum and E. grandiflorum and is…
Plant Profile: Amur Privet (Ligustrum amurense)
Native to northern China this dense shrub is deciduous in cold climates, semi-deciduous in colder ones. It grows 12-15’ tall and is a member of the olive family, Oleaceae, that…
Book Review: The Power Greens Cookbook
Whether you want to eat greens because you like them or you want the health benefits, Dana Jacobi’s book, The Power Greens Cookbook will expand your recipe choices. Focusing on…
Growing Plants from Seed: Beets (Beta vulgaris)
Garden beets do double duty as vegetable, providing leafy greens as well as a root crop. The root may be red, pink, orange, golden yellow, white, or white and red…