Plant Profile: Chinese Anemone (Anemone hupehensis)
Karen Also called Japanses anemone, this herbaceous perennial is a native of central China where it grows in scrub, grassy slopes, and streamsides. It is a member of the buttercup family,…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Common Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) Mary’s Bedstraw, Mary’s Humility
Karen Meyers For thousands of years thyme has enjoyed great respect and usage. As early as 2750 BC the ancient Sumerians used thyme as a poultice and antiseptic and the Egyptians used…
Plant Profile: Bathhurst Burr (Xanthium spinosum)
Also known as prickly burweed and spiny cocklebur, bathhurst burr is an annual that is possibly native to South America but found in disturbed habitats such as pastures, crops, grasslands,…
Book Review: Seed to Table
Luay Ghafari’s book, Seed to Table, is a cook book, gardening book, or both. With a focus of feeding your family with nutritious food from a home garden, it includes…
Meadow Garden: Mid-Sized Grasses
Grasses are the backbone of a meadow garden and the mid-sized ones will blend especially well with the many mid-sized perennials that are also essential to a meadow garden. The…
Plant Profile: Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus)
This clump-forming herbaceous perennial is a native of central and eastern North America from Ontario and Quebec south to Florida and Louisiana, and west to Oklahoma and Iowa where it…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Garden Fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica) “Our Lady’s Eardrops”
The name Our Lady’s Eardrops for Fuchsia magellanica is relatively recent and is based on the shape and appearance of its flowers. The plant was introduced to Europe in the…
Plant Profile: Treasure Flower (Ganzania rigens)
Also called African daisy, this native to South Africa and Mozambique is a spreading tender perennial that has become naturalized on the shores of the Mediterranean and is now considered…
Book Review: The Seven Step Homestead
In her book, The Seven Step Homestead, Leah M. Webb shares her experience establishing a mini-farm in her backyard. Motivated by the desire to grow her own food as well…
Meadow Garden: Tall Native Grasses
Tall native grasses are usually associated with the natural prairie ecosystem of central US. This area has rich loess soils and moderate rainfall of 30-35 inches per year and are…