Plant Profile: Almond (Prunus amygdalus aka Amygdalus communis)
Karen Almonds are deciduous trees native to the Middle East, Indian subcontinent and North Africa and are members of the rose family, Roseacea. They are in the same genus (Prunus) as…
Plant Combination: Rose Campion (Lychnis coronaria) and Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas)
Rose campion provides a long season backdrop for many plants and Spanish lavender is one of the most striking. Both plants have attractive silver gray foliage all season into winter…
Plant Profile: White Poplar (Populus alba)
White poplar is a suckering deciduous tree native to moist areas in Europe and central Asia but widely planted throughout the US where it naturalized and is especially prevalent in…
Book Review: Power Vegetables!
From the Lucky Peach comes Power Vegetables!, a collection of recipes focusing on vegetables. The self-proclaimed goal is to produce vegetable dishes that are awesome and the center of attention…
Roses in Art: Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is generally considered to be the time from the fifth century to the fifteen century. During this time feudalism was strong and the power and influence of…
Plant Profile: California Sycamore (Platanus racemosa)
Also known as Buttonwood, this deciduous tree is native to California where is grows in moist sites. It is a member of the sycamore family (Platanaceae), a small family with…
Spring Blooming Perennials with Blue to Lavender Flowers for the Mid-Border
Blue and lavender flowers in the spring garden are a treasured commodity because they are often difficult to find. But the effort of ferreting them out is worth the trouble…
Plant Profile: Jacaranda (Jacaranda acutifolia aka J. mimosaefoliae)
Jacaranda, also called black poui,is a deciduous tree native to South America and a member of the Bignoniaceae family that also includes hardy gloxinia, trumpet vine and catalpa. The bark…
Book Review: The Perennial Matchmaker
Beautiful plant combinations can make a garden memorable but such combinations are not easy to create. If your garden is like mine it is a hodgepodge of plants collected over…
Choosing Plants for the Vegetable Garden With Health Concerns in Mind
Most of us don’t live on large parcels of land where we can grow anything we like and we have to make choices. When you first start listing the vegetables…