Book Review: Backyard Blueprints
Karen If you have a small backyard with little charm but also harbor a big desire for a private paradise, consider this very helpful book by David Stevens. In Backyard Blueprints,…
Weeds and Their control: Western Salsify (Tragopogon dubius)
This annual or biennial weed is a native of Eurasia and North Africa but was brought to North America about 1900 and is now common in most of the United…
Plant Profile: Begonia sutherlandii
A native of Tanzania and southern Africa where it grows in trees or in rocky soil along streams in humid forests, this begonia is a tuberous tender perennial that makes…
Hybrid Musk Roses for the Garden
The hybrid musks are a small group of roses that was mainly developed by the British rosairian, Rev. Joseph Pemberton, in the early 20th century. As a group, hybrid musks…
Plant Profile: Astelia chathamica
Native to the Chatham Islands off the Pacific coast of New Zealand where it grows in forest margins, this evergreen herbaceous perennial forms large clumps of gently arching sword like…
Book Review: About Reptiles
Kids love finding a turtle in the garden but what about a snake? Cathryn Sill’s book About Reptiles, show young readers that turtles and snakes as well as alligators and…
Plant Combination Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ and Purple Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)
These two perennials provide long season interest in the border. Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ emerges from the ground in blue-green mounds. As summer approaches it produces masses of tiny green buds…
Plant Profile: Hart’s Tongue Fern (Asplenium scolopendrium)
This deciduous perennial fern is a native of Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and northern parts of Asia where it grows in moist limestone-rich soils. North America hosts a…
Birds in the Garden: Plants that Attract the Nuthatch Family (Sittidae)
The nuthatch family consists of a single genus, Sitta, four of which are found in the United States. Two nuthatches, the white-breasted and red-breasted, are found in the forested areas…
Five Famous Topiary Gardens Of England
England has some of the finest examples of topiary in the world. Yet topiary is not an English invention; it goes back at least to ancient Roman times. Wall paintings…