Book Review: Woodland Garden
Karen To many gardeners shade implies problems but Beth Chatto sees shade as an advantage. In her book, Woodland Garden, she describes over five hundred plants that she grows in her…
Plant Combination: Castor Bean (Ricinus communis) ‘Carmencita’ and Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Fiesta del Sol’)
Either one of these annuals are exceptional plants in the garden but when used together they can are spectacular. The caster bean grows quickly into a tall shrub and forms…
Plant Profile: Berberis darwinii
This evergreen shrub is a native of Chile and Argentina. It was discovered by Darwin in Chile in 1835 when he was a naturalist on the Beagle, hence the specific…
Botanical Latin: Potentilla
Potentilla (po ten TILL a) derived from Latin potens, powerful + suffix – illa, little. Potentilla is the genus name for about five hundred plants known for their palmately compound…
Plant Profile: Coral Plant (Berberidopsis corallina)
Coral plant is an evergreen vine found native to forest ravines in Chile. It is now an endangered species due to forest clearance for timber production but is available in…
Book Review: Backyard Blueprints
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…