Plant Profile: Sapphire Tower (Puya alpestris)
Karen Sapphire Tower is a succulent native to the Chilean Andes and in the pineapple family. It produces a rosette of arching gray-green leaves with backward pointing spines on their margins.…
Five Spring Blooming Perennials with Yellow Flowers for the Rock Garden
The bright yellow flowers of spring brighten the landscape like no other flower can, signaling that life is beginning anew and the gardening season is commencing. Yellow is the color…
Plant Profile: Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata)
Native to the fields and prairies of central US, this mat-forming herbaceous perennial is a member of the mallow family, Malvaceae, that also includes hollyhock, hibiscus, and coffee. It grows…
Book Review: Oliver’s Vegetables
Vegetables can be a hard sell to a toddler so any little help can be welcome. Vivian French’s book, Oliver’s Vegetables, can be just such a help. Written for children…
Five Fragrant Jasmine Vines for the Garden
There are over two hundred species of true jasmine belonging to the genus Jasminum, a member of the olive family. They are tropical and subtropical vines or shrubs with only…
Plant Profile: Umbrella Bamboo (Fargesia murielae)
One of the most beautiful of all bamboos, umbrella bamboo is non-invasive and features a weeping habit. The arching stems (culms) are blue green at first but mature to yellow-green…
Five Perennial Vines to Attract Butterflies
When planning a garden to attract butterflies it is important to consider both the adults and the larva. We all love to see butterflies landing on flowers to sip their…
Book Review: Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook
I love my vegetable garden so, of course, I am interested in using the products of my labor well. Although I am not a vegan or even a vegetarian, I…
Birds in the Garden: Plants that Attract the Chickadee and Titmouse Family
Chickadees and titmice are considered social, friendly birds and are frequent visitors to backyards and feeders. They usually live together in small flocks in woods eating primarily insects, seeds, and…
Plant Profile: Flannel Bush (Fremontodendron californicum)
Flannel bush is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to California, Arizona, and Baha Mexico where it may found in canyons and on mountain slopes in chaparral and open…