Selecting Low Maintenance Perennials
Karen Everyone would like to have a lush garden without doing any work but, let’s face it, that is not going to happen unless you have a gardener. By selecting plants…
Plant Profile: Variegated Bulbous Oat Grass (Arrhenatherum elatius bulbosum ‘Variegatum’)
A native of Europe, variegated bulbous oat grass is a cool weather deciduous perennial grass that forms an attractive slowly spreading loose clump. The bluish green leaves are 12-16” long…
Book Review: The Well-Tended Perennial Garden
If you grow perennials you know that they bring great rewards but need some work to keep them performing at their best. Tracy DiSabato-Aust’s book, The Well-Tended Perennial Garden gives…
Bamboo in the Garden: Runners and Clump Formers
Every gardener’s nightmare is having a plant take over the garden and resist all attempts to eradicate it. Bamboo, unfortunately, is one of those plants that puts fear into the…
Plant Profile: Silver Streak Bamboo (Bashania fargesii)
This native of high elevations in central China is a vigorous, rhizomatous bamboo that spreads quickly by runners. It is excellent for erosion control, as a hedge, screen or windbreak,…
Plant Combination: Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’ and Missouri Evening Primrose (Oenothera missouriensis)
The large bright yellow flowers of Missouri evening primrose echo the color of the Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’ while providing contrast in size, shape, and texture. The primrose flowers are funnel-shaped, three…
Plant Profile: English Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata)
This European native is a deciduous shrub or small tree with inch long prominent thorns that are sharp and tough enough to pierce a car tire. In fact, it has…
Book Review: Frogs
When spring arrives and ponds come alive male frogs can be heard croaking and frog eggs may be seen floating in the water. What better time to introduce young readers…
Green Roses
A true green rose is hard to come by but there are several roses that might be worthy of note. Keep in mind that most of the roses that claim…
Plant Profile: Pineapple Guava (Feijoa sellowiana aka Acca sellowiana)
A native of subtropical South America, pineapple guava is an evergreen multistemmed shrub or small tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that also includes clove, allspice and eucalyptus. The plant…