Book Review: Bee & Flea and the Puddle Problem
Karen Meyers Bee & Flea and the Puddle Problem by Anna Humphrey is a delightful chapter book in a series about two insect investigators, Bee and Flea. Written for children ages 6-9…
Edible Mushrooms: Monk’s Head (Clitocybe geotropa aka Infundibulicybe geotropa)
Karen Also known as trooping funnel, this mushroom is found during the fall in Europe and North America growing in fairy rings or troops in mixed woodlands including forest clearings and…
Plant Profile: Narcissus Flowered Anemone (Anemone narcissiflora)
Narcissus flowered anemone is a herbaceous perennial native to northwestern North America and Eurasia where it grows in high mountain grasslands, thickets, grassy meadows, pastures, open woods and along roadsides.…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis) “Mary’s Heart”
Hearts have traditionally been associated with the love, compassion, and sorrow of the Virgin Mary. The unique shape of bleeding heart’s flower which resembles a heart with a droplet falling…
Plant Profile: Yellow Bedstraw (Galium vernum)
Native to grasslands and meadows of Europe, North Africa and southwestern Asia, this rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial is a member of the coffee family, Rubiaceae, that also includes gardenia and Pentas.…
Book Review: The Container Victory Garden
Maggie Stuckey’s book, The Container Victory Garden, is about growing vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers in containers. Aimed at beginning gardeners, the book shows readers new to container gardening how…
Edible Mushrooms: Mosaic Puffball (Calvatia utriformis aka Handkea utriformis aka Lycoperdon utriforme aka Lycoperdon caelatum)
Native to northern temperate zones, this puffball has been found in Europe, continental Asia, Japan, eastern Atlantic, North America, Mexico, South Africa, Chile, and New Zealand. It usually grows alone…
Plant Profile: Royal Azalea (Rhododendron schlippenbachii)
This dense flowering deciduous shrub is native to Korea, Manchuria, Japan and far east Russia where it grows in the understory of mountain forests. It is a member of the…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Heather (Calluna vulgaris) “Our Lady’s Adversary”
The connection between heather and the Virgin Mary is obscure and speculative. Most of the legends about heather come from areas where it grows abundantly, such as Scotland, Ireland, and…
Plant Profile: Woodbine (Lonicera periclymenum)
Also known as European honeysuckle, this twining deciduous shrub has a vine-like growth habit. It is native to woodlands, hedgerows and scrublands of Europe, North Africa and western Asia and…