Considerations for Choosing a Grass for a Lawn
Karen Grasses vary considerably in many ways. They look different, require different climatic conditions, tolerate different kinds of use, and demand varying amounts of care. As you choose a grass for…
Plant Profile: Aromatic Aster (Aster oblongifolius)
Asters are always welcome in the fall when other plants are fading, and aromatic aster is one of the last asters to bloom. A profusion of blue flowers with yellow…
Book Review: The Secrets of Wildflowers: A Delightful Feast of Little-Known Facts, Folklore, and History
If you love plants for their own sake, this is the book for you! You don’t have to be a gardener or a naturalist to enjoy all the fascinating information…
Native Plants for Moist Places: Herbaceous Perennials
How many times have you seen in a plant description the phrases “resents wet feet”? or “likes moist but well-drained soil”? Plant roots need oxygen and the water prevents them…
Plant Profile: ‘Bowles Golden’ Sedge (Carex elata ‘Bowles Golden’)
The bright yellow new growth of “Bowles Golden Sedge is the perfect plant to brighten up up a moist shady spot. The leaves are actually yellow with green margins but…
Lawn Make-Over: Getting Rid of the Old Turf
No matter how much you value your lawn and lavish time and money on it, bad stuff happens and the time may come when you decide to start over and…
Plant Profile: Lance-leaved Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)
Lance-leaved coreopsis is one of those great plants that looks good in the border as well as in a meadow. It is long blooming and tough and spreads into vigorous…
Book Review: Garden Primer
Barbara Damrosch’s Garden Primer is a comprehensive guide to gardening that give you the basics as well as information on specific plants. Damrosch points out in her introduction that the…
Five Native Orchids for A Woodland Garden
The name orchid conjures on images of exotic plants from foreign shores. Most of them are not suitable for the outdoor gardens in the United States but there are some…
Plant Profile: Morning Glory (Ipomoea tricolor)
Native to the New World tropics this tender perennial vine is a member of the Convolvulaceae family that also includes sweet potato, cypress vine, and dodder. The plant grows up…