Plant Profile: Blanket Flower (Gaillardia aristata ‘Fanfare’)
Karen There are many kinds of blanket flower but ‘Fanfare’ is one of the most unique. The fluted orange petal-like flowers flaring out around the burgundy center give the flowerheads the…
Book Review: Eco-Yards: Simple Steps to Earth-Friendly Landscapes
It is hard to ignore the growing concern for the environment and the need to take part in caring for it. The future of the planet depends on people getting…
Silvered Leaved Companions for Roses
Some roses are beautiful in every way with abundant foliage and masses of colorful flowers. Many, however, could use a little help when out of bloom, or need something attractive…
Plant Profile: Cushion Spruge (Euphorbia polychroma aka E. epithymoides )
Cushion spurge is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial native to Central and southeastern Europe, and Asia Minor, and a member of the Euphorbiaceae family that also includes pointsetta, rubber plant, and…
Herb Garden: Five Herbs Used as Sweetness Enhancers
The great thing about using herbs as sweetness enhancers is that they don’t add calories. You can use them alone or with sugar or other sweeteners to heighten the sweetness…
Plant Profile: ‘Silk Tassel’ Sedge (Carex morrowii temnolepis ‘Silk Tassel’)
The fine textured blades of this sedge look more like hair than leaves. They are white and green striped and look silvery en masse. The plants form a clumps up…
Bizarre Botanicals: How to Grow String-of-Hearts, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Pander Ginger, and other Weird and Wonderful Plants
No matter how many beautiful plants we grow the excitement of growing something weird can be appealing. Authors Larry Mellichamp and Paula Gross present 78 outlandish plants that can be…
Plant Profile: Broadleaf Paintbrush (Castilleja integra)
A native of dry plains and open mountain woodlands at medium elevations from Colorado to Arizona and Texas, broadleaf paintbrush is a colorful short-lived perennial that brightens the garden for…
Herb Garden: Five Herbs to Ward off Evil Spirits and Witches
You probably don’t spend much time worrying about evil spirits and witches but when Halloween rolls around it is always nice to know that you are protected. There are numerous…
Weeds and Their Control: Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum)
The name “poison hemlock” conjures up visions of Socrates drinking his fatal brew as shown by the French painter Jacques-Louis David. A brew containing poison hemlock was given to condemned…