The Causes of Thatch Build Up in Lawns
Karen If your lawn is bumpy or feels spongy underfoot you may have thatch build up. You can check by removing a small wedge of lawn deep enough to get some…
Plant Profile: Heartleaf Alexander (Zizia aptera)
This short-lived perennial is a member of the carrot family, Apiaceae, that also includes parsley, celery, and poison hemlock. It is a native of moist to seasonable wet meadows and…
Book Review: Compost: the natural way to make food for your garden
As gardeners we all want to do the right thing and composting is high on the list. For some of us, however, the thought of a pile of rotting vegetation…
Five Annual Vines that Attract Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds in the garden are special and if we want them to visit we can plant some annual vines that will entice them. The nice thing about vines is that…
Plant Profile: ‘Heaven Scent’ Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans x Polemonium yezoense)
Jacob’s ladder is a favorite for woodland gardens because of its deer resistance, disease resistance, shade tolerance, and its lovely clusters of blue flowers in late spring. In addition, “Heaven…
Considerations For Locating a Lawn
Many people have a lawn in the front of their house. It makes the home look better, more attractive and inviting. The backyard is also a favorite place for a…
Plant Profile: Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum)
Known by many names including duck’s foot, hog apple, raccoonberry, umbrella leaf, and wild lemon, this herbaceous perennial is native to eastern North America south to Texas, where it may…
Book Review: America’s Cottage Gardens: Imaginative Variations on the Classic Garden Style
The charming image of an eighteenth century English cottage garden is a dream to most gardeners in North America but not a reality for most of us. We have a…
Rambling Roses for the Cottage Garden
The vigorous sprawling growth of rambling roses have made them popular choices for inclusion in cottage gardens in the past as well as in the present. They only bloom once…
Plant Profile: ‘Burning Hearts’ Bleeding Heart (Dicentra exima)
Bleeding hearts are always welcome in a shade garden and this one is especially desirable. With its deep rose flowers trimmed with white and its soft blue-gray foliage it adds…