Book Review: Complete Starter Guide to Bonsai
Karen Meyers David Squire’s book, Complete Starter Guide to Bonsai, provides an introduction to the art of bonsai. Written with the novice in mind, the author covers all the information needed to…
Wildflowers: Iris Native to New England
Iris is a genus of 310 species and is in the plant family Iridaceae that also included gladiolus, crocus and freesia. The plants are all perennial and grow from rhizomes…
Plant Profile: Fernleaf Yarrow (Achillea filipendulina) ‘Coronation Gold’
Karen Fernleaf yarrow ‘Coronation Gold’ is a hybrid resulting from a cross between Achillea filipendulina and A. clypeolata and is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisies,…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Baby’s Breath (Gypsophilia paniculata)
Baby’s breath is a relatively new introduction in Mary gardens. It was first introduced to European gardens in the early 19th century as an ornamental plant and was absorbed into…
Plant Profile: Spanish Broom (Spartium junceum)
Known as rush broom and weaver’s broom, this flowering deciduous shrub is native to southwestern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Azores where it grows on dry, sandy, sunny sites. It…
Book Review: The Succulents Design Book
Kentaro Duroda’s book, The Succulents Design Book, combines instructions for creating living arrangements of succulents with basic information on growing and using this unique group of plants. The book is…
Wildflowers: Iris Native to the Mid-Atlantic States
Iris is a genus of 310 species and is in the plant family Iridaceae that also included gladiolus, crocus and freesia. The plants are all perennial and grow from rhizomes…
Plant Profile: Diascia fetcaniensis
This sprawling, semi-evergreen perennial is native to South Africa and is a member of the figwort family, Scrophylariaceae, that also includes butterfly bush, mullein, and nemesia. It grows up 10-…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Cranesbill (Geranium maculata) Our Lady’s Pins
Early European settlers learned about the medicinal use of G. maculata from the indigenous people of North America where the plant was native and they incorporated it into their own…
Plant Profile: Mormon Tea (Ephedra viridis)
Also known as Indian tea and green ephedra, this evergreen coniferous shrub is native to western US from the Arizona deserts to California, east of the Sierra Nevada, San Joaquin…