Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)
Karen The sacred lotus is an aquatic perennial native to Asia and cultivated in China for over 3000 years for its ornamental, medicinal, and culinary value. Although an exotic in Italy,…
Plant Profile: Hydrangea paniculata ‘Tarvida’
Hydrangea paniculata is a deciduous woody shrub growing up to 12′ tall. It is native to eastern and southern China, Japan, Sakhalin, Taiwan, and Kuril Island and belongs to the…
Book Review: The Very Hungary Caterpillar
Eric Carle’s book, The Very Hungary Caterpillar, follows the life of a caterpillar from egg to butterfly with a focus on all the eating the caterpillar must do to pull…
Genus: Illicium for the Garden
Illicium is a genus of 40- 50 species of broadleaf evergreen shrubs and small trees and belong to the the starvine family, Schisandraceae. They are found principally in east and…
Plant Profile: Sweet Box (Sarcococca confusa)
The evergreen shrub is a member of the boxwood family, Buxaceae, and probably native to western China. It grows 3-5′ tall and wide, is densely branched and has glossy leathery,…
Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Cucumus (Cucumber and Melons)
The genus Cucumis is in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, and includes at least two species valued by the ancient Romans for food: cucumber (Cucumis sativus,) and muskmellons (C. melo). Plant…
Plant Profile: Littleleaf Lilac ‘Superba’ (Syringa pubescens subsp microphylla ‘Superba’)
Native to China, this flowering deciduous shrub is a member of the olive family, Oleaceae, that also includes privet, jasmine and forsythia. The shrub is bushy, grows up to 7′…
Book Review: The Oxford Companion to Beer
Karen Meyers The Oxford Companion to Beer is an encyclopedic work covering every subject related to beer. Drawing on the expertise of 166 beer experts from more than a twenty countries, Editor…
Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wines: Champagne Cider-2
After consulting the 1909 book Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wines by my paternal grandmother, Helen S. Wright, I am confused about the difference between champagne cider and cider…
Plant Profile: Large Flowered St. John’s Wort (Hypericum kouytchense aka Hypericum patulum ‘Sungold’)
Native to western China, this bushy, rounded, semi-evergreen shrub is a member of the Hypericaceae plant family, best known for the herb, H. perforatum (common St. John’s wort). The plant…