Gypsophilia for the Garden
Karen The generic name Gypsophila is derived from the Greek words Gypsos meaning lime and philos meaning love. Commonly known as baby’s breath, they derive their generic name from the fact…
Adonis for the Garden
Native to Europe, Africa and Asia, Adonis is a genus in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that also includes anemone, delphinium, and hellebore. There are about twenty species but only a…
Plant Profile: Love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus) ‘Fat Spike’
Also commonly known as tassel flower, this annual is native to India, Africa, and Peru, and a member of the Amaranth family (Amaranthaceae), a diverse family that also includes beets,…
Plant Profile: Flossflower (Ageratum houstonianum)
Flossflower is an annual belonging to the aster family (Asteraceae)and native to Mexico. It has become an invasive weed in some areas of the world while bred into a common…
Plant Profile: Honesty (Lunaria annua)
This biennial often grown as an annual is native to the Balkans and southwest Asia and is also called money plant, silver dollars, Chinese coins, and similar, because of its…
Pink Variegated Plants for the Garden
Variegated plants are always desirable in the garden for the long term color they provide. They draw the eye and can be used to move the eye around the garden,…
Plant Profile: Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum)
A native of Greece and western Asia, the opium poppy is the oldest poppy in cultivation, dating back to ancient Sumerian times, 4000 BC. The ancient Minoans, 2000-1450 BC, made…
Plant Profile: ‘Gage’s Shadow’ Perilla (Solenostemon x perilla)
A tall annual, ‘Gage’s Shadow’ perilla has purple green foliage that is a great backdrop for many plants especially pink flowered ones. It has excellent heat and humidity tolerance and…
Plant Profile: Godetia/Farewell to Spring (Clarkia amoena)
A native of Chile and western North America from San Francisco to British Columbia, this annual was named for Captain Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition fame. It thrives…
Plant Profile: Mexican Sunflower ‘Fiesta Del Sol’ (Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Fiesta del Sol’)
‘Fiesta del Sol’ is the first truly dwarf Mexican sunflower topping out at 2½’ instead of 5-6’ like other varieties. The plants thrive in heat and humidity, are drought tolerant,…