Plant Profile: Rocky Mountain Bee Plant (Cleome serrulata)
Karen Rocky Mountain bee plant is an annual and a member of the Cleomaceae, a family closely related to mustards. It is native to western North America where it grows in…
The Language of Flowers: Globe Amaranth aka Gomphrena (Gomphrena globosa)
Globe Amaranth is a compact annual growing up to twenty four inches tall and belongs to the Amaranthaceae family that also includes spinach, celosia, and quinoa. It is native to…
Genus Dianthus for the Garden
Dianthus is a genus in the carnation family, Caryophyllaceae, and includes sweet william and pinks. Most of the species are annuals , biennials, or herbaceous perennials and are native to…
The Language of Flowers: Sweet Alyssum (Alyssum maritimum aka Lobularia maritima )
Sweet alyssum is a low growing annual and member of the mustard family, Brassicaceae, that also includes cabbage, broccoli, and stock. It is native to the Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Azores,…
Gypsophilia for the Garden
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,…