Book Review: Attracting Butterflies and Hummingbirds to Your Backyard
Karen One of the great pleasures of having a garden is watching the butterflies and birds that come to live there. Their beauty alone makes them desirable guests but added to…
Plant Profile: Dill (Anethum graveolens)
Dill is a cool weather annual and a member of the carrot family, Apiaceae, that also includes celery, sea holly, and Queen Anne’s lace. It is native to northern Africa…
Plant Profile: Spider Flower (Cleome hassleriana)
Also called pink queen and grandfather’s whiskers, this annual is a native of South America and a member of the Cleomaceae, a family closely related to the mustard family. The…
Plant Profile: Cherry Laurel (Prunus lauroceraus aka P. officinalis)
Native to southeastern Europe and the Middle East this evergreen shrub or small tree is a member of the rose family, Rosaceae, that also includes, apple, lady’s mantle, and pyracantha.…
Plant Profile: Gay Feather (Liatris spicata) ‘Kobold’
Also called blazing star, this clump-forming herbaceous perennial is native to eastern US and is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow, and lettuce. Corms…
Plant Profile: Butterfly Weed (Ascelpias tuberosa)
This clump-forming, long-lived, herbaceous perennial is native to eastern North America where it tends to grow on dry soil in full sun . It is a member of the dogbane…
Plant Profile: Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota)
Also called wild carrot, bird’s nest, and bishop’s lace, this herbaceous biennial is a member of the parsley family, Apiaceae, that also includes celery, dill, and poison hemlock. It is…
Plant Profile: Cardinal Vine ( Ipomoea × multifida)
Also called hearts and honey, this annual twinning vine is a hybrid of Ipomoea coccinea (scarlet morning glory) and I. quamoclit (cypress vine) and is a member of the morning…
Plant Profile: Red Valerian/Jupiter’s Beard (Centranthus ruber)
Karen Meyers Also known as spur valerian, kiss-me-quick, fox’s brush, and devil’s beard, this herbaceous perennial or subshrub is native to the Mediterranean area. It is a member of the honeysuckle family,…