Book Review: The Plant Recipe Book
Karen Gardener and floral designer Baylor Chapman presents 100 living arrangements in her work, The Plant recipe Book. Believing that everyone can bring a little bit of greenery inside no matter…
Plant Profile: Zigzag Iris (Iris brevicaulis)
Also called short-stemmed iris, this rhizomatous perennial and a member of the iris family, Iridaceae, that also includes crocus, gladiolus, and freesia. It is native to Ohio southwest to Nebraska,…
Book Review: Container Gardeners Handbook
If you like plants you will probably need or want at least a few containers filled with plants no matter where you live. Francis Tophill’s book, Container Gardener’s Handbook presents…
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…
Plant Profile: Strawberry Foxglove (Digitalis x mertonensis)
Strawberry foxglove is a short-lived herbaceous perennial and member of the plantian family, Plantaginaceae, that also includes snapdragon, turtlehead, and Veronica. It is a tetraploid hybrid resulting from a cross…
Book Review: Infinite Succulents
Succulents are familiar plants to many gardeners but to author Rachael Cohen they have the potential of being living art. In her book, Infinite Succulents, Cohen shows readers that succulents…
Genus Astilbes for the Garden
Also called false spirea, Astilbe is a genus of herbaceous perennials and members of the saxifrage family, Saxifrageceae, that also includes coralbells (heuchera), Bergenia, and Tiarella. Most astilbes are native…
Plant Profile: Winter-Blooming Bergenia (Bergenia crassifolia)
Known by many names including leather leaf bergenia, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the Saxifracaceae family that also includes astilbe, foam flower (Tiarella), and coral bells (Heuchera). It…
Plant Profile: Beach Naupaka (Scaevola sericea var. taccada)
Also known as beach cabbage and sea lettuce, beach naupaka is a dense, spreading evergreen shrub growing 3-10’ tall and native to beaches and tropical coastal habitats such as salt…
Poisonous Plants: Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)
Lily of the valley is a herbaceous perennial and a member of the asparagus family, Asparagaceae, that also includes scilla, yucca, and hosta. It is native to Europe, except the…