Plant profile: Chinese Aster (Callistephus chinensis)
Karen Chinese asters are cool weather annuals or biennials native to China and Korea and members of the aster family, Asteraceae. They are not true asters, however, and belong to a…
Plant Profile: Peachleaf Bellflower (Campanula persicifolia)
Peachleaf bellflower is an herbaceous perennial native to the mountains of Europe, North Africa, and Asia where it grows in meadows and woodland edges. It forms a evergreen basal rosette…
Plant Profile: Golden Thread-leaf Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera)‘Filifera Aurea’
Chamaecyparis pisifera is a coniferous evergreen tree native to Japan that has given rise to several garden worthy plants and ‘Filifer Aurea’ is one of them. It has reddish-brown bark…
Plant Profile: Globe Artichoke (Cynara scolymus)
Globe artichoke is a herbaceous perennial thistle in the aster family (Asteraceae) that also includes daisies, dandelions, and sunflowers. It is native to the Mediterranean coast and grown for its…
Book Review: The Flower Workshop
Flowers brighten a room and lift our moods whether they are used everyday or for grand occasions. Have you ever wondered what makes some flower arrangements sing to you while…
Plant Profile: Dianthus ‘Mrs. Sinkins’
Bred in Berkshire, England in 1883 by Mr. Sinkins, this old fashioned pink has evergreen foliage that is grass-like and silvery-green. The double white flowers with green centers appear in…
Plant Profile: Corncockle (Agrostemma githago)
Corncockle is an upright annual belonging to the carnation family, Caryophyllaceae, that also includes pinks, baby’s breath, and campion. It is native to Europe where it grows in disturbed sites…
Plant Profile: Cupids Dart (Catananche caerulea)
Cupid’s dart is a herbaceous perennial belonging to the aster family,Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow and lettuce. It is native to Mediterranean Europe and northern Africa where it grows…
Best Hybrid Musks with Hips
Hybrid musks date to the early twentieth century so must be considered modern roses. Although their parentage includes the musk rose (Rosa moschata), it also includes other parents such as…
Plant Profile: Poppy Anemone (Anemone coronaria)
This tuberous short-lived perennial is native to the Mediterranean and a member of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) that also includes delphinium, clematis, and hellebore. The poppy-like flowers lack petals but…