Plant Profile: Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum)
Karen 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: Rosa ‘Ispahan’
With fragrant mid-pink flowers this Damask rose is one of the favorite old garden roses of many distinguished rose growers. Clusters of up to fifteen large double roses are produced…
Plant Profile: Sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica)
A native of Europe and western Asia, sneezewort is a rhizomaceous perennial that spreads and naturalizes if the soil is good. It is a membet of the aster family, Asteraceae,…
Plant Profile: Chinese Lantern Lily (Sandersonia aurantiaca)
This tender perennial is native to South Africa and Swaziland where it used to be common in grasslands and forest margins but is now rare. It is now grown commercially…
Plant Profile: Hop-Flowered Oregano (Origanum libanoticum)
A native of Lebanon this ornamental oregano is a herbaceous perennial prized for the masses of shrimp-like, papery chartreuse bracts that hang from the wiry stems. Small pink to mauve…
Plant Profile: Osage Orange Maclura pomifera)
This deciduous small to medium sized tree is a native in parts of Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma but has spread widely through the Great Plains where was planted in the…
Plant Profile: Norway Maple (Acer plantanoides)
Some of us have fond memories of “helicopters” swirling down from maple trees, breaking them open and sticking them on our nose. If you share this memory you may have…
Book Review: The Complete Flower Arranging Book
Whether you are a novice or experienced flower arranger, The Complete Flower Arranging Book by Susan Conder, Sue Phillips, and Pamela Westland, will add to your skills and increase your…
Plant Profile: Blue Throatwort (Trachelium caeruleum)
Native to the western Mediterranean, this tender evergreen perennial is commonly grown as an annual in temperate climates. It forms a clump of stems bearing narrow, dark green to reddish…
Plant Profile: Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)
The sacred lotus, also known as Indian lotus, is an aquatic perennial native to tropical Asia and Australia. It is one of two extant species in the Nelumbonaceae family and…