Plant Profile: Mountain Bluet (Centaurea montana)
Karen Also known as perennial bachelor’s button and montane knapweed, this clump forming herbaceous perennial is native to the upper montaine and sub-alpine zones of Europe where it grows in meadows…
Plant Profile: Spike Winter Hazel (Corylopsis spicata)
Native to Japan, this flowering deciduous shrub is in the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, that also includes fothergill and loropetalum. The unusual fragrant flowers that appear in late winter to…
Plant Profile: Pussy Willow (Salix discolor)
Pussy willow is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to moist and wet soils of northern regions of North America including parts of the US. It is a member…
The Story of the Olympic Bouquet, Vancouver, 2010
When the winners are given their medals at the Olympic Games, do you look at the bouquets? I do. Every medallist gets one and this year at the winter games…
Plant Profile: Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo)
Native to the Mediterranean region and western Europe, this broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree is a member of the heather family, Ericaceae, that also includes rhododendron, blueberry, and mountain…
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: English Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’)
English boxwood is an evergreen shrub native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa and southwest Asia where they grow in open woodlands and rocky hillsides. It and is member…
Plant Profile: Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick (Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’)
If the name of the shrub is not enough to pique your curiosity, the stems and flowers will. The cultivar name ‘Contorta’gives you hint of what to expect…twisted branches. But…
Plant Profile: Beautyberry (Callicarpa japonica)
This cascading deciduous shrub is native to China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Ryuku Islands and is a member of the deadnettle family, Lamiaceae, that also includes mint, beebalm and adjuga.…
Five Favorite Grasses for Fall
The cool temperatures of autumn allow fall blooming grasses to grow to their full potential. Some of them continue into winter providing beauty and interest well into spring. Many of…