Herb Garden: Five Herbs for Red Dyes
Karen The beautiful red colors produced by vegetable dyes have a richness and mellowness that can’t be achieved with chemical dyes. These many shades of red can be produced by a…
Herb Garden: Five Beautiful Shrubs for the Dye Garden
You might never dye your own cloth but having an herb garden that features plants historically used in dye making is an interesting and enjoyable endeavor. The colors are usually…
Book Review: Herbs in Bloom: A Guide to Growing Herbs as Ornamental Plants
Herbs are usually grown for their foliage which is harvested for culinary or medicinal purpose with little thought given to the beauty of the flowers that many produce. Herbs in…
Plant Profile: Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacornus)
Also called water flag, this herbaceous perennial is a beardless rhizomatous iris native to the wetlands of Europe, western Asia and northwest Africa. It is a member of the iris…
Plant Profile: Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria)
Agrimony is a perennial herb native to Europe and sothwestern Asia where it grows in moist woods, damp meadows, pastures, and along stream banks. It is a member of the…
Plant Profile: Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana, syn. Cochlearia armoraci)
This herbaceous perennial is a member of the mustard family, Brassicaceae, that also includes broccoli, alyssum, and stock. It’s origin is obscure but it is believed to be native to…
Plant Profile: Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare aka F. officinale)
Fennel is a herbaceous perennial and a member of the carrot family, Apiaceae, that also includes celery, sea holly, and dill. It is native to the shores of the Mediterranean…
Plant Profile: Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
Tansy is a herbaceous perennial and a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow, and lettuce. It is native to Europe and Asia but was introduced…
Plant profile: Sweet Marjoram (Origanum majorana)
Endemic to Cypris, this tender perennial is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae, that also includes basil, rosemary and deadnettle. It grows up to 2′ tall and has gray-green…
Plant Profile: Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
Native to Eurasia, this short lived herbaceous perennial is also known as catmint and is a member of the mint family, Labiaceae, that also includes rosemary, basil, and beebalm. Plants…