Meadow Garden: Native Flowering Annuals
Karen Meyers Native annuals can be used to enhance the meadow garden in many ways. Most annuals bloom with vibrant colors over a long bloom time and are easy to grow from…
Growing Plants from Seed: Sunflower (Helianthus spp.)
Karen Sunflowers are a very large group consisting of both annulas and perennials. 150 species. The most popular sunflower for gardens is the annual, Helianthus annus, but there are many good…
Edible Flowers: Sunflowers (Helianthus annus)
Sunflowers are annuals native to North American but introduced into Europe in the sixteenth century by the Spanish. They are now widely grown for their oil and seeds. Sunflowers belong…
Collecting Seed: Sunflowers (Helianthus spp)
The large genus of Helianthus includes bth annualas and perennials but the most commonly grown is an annual, Helianthus annus. The plants are usually tall and bear very large showy…
Book Review: Seven Flowers and How They Shaped the World
Author Jennifer Potter takes a unique look at seven flowers that have significantly influenced civilization for hundreds and sometimes thousands of years. The focus of her study is the lotus,…
Factors to Consider when Selecting Annual Sunflowers for the Garden
The past 30 years has brought the humble sunflower (Helianthus annus) from a roadside weed to a garden show-stopper. Just open a seed catalog to realize that there are many…
How to Make a Thanksgiving Table Arrangement
When Thanksgiving rolls around I am often able to collect a considerable amount of foliage and other plant material from the garden to make an arrangement. I always have grasses…
Name This Plant Game: Summer Blooming Annuals 1
Chuck This simple game tests your gardening knowledge by identifying five plants shown in photos from a list of possible names. Photos of each plant are accompaned by a clue describing…
Garden Journal: June 21 2009
Ample rain, high humidity, and cloudy days with just a touch of sun now and then set the stage for this week’s garden. Many plants seem to thrive while others…