Book Review: Pots in the Garden
Karen Ray Rogers’ work, Pots in the Garden, is a unique contribution to the large collection of books dealing with container gardening. It contains a wealth of information on all aspects…
Characteristics of Grandiflora Roses
Funny thing about grandiflora roses, the name suggests large flowers but the flowers aren’t as large as those of hybrid teas. Maybe the English rose growers know something we don’t…
Plant Profile: Barren Strawberry (Waldsteinia fragarioides)
Native to the Northeast and prairies, Barren Strawberry is an ideal groundcover for a woodland garden and even does well in dry conditions. The basal glossy evergreen leaves look very…
Five Sweet Smelling Herbs for the Cottage Garden
The traditional cottage garden of the past was a practical garden that included vegetables and herbs. The herbs were important to the cottage gardener for their usefulness especially in regard…
Plant Profile: Yellow Gentian (Gentiana lutea)
Yellow gentian, also called Bitterroot, has been around a long time. It was named for a 2nd century Illyrian king who is said to have used it to reduce fevers…
Book Review: Herbaceous Perennial Plants: A Treatise on their Identification, Culture, and Garden Attributes
This is my perennial bible. I could not garden without it and I use it on a regular basis. It includes all the information I need to know in order…
Characteristics of Floribunda Roses
The name “floribunda” says it all; flora means “flower”, and abundo means “having in large supply” so the name “floribunda” aptly describes a rose having an abundance of flowers. Floribundas…
Plant Profile: California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
California poppy is one of the toughest, easiest to grow plants. It is native to the west coast from southern Washington to Baja California and east to Nevada, Arizona, and…
Five Small Deciduous Trees for the Mixed Border
If you have a fairly large garden you may be able to include some small trees. These trees can give a feeling of permanence to the garden and give drama…
Plant Profile: Rain Lily (Zephyranthes atamasca)
The bright yellow stamens set off the snowy-white tepals of the flowers in early spring. The flowers seem to appear after a rain giving rise to the common name. The…