Mid-May Visit to Biltmore Estate Gardens, Ashville, North Carolina
Karen A visit to Biltmore’s garden is always a treat and going the third week of May was especially nice. The drive to the house was lush and green, and banners…
Plant Profile: Nodding Wild Onion (Allium cernuum)
There are many different kinds of onion cultivated as garden plants but the nodding wild onion has a special charm all of its own. In summer a cluster of white…
Book Review: Growing and Propagating Wildflowers
If you like wildflowers and want to know more about them this book could be exactly what you are looking for. It includes detailed information on 200 genera and 1000…
Garden Hedges: Five Floribunda Roses for a Beautiful Hedge
Roses are can make a fine hedge when you want to restrict the movement of people from one area to another. Many floribundas and some shrub roses can be planted…
Plant Profile: ‘Coconut Punch’ Dianthus
Full, double, clove-scented, deep red and white flowers bloom on compact mounds of grey-green foliage in early summer and may continue sporadically until fall when another flush occurs. This cultivar…
The Causes of Thatch Build Up in Lawns
If your lawn is bumpy or feels spongy underfoot you may have thatch build up. You can check by removing a small wedge of lawn deep enough to get some…
Plant Profile: Heartleaf Alexander (Zizia aptera)
This short-lived perennial is a member of the carrot family, Apiaceae, that also includes parsley, celery, and poison hemlock. It is a native of moist to seasonable wet meadows and…
Book Review: Compost: the natural way to make food for your garden
As gardeners we all want to do the right thing and composting is high on the list. For some of us, however, the thought of a pile of rotting vegetation…
Five Annual Vines that Attract Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds in the garden are special and if we want them to visit we can plant some annual vines that will entice them. The nice thing about vines is that…
Plant Profile: ‘Heaven Scent’ Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans x Polemonium yezoense)
Jacob’s ladder is a favorite for woodland gardens because of its deer resistance, disease resistance, shade tolerance, and its lovely clusters of blue flowers in late spring. In addition, “Heaven…