Plant Profile: Green Dragon (Arisaema dracontium)
Karen Green dragon is an herbaceous perennial native to eastern North America where it grows in damp forests. It is a member of the arum family, Araceae, that also includes Jack…
Book Review: Five-Plant Gardens
One of the most difficult things about gardening is choosing good plant combinations. The gardener has to consider growing conditions as well as such factors as the bloom time, color,…
Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wine: Cock Ale
When reading the book written by my paternal grandmother’s on home made wines I could hardly believe that she had this one. My grandmother had a wicked sense of humor…
Plant Profile: Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana)
Also known as false dragonhead, this rhizomatous herbaceous perennial is native to North American and a member of the deadnettle family, Lamiaceae, that also includes mint, coleus, and lamb’s ear.…
Plant Combination: Dwarf Greenstripe Bamboo (Arundinaria viridistriata) and Hosta montana ‘Aureomarginata’
A shady or partly shady area of the garden with moist soil is perfect for this handsome combination. In spring and early summer the yellow variegation of the hosta echoes…
Plant Profile: Millot’s Knotweed (Polygonum miletti aka Persicaria miletti)
This clump-forming herbaceous perennial is native to western China and Nepal where it grows in scrub and on cliff ledges. It is a member of the knotweed family, Polygonaceae, that…
Book Review: Chez Panisse Fruit
Alice Waters, owner of the restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, brings her considerable experience with fresh, locally grown, organic produce to her book, Chez Panisse Fruits. The book provides…
Best Large Flowered Climbing Roses
Picking the “best” roses is an objective process and in this case, the ratings of the American Roses Society have been used. Every year the American Rose Society enlists the…
Plant Profile: Checkerbloom aka Praire Mallow (Sidalcea malviflora)
Checkerbloom is a herbaceous perennial in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that also includes hollyhock, cotton, and okra. It is native to western North America from Alberta and British Columbia south…
Rabbit Resistant Plants: Foliage Perennials
Plants with beautiful foliage fill a special role in gardens and are especially appreciated for the long season pleasure they provide. Unfortunately, rabbits also find some of them tasty treats…