How to Care for Bonsai: Firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea)
Karen download Firethorn is a thorny evergreen shrub native to southern Europe to western Asia. It is in the rose family, Rosaceae, that also includes apples, meadowsweet, and lady’s mantle. The…
Plant Profile: British Columbia Wild Ginger (Asarum caudatum)
This western wild ginger is a member of the pipevine family, Aristolochiaceae, that is known for its unusual flowers and is not a true ginger. It is an evergreen herbaceous…
Deadly Poisonous Mushrooms: Death Cap (Amanita phalloides)
The Death Cap is found singly or in troops growing in rich soil throughout the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere from late summer to fall. It is mycorrhizal with…
Plant Profile: Rosa ‘Lovely Fairy’
This popular Polyantha rose produces clusters of 10-40 deep pink flowers in flushes throughout the season beginning a bit later but continuing well into fall. Each flower is up to…
Book Review: Beginner Gardening
DK’s book Beginner Gardening presents the basic principles involved in making and maintaining a garden from conception to birth. It breaks down the process into small segments and presents each…
Old Time Recipies for Home Made Wine: Barley Wine
Barley wine goes back to ancient times when the Greek military commander and historian Xenophon mentioned it in his History of the Persian wars. Xenophon’s beverage, however, predates the use…
Plant Profile: Wild Sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis)
Also called false sarsaparilla, shot bush, small spikenard, wild liqorice, and rabbit root, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the ginseng family, Araliaceae, that also includes ivy, umbrella tree,…
The Language of Flowers: Globe Amaranth aka Gomphrena (Gomphrena globosa)
Globe Amaranth is a compact annual growing up to twenty four inches tall and belongs to the Amaranthaceae family that also includes spinach, celosia, and quinoa. It is native to…
Plant Profile: Poker Alumroot (Heuchera cylindrica)
Also called roundleaf alum, this evergreen herbaceous perennial is a member of the saxifraxge family, Saxifragaceae, that also includes astilbe, bergenia, and tiarella. It is native to northwestern North America…
Book Review: Tell Your Children
With more and more people looking favorably on the legalization of marijuana there is a growing increase in the number of people concerned about legalization, and Alex Berenson is one…