Plant Profile: Torch Lily (Kniphofia uvaria)
Karen For sizzle in the garden, torch lily is at the top of my list. Some may call the colors brassy but I like the combination of orange and yellow and…
Plant Profile: False Spirea (Astilbe x arendsii)
When the astilbes come into bloom, my secret garden takes on a soft and delicate look and I take special pleasure in spending time there. The feathery panicles of flowers…
Plant Profile: Cardinal Vine ( Ipomoea × multifida)
Also called hearts and honey, this annual twinning vine is a hybrid of Ipomoea coccinea (scarlet morning glory) and I. quamoclit (cypress vine) and is a member of the morning…
Plant Profile: Red Valerian/Jupiter’s Beard (Centranthus ruber)
If you like the look of flowering plants growing out of old walls or brickwork you will probably like Red Valerian. It is drought tolerant and a lime lover and…
Plant Profile: Spiderwort (Tradescantia x andersoniana aka T. virginiana)
Native to North, South, and Central America, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the dayflower family, Commelinaceae, a family of 731 species. The plants grow in clumps up to…
Plant Profile: Yellow Foxglove (Digitalis grandiflora)
Some flowers conjure up visions of an English cottage garden and foxglove is one of them. The ones you see in this vision are a lovely shade of strawberry pink…
Plant Profile: Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis)
Native to meadows, woodland borders and streamsides of eastern and central US, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the bean family, Fabaceae, that also includes lupine, mimosa, and black…
Plant Profile: Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ )
Native to Japan, this delicate perennial is a member of the grass family, Poaceae, that also includes corn, rice, and bamboo. It forms loose cascading mounds of gold variegated leaves…
Plant Profile: Cranebill (Geranium sanguineum var.striata ‘Lancastriense’ or Prostratum’)
With over 200 species the genus Geranium has a lot to offer. One of my favorites is ‘Lancastriense’ with its diminutive mound of foliage and delicate pink flowers. Standing at…
Plant Profile: Star of Persia (Allium albopilosum syn. A. christophii)
Five large amethyst-violet spheres with silver highlights are emerging from the soil in my garden like space ships. Ah…it is Allium albopilosum time. These beautiful globes held on their 24”…