Plant Profile: Blanket Flower (Gaillardia aristata ‘Fanfare’)
Karen There are many kinds of blanket flower but ‘Fanfare’ is one of the most unique. The fluted orange petal-like flowers flaring out around the burgundy center give the flowerheads the…
Plant Profile: ‘Loraine Sunshine’ Oxeye (Heliopsis ‘Loraine Sunshine’)
This is one of those “WOW” plants mainly because of its unique and striking foliage. The coarse leaves are greenish white with green veins and add as much to the…
Plant Profile: Great Masterwort (Astrantia major)
Popular in Britain but little known in the US, greater masterwort is a stoloniferous herbaceous perennial native to central and eastern Europe where it grows in mountain meadows, grasslands, woodland…
Plant Profile: Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
If you are familiar with this plant you either live in the northwest United States or know it from the floral trade. A member of the heather family salal is…
Plant Profile: ‘Annabelle’ Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’)
The most popular of the H. arborescens is “Annabelle’, and for good reason. First, it can be cut back in late winter because it produces flowers on new growth. There…
Plant Profile: Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacornus)
Also called water flag, this herbaceous perennial is a beardless rhizomatous iris native to the wetlands of Europe, western Asia and northwest Africa. It is a member of the iris…
Plant Profile: Godetia/Farewell to Spring (Clarkia amoena)
A native of Chile and western North America from San Francisco to British Columbia, this annual was named for Captain Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition fame. It thrives…
Five Best Spring Bulbs for Cut Flowers
As beautiful as spring bulbs are in the garden, they can be beautiful cut flowers. I plant some that I never cut and others for the sole purpose of cutting…
Book Review: Flowers: The Book of Floral Design
This large, handsome book might be mistaken for a coffee table book, but it is far more. It is full of creative ideas and practical suggestions for arranging flowers that…
Plant Profile: Woolly Yarrow (Achillea tomentosa )
This semi-evergreen, mat-forming perennial is native to the lowlands of Europe and western Asia and is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, goldenrod and lettuce.…