Plant Profile: Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick (Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’)
Karen If the name of the shrub is not enough to pique your curiosity, the stems and flowers will. The cultivar name ‘Contorta’gives you hint of what to expect…twisted branches. But…
Plant Profile: Beautyberry (Callicarpa japonica)
This cascading deciduous shrub is native to China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Ryuku Islands and is a member of the deadnettle family, Lamiaceae, that also includes mint, beebalm and adjuga.…
Five Favorite Grasses for Fall
The cool temperatures of autumn allow fall blooming grasses to grow to their full potential. Some of them continue into winter providing beauty and interest well into spring. Many of…
Plant Profile: Sweet Gum ‘Lane Roberts’ (Liquidambar styraciflua)
If you are lucky enough to have a sweet-gum tree in your vicinity you can recognize it by its round spiky burr like fruit that resembles an alien spaceship. You…
Plant Profile: Purple Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)
One of the most delightful plants native to North Carolina is purple muhly grass. Although it is hardy in zones 7-9 I had never seen it until I moved to…
How to Cut and Condition Dahlias
If you grow dahlias you may want to enjoy them in an arrangement. The stems of dahlias are hollow and they have to be full of water in order last…
Plant Profile: Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina aka S. lanata)
Lamb’s ear is a herbaceous perennial native to Turkey, Armenia, and Iran, and is a member of the deadnettle family, Laminaceae, that also includes mint, basil, and beebalm. It forms…
Plant Profile: Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro) ‘Taplow Blue’)
Globe thistle is a clump forming herbaceous perennial native to Asia and central to eastern Europe. It is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow…
Garden Journal: July 12, 2009
Lots of sun and heat this past week but little rain so we have had to turn on the irrigation and do a lot of hand watering. Most plants seem…
Plant Profile: Butterfly Weed (Ascelpias tuberosa)
This clump-forming, long-lived, herbaceous perennial is native to eastern North America where it tends to grow on dry soil in full sun . It is a member of the dogbane…